I recently got myself involved in a rather extensive and lengthy (may be TOO lengthy :) ) discussion about same-sex couple/marriage at Horace’s blog. I am going to excerpt some of my comments there (with minor edits) and reposted here. You see, I did the research and writing already, why not reuse them? (smile)
Seeing the intolerance expressed here about gays and gay marriages shows again why minority rights should not be subjected to the “tyranny of the majority”.
It is very easy to discriminate against the minority and the weak but resist we shall. Some times I will catch myself saying and thinking discriminating ideas which I will have to guard against.
May be it is unfashionable to mention here, but not long ago African-Americans didn’t have the rights to vote and inter-racial marriages were as taboo as gay-marriages today (and inter-racial married couples were harassed and even harmed/hurt as a result).
I am glad that in Canada our most basic human rights are protected by our Charter of Rights and Freedom and not by the wimps of elected politicians who will bend with the winds or even do things because of their own personal religious believes instead of governing for all Canadians.
And I even suggested some reading materials,
[...] a few things to read and consider. After all, they protect us all and they are rather short.
I highly recommend you have a read/scan of the Charter,
Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_FreedomsHave a look at section 15,
Section_Fifteen_of_the_Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_FreedomsHave a read at these Supreme Court of Canada cases,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egan_v._Canada
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vriend_v._Alberta
In moment like this, I feel how lucky we are as Canadians living in a society that is more tolerance of minorities.
P.S. I am aware of the challenges and problems with California Proposition 8 and hoping the court will reverse the ill-advised decision. Again, the rights of the minorities shall not suffer because of the “tyranny of the majority”.
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Just curious, what’s your view on the Bontiful polygamy case?
First of all, for other readers that are unaware of the Bountiful, B.C. polygamy case, Toronto Star has a report here,
http://www.thestar.com/article/563546
and CBC Fifth Estate had been following this story for a few years, see more and their hour long documentary video online here,
http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/bustupinbountiful/
My primary concern is about the practice of marrying really young and underage girls or women (even they may be technically of “legal” age) that had grown up in this community under the one-sided-”teaching” (some say brain-washing) of their so-called leader(s).
From what I’ve seen and understood from the Fifth Estate report, I am glad to see Winston Blackmore being stopped and face justice.