I Suppose I Should Say Something About the Marriage Amendment

I feel guilty for not having done more to oppose the Marriage Protection Amendment. Part of me thinks that it should be obvious to any reasonable person that this amendment will in no way protect marriage. Then again, part of me has conceded that the amendment will pass by a large margin. At any rate, this three-year national debate over same-sex marriage has left all of me cynical.

A few things:

• If you support the Marriage Protection Amendment, please explain to me how the amendment actually protects marriage. For that matter, how does anyone benefit in any way from the passage of this amendment?


• Conventional wisdom says that a gay-marriage ban is inevitable in a Bible Belt state. I'm bothered that the voice of Christian Tennessee is so loud when the opportunity arises to pick on gay people but so hoarse when the debate involves a state lottery, capital punishment, or our regressive tax system.


• When, do you think, will the first state amend its constitution to repeal a previous amendment banning same-sex marriage? When will Tennessee repeal the amendment that will likely pass tomorrow? I say 2012 and 2026, respectively.