My letter to Del. LeRoy Myers, (a Republican who represents Allegany and Washington counties) in support of Governor O'Malley's Civil Marriage Protection Act was returned with the comment: "Marriage has a long history in the religious world. In the religious world, marriage is almost exclusively the committed union between a single man and a single woman."
The our Allegany County commissioner, Mike McKay, who has been using his bully pulpit at publicly funded meetings, stated that "My faith is based on the holy word, and any change to that foundation I find offensive. My comments tonight are to declare my stand for my Lord and Savior" — as if that had anything to do with the county's business.
I find it offensive that my tax dollars pay Mr. McKay's salary to conduct the county's business, and he is using his position to preach his faith rather than do his job.
Mr. Myers and Mr. McKay do not appear to understand that the issue of same-sex marriage is about guaranteeing equality, not about legislating one's religious beliefs.
Who are they to judge me or legislate that their Bible, their god or their moral choices have anything to do with whom I choose to love or whom I choose to have in my legally protected family?
As a taxpaying citizen I expect that my state and federal benefits, protections and obligations should be the same as theirs, regardless of which church I attend (or not), or which book I carry around (or not). My choice of life partner has absolutely no effect on them, their wives, their children, or their property.
Yet they are attempting to legislate their ignorance, hatred, intolerance and bigotry in the guise of representing their religious constituency. They are not legislating for what is just and what the Constitution guarantees: freedom of religion (including freedom from others' religion) and equal protection of the laws.
I'm guessing we will have to wait for theU.S. Supreme Courtof the United States to iron this out. After all, they are supposed to be about principles rather than about pandering to the electorate.
A.W. Davis, Cumberland