If there’s one issue conservatives and Tea Party “patriots” will listen to, it’s guns.
After I had written, “Gay Marriage, Abortion Aren’t Problems. Child Homelessness, Poverty Are,” we had a rather robust conversation in the comments section — with conservatives and progressives alike — and I wanted to share with you an excellent comment made by a reader who supports marriage equality.
But first, I need to share with you a comment written by a self-described conservative — who does not support marriage equality — so you have a better idea of the context.
Lee writes, “Ok here is my solutions. I am conservative. I don’t want universal healthcare. I do want abortions to be allowed till three months into pregnancy. After that the only way to terminate is if causes a danger to the mom. I want gays and lesbians to have their rights. I also want my right to follow my beliefs and not have them hindered by the government. One of my beliefs is that marriage is between a man and a woman. Call it garriage and i won’t say a word. I’ll join you in support of garriage. The word marriage means something to me. tell me i’m wrong. I’ll be back”
(By the way, if you want to voice your opinion about “garriage,” please do!)
Brian Stroup, our eloquent reader, responds. You should email this to everyone you know, especially conservatives and anti-equality friends. (We all know a few, right?…) Here’s Brian’s excellent analogy. Think about marriage equality as you’re reading it. Then use this to talk to conservatives about marriage.
“Let me try to put this into terms a conservative can understand: gun ownership.
“One of my beliefs is that guns are bad. I live in a country that recognizes the right of all citizens to own a gun. I still believe guns are bad. I follow my belief by not owning a gun. The fact that my government allows others to own guns does not invalidate my belief that guns are bad. No government agent has every tried to coerce me into buying a gun. I have friends who are avid gun collectors, and I am happy for them when they get a new gun or have a great day at the range. At the end of the day, gun control laws have no direct effect on my life. I believe the world would be a better place without guns, but I acknowledge that I do not have the right to force others to give up their guns just to satisfy my belief. I also recognize that toy guns, which can be painted to look just like real guns, are not the same as real guns, and wouldn’t expect anyone to accept that ownership of a toy gun fulfills their right to gun ownership.
“Each of us has the right to follow our own beliefs. None of us has the right to force others to follow our beliefs.”
Any questions?
Of course, there are some conservatives — true conservatives — who understand that the government should not be in the marriage business, and they are more interested in equality than some give them credit for. Like, Ted Olson, for starters.
(image:Â Jamison Wieser)