Pay attention

Dear Editor,

This message is a direct response to a previous letter to the editor, written by one Bruce C. Desautels of Stratton Nebraska. So, Mr. Desautels, and everyone else who shares the beliefs expressed by him in his letter on Feb. 26, pay close attention, because a lot will be said here and I don't want to have to explain this more times than I need to.

You cannot impose your religious beliefs on others through laws.

I can't believe I have to explain this, but apparently I do. If you look at the Bill of Rights, in that pesky old First Amendment that our founding fathers were clever enough to put in there, you will find that the government "will make no laws with regard to the establishment of religion." And, as one founding father put it, there is a "separation of church and state." Now, I know that this information may be hard for you to hear, but our Bill of Rights guarantees that freedom. The freedom that one religious belief may not be enforced through our laws, to guarantee people may live freely. So, let's go ahead and take your god completely out of the argument, because if you try to construct an argument for a law around your god, or any god for that matter, you are denying people the right of freedom of religion.

But before we do that, let's make one thing very clear: the church did not have exclusive rights to marriage. It was happening before the bible was written for a very long time, before a single syllable was attributed to be the word of the judeo-christian god. So the argument that marriage is something Christianity came up with falls apart with a 5 minute google search, I recommend you try it and see what you come up with. Try a non-biased source, like an ancient history publication.

Now, I believe next was the "slippery slope" argument? It is a very common one, even though it makes 0 sense to anyone ever, but I'll address it nonetheless. No, no one is suggesting we ever make adult-child, child-child, human-animal, or human-toaster marriage legal. Because that's stupid. The reason why that would never be an issue is because that involves a lack of consent. Animals cannot consent to marriage, inanimate object cannot consent to marriage, and children cannot consent for marriage.

Much like children cannot consent to sex, sign a contract without a parent, open a bank account on their own, or do most things that require consent. Because kids don't understand what they are consenting to, so while they are growing up, a parent or legal guardian must provide consent for them to do pretty much anything. However, two adult males in sound mind can consent to things. It is a very different situation for me to want to marry my boyfriend than it is for me to want to marry a lamp.

I know that you aren't saying that infertile and elderly people shouldn't be allowed to marry in your next argument, but it sounds like that. I mean, really? Because two people can't produce offspring, they shouldn't be allowed to marry? There are six times as many same sex couples in this country who want to raise children than there are kids in foster care. Maybe that could solve two problems, let the same sex couples adopt kids? I mean, since that is illegal in this state the last time I checked.

You can't justify a law based on your god's words. I'm sorry I'm bringing it up again, but I have to. That's not how our society works. And, if you are so determined to live up to your god's standards, then I will tell you I am homosexual. Leviticus 20:13 states that for my detestable acts, I am to be put to death.

Email the Gazette. Ask for my information. Give me a call. I'll let you know where I am, so that you can see if your god's commands are as accepted in justifying murder as they are in justifying inequality. Come up with at least one good reason why I shouldn't be allowed to marry, without using your holy book, and then maybe I will consider your side.

Until then, keep your religion out of this country's laws, you live your life, I'll live mine, and never the two shall infringe upon the other.

Sincerely,

Andy Hutchins

Culbertson, Nebraska