Gay marriage: Focus should be on children

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 2/1/04 | Jim Wooten

[madprof98]

Notice how many proponents of same-sex unions find it necessary to point out the infidelity, divorce rate and abusive relationships in heterosexual marriages? After denigrating the institution, they argue that it should be redefined to include same-sex couples.

On this issue, defenders of the institution find themselves shouted from the public arena by those who indignantly scream that a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage in Georgia is either gay-bashing or a sleazy political maneuver to get social conservatives to the polls. That is one point of view -- and a not surprising one. Conservatives are accustomed to having their ideas interpreted and motives explained in caricature by those who aren't.

The reality is that the definition of marriage debate involves a far more complex set of concerns than lifestyle choices or partisan politics. This proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of man and woman isn't a partisan issue -- and if Democrats in the General Assembly, because of intraparty politics, choose to make it that, they foolishly and needlessly tempt election disaster.

The underlying issue is not tolerance or intolerance or the slightest interest in how adults choose to live or what they do in their private lives. The issue is children -- and society's vital interest in defining and promoting the institution that best nurtures, protects and shapes them.

Daily we read, as we did Friday, that the child protection system is overwhelmed and, in this case, another child in a fatherless home is killed while society's agent, the caseworker, juggles 70 cases, more than double the manageable load. Some juggle 100.

There will never be enough social workers, never enough foster homes, never enough tutors, never enough prison guards to provide the safety-net substitute for never-formed families. We're running around trying to invent alternatives that salvage the victims of birth abuse, firing caseworkers and managers because they aren't quite astute or smart enough to surmise when a child is in genuine danger. The child protection system, under the wisest of officials and the best of circumstances, is the computer model of the human brain.

Children can be raised successfully by single parents. Or in some other lifestyle setting if it is the only available alternative to an abusive, drug-ravaged mother and a never-mattered, no-show father. But neither is ideal; both are necessities of broken or never-formed families. For children, the alternatives are not interchangeable with a family consisting of a mother and father.

Without question, the culture has to repair itself -- a task that probably will take a generation or more -- to rebuild the traditional two-parent family. It's a task that will require involvement by government, the media, Hollywood, opinion leaders and, indeed, every adult whose opinion influences others.

The collection of messengers who stopped America from smoking is needed to restore marriage and family. Yes, the federal government should promote marriage, along with churches and every other community institution.

Social conservatives didn't pick this fight over the definition of marriage. Activists and sympathetic judges have thrust it into the public arena. Once challenged, efforts such as a constitutional amendment that may have seemed silly in another era become necessary. Georgia does have a law defining marriage. Unfortunately that's not enough.

Hawaii was sued by three gay couples. The state Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling requiring the state to show a "compelling state interest" in denying marriage licenses.

While the state appealed, the Legislature launched a constitutional amendment declaring that it had the authority to "reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples." Two years later the state Supreme Court issued a final ruling that the marriage amendment "has rendered the plaintiffs' complaint moot."

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Jim Wooten is associate editorial page editor. His column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

[madprof98]

This was published today as a counterpoint to a Cynthia Tucker piece already posted on Free Republic.

[tuesday afternoon]

I was amazed to see this article was from AJC after reading Tucker's piece. At least they're attempting to look objective.

[MonroeDNA]

The purpose of marriage is to raise children, as best as society knows how.

The proof is in; one man and one women do the best job.

When women stay home, and men provide, and stay together, there is less drugs, suicides, crime, and the children have a higher IQ, and are more likely to be happy.

Duh.