FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Tory leader on Marriage

[jojane (jojane]

>From Ralph Wyman (co-chair, UUs Out For Marriage)

Subject: Tory leader on Marriage, a far cry from what American
politicians say...
 
The Conservative Conference (presumably like our biennial party
conventions) just wrapped up in England, and their party leader (and
likely man to stand for Prime Minister in the next election) David
Cameron said this in his floor speech:
 
All families do a vital job, and they all need our support.

But I also believe that marriage is a great institution, and we should
support it.  I'm not naïve in thinking that somehow the state can
engineer happy families with this policy or that tax break.

All I can tell you is what I think.  And what I think is this:

There's something special about marriage.  It's not about religion.  It's
not about morality.  It's about commitment.

When you stand up there, in front of your friends and your family, in
front of the world, whether it's in a church or anywhere else, what
you're doing really means something.

Pledging yourself to another means doing something brave and important. 
You are making a commitment.  You are publicly saying: it's not just
about me, me me anymore.  It is about we - together, the two of us,
through thick and thin.

That really matters.

And by the way, it means something whether you're a man and a woman, a
woman and a woman or a man and another man.  That's why we were right to
support civil partnerships, and I'm proud of that.

Of course not every marriage lasts, and many couples are much better off
apart.  Women must have an escape route from abusive relationships. 
Every married couple has rows and difficulties.

But if you've made that public commitment, it just helps you try harder
to work your problems through.

We can argue for ever about whether favouring marriage means
disadvantaging other arrangements.  My approach is simple.

If marriage rates went up, if divorce rates came down - if more couples
stayed together for longer, would our society by better off?  My answer
is yes.

But supporting marriage is not just about money, or tax breaks.  It is
insulting to the human spirit to believe that a relationship between two
people is just about money, or even mainly about money.

It isn't. 

So recognising marriage mor! e direct ly in the tax system is not enough.
 Flexible working.  Family centres.  Relationship advice.  All of these
things matter. 

Let us as a society and as a culture value and recognise marriage more.
--
 
Would that there were brave conservatives in this country who could stand
up and say something like that!  Sadly, here, even 'liberal' politicians
are afraid to be that plain spoken in support of same gender couples. 
 
L,R