Same-Sex Marriage: Don't we have bigger things to worry about?

And anyway, aren't their more important issues in the world than whether two men or two women who love and respect each other want to marry? With the war in Iraq and Afganistan, with the drug problem in cities large and small, with the state of the environment, with famine and the AIDS crisis in Africa, with the huge problems in the educational systems in North America...don't we already have enough to get our knickers in a knot about?

As I write this, my husband and babies are sleeping peacefully in the early morning and some very disturbing news is playing on the TV in the corner of the room. Since yesterday morning all Canadians have been innundated with news and images from the college shooting in Montreal. It is heartbreaking to me that someone could be so full of hate and self-loathing that he could carry out such a dispicable act. Undoubtedly, as the hours and days pass we will learn more about the shooter that will give us the specifics as to why he may have committed such an act. Predictably all the tragedies of his own life will be revealed.

People will be up in arms over the various aspects of this case. They will be appalled at the lack of security. They will blame, perhaps, his parents or society for creating and condoning such a monster. They will express deep concern about the types of disturbingly violent websites availble that negatively and violently shape the lives of children. They will blame governments for the lack of support for people with mental illnesses. They will wonder why nobody saw this coming and did nothing to stop it. These are, and absolutely should be, areas for great and deep concern. These are some of the deep rooted societal problems we SHOULD be worrying about.

posted by Heather and Dan @ 6:46 AM