October 16, 2012--Prop 1

Political lawn signs are sprouting up here faster than mushrooms. Mainly for statewide and local candidates but also for president. 

Until the first debate, Obama signs outnumbered Romney signs by at least two-to-one. Since then, there are many new Romney-Ryan signs and by our count, driving from Damariscotta to Pemaquid Point--about 15 miles, it is looking now more like 50-50. We'll see what happens after tonight. 

Almost as numerous as Obama-Romney signs are those for and against Maine's Proposition 1. It is expressed in very simple yes-no language:

Do you want to allow the State of Maine to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples?

By our count the yeas at the moment have it. Even with the not-so-effective alliterative tag line--

Marriage Matters to All Maine Families

There is a history to this. Back in May, 2009, the state legislature passed a bill to allow same-sex marriages. The governor signed it into law. But that November, in a referendum, by a vote of 53%-47%, voters rejected it and same-sex marriages continued not to be permitted.  There will, however, be another chance in a few weeks for voters to reverse the reversal. Polls, and the proliferation of lawn sign, suggest it will pass. 

Driving around with a friend Saturday, though she was feeling so frustrated by the various campaigns and said she didn't want to talk about politics, we couldn't restrain ourselves. We spoke mainly about gay marriage--why it is such a burning issue for most gay people as well as for those who, with equal passion, oppose it.

"I'm pretty liberal," I said, "but don't see why this is such a hot issue on either side."

"You?" our friend said, sounding surprised.

"Don't mishear me, I'm in favor of same-sex marriage but I don't understand why for so many it's as controversial and undiscussable as abortion. Abortion I can understand--again I favor a woman's right to have one. If you really believe life begins at conception then you have to be opposed to it. Maybe even try to have it declared illegal. To such a person, it is killing. I think they're way off base, but still I can see their point of view. But about gay marriage, I don't know."

"Well, if you are religiously orthodox, it is 'forbidden.' It's an 'abomination.'"

"Actually, there are just two brief references to homosexuality in the Bible, and they are ambiguous and quite open to interpretation since there are translation issues that make those passages unclear. About sodomy, though, there is not much doubt."

"But heterosexuals also engage in sodomy, right?"

"Right."

"At least at the moment," Rona said, "there is no campaign to outlaw oral and anal sex. Unless I'm not up on what's going on on Fox News or what Paul Ryan would do if left to his own devices."

"And there are all sorts of other practices," our friend said, "that are clearly forbidden in the Bible that are not legislative targets of the orthodox or fundamentalists."

"Though they are only biblically derived," I suggested, "the Seven Deadly Sins are for the most part not part of any one's political agenda."

"They are," our friend in the backseat attempted to recall, "Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, and . . ."

Rona completed the seven--"Envy and Gluttony."

"Not a bad list, at all," I said, "With the exception of Mayor Bloomberg in New York and Michele Obama, who are trying to do something about Gluttony . . ."

"And various things people want to rein in that qualify as Lust," our friend interjected.

"Greed is by many seen to be good," Rona picked up, "But, you're right, most of the political concern seems to be about lustful things. About a lot that has to do with sex, and its sometimes consequences: abortion, of course, and birth control as well as homosexuality. And pornography. I don't get it. Why all this fuss about sexuality, which after all is as human as it gets?"

"It's obviously part of our Puritan legacy," our friend said. "And these folks on a campaign to outlaw what they consider to be aberrations--many of whom themselves are humanly lustful--know how powerful and disruptive sexual drives can be to individuals and families and communities. So they're interested in doing what they can to control it legislatively. To them religion isn't doing a good enough job so they are going the legislative route. Irregardless of church-state issues. But we know that no matter what laws get passed even those promulgating them and their brethren will figure out ways around whatever it is that they manage to prohibit. Look at all the preachers and conservative congressmen who get caught with their proverbial pants down."

"I am," I said, "really interested in how the vote goes on Prop 1. Maine is a pretty secular state with lots of libertarians. But still it lost last time."

"Lots of anti-gay rights money poured into the state four years ago," Rona reminded us, "but I sense much less now."

"Maybe because since then polls have indicated there is much more tolerance toward gay people and same-sex marriage."

Ever the realist, Rona had the last word--"Don't be fooled by the lawn signs. I suspect there are a lot of 'no' voters out there who are reluctant to put out anti-Prop 1 signs. They prefer to keep their views private so as not to seem intolerant. So let's wait and see. At the moment I'm focused on Tuesday night's debate. Obama had better man-up. If he doesn't, get ready for President Romney."

"You see," our friend said, "that's why I didn't want to discuss politics. So let's change the subject and talk about my favorite--real estate."