the unique status -- straight people are special

While on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Senator McCain told Ellen that he believed in "the unique status of marriage between a man and a woman." Not earth shattering news. The "unique status" (or a variant thereof) catch-phrase is repeated time and time again by those opposing same-sex marriage -- including Senators Obama and Clinton. Watch them. I love how they say it. They rarely make eye-contact. Instead they look down (or up) and to the side, pause, get a concerned, reverential, and benevolent expression on their face, and whisper -- firmly but with conviction -- I believe in the blah blah blah. It's as if the Holy Spirit itself swooped down, engulfed them and made the point. My God, how is an interviewer supposed to argue with the Holy Spirit?

It looks like this year, at least on this issue, we're left with no options. Gay people do not have the right to get married, at least not according to those running for president. Although the position is clear enough, I have yet to hear a fully developed "why?" in defense that does not dissolve into a God-centered religious, baby-making, child raising, home creating, world-ending, discussion. Note, I am neither anti-God, nor anti-baby. Interviewers apparently do not want to press the candidates too hard on the "why" lest they should be seeing as dueling with the Holy Spirit. Once the candidate says something like "this is what I believe," the interviewer folds. God has been invoked. The interviewer can't go further. And, we're are forced to swallow whatever religious dogma the candidate is vomiting.

I know, it sounds like I'm anti-religious dogma. Maybe. I don't know. It's not religion however, it's how it's being played. It's politics. And, politicians. After much time spent in Washington, D.C., I am decidedly anti-Politics ("p" capitalized on purpose --the type of politics that panders, that specializes in which way the wind is blowing -- wait, we should always capitalize Politics). And, anti-Politician (capitalized for obvious reasons). These same individuals who claim Gays demand special rights because they want to be treated like everybody else argue that heterosexuals have the right to a unique status by virtue of some moral authority. Doesn't unique sound an awful lot like special? Not to a politician. Who else but a politician can make an argument like that -- and get away with it?

Call them on it. Make them answer the "why?" Don't let them obfuscate the issue. Let them know they are not special.