'Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.'- V, V for Vendetta
I have spent many a night sitting up thinking about equality, sexuality, marriage... things a lot of people seek. Things I don't feel should be up for ballots, that should be generally welcomed to all, but they aren't and therefore appear there. Anyways, I've spent many a night thinking about those things and I've come to my own conclusion. Whether or not you agree with me is up to you, or up to what your government says, or what have you.
You can say it's about protecting marriage, that it's about equality, the children, the discrimination... and those may be parts of it. I see this as being a battle for a word, 'marriage.' Because, you can throw in all the legal rights and privileges, the ceremony with all its pomp and circumstance, and even all the state recognizing it... but if it's not called 'marriage' it's not the same thing.
Marriage ellicts such a beautiful image, of roses and dainty white gowns, of bells and two proud lovers joining as one in the eyes of family, friends, and perhaps even a divine spirit. It is a powerful image of love and prosperity, where as 'civil unions/domestic partnerships' is so cold, so legal, the image of a judge staring at a beige piece of paper and tapping his gavel, "alrighty, the parties are joined. Enjoy your benefits." Some might even confuse civil unions with labor unions, which warrant a good facepalm.
Can we think of when marriage first became about love or who decided it should be so? What other things have marriages been good for? Bringing together warring states, combining wealthy families into even wealthier families, ensuring that a soon-to-be child will have a father and mother, gaining citizenship in a foreign country, making wild publicity stunts for 55 hours (don't act like you didn't see this one coming), showing off wealth, and lastly... for love. Or what the two parties involved call love, be it what you may call real love or one drink too many Las Vegas love.
I'm off track now, but what I mean to say is that words are so powerful, we're willing to fight tooth and nail for them. For abstract ideas behind them, freedom, democracy, marriage....
