One day you drive up to your house, and you think to yourself, “Gee, it seems like only yesterday when we painted, but it sure could use it again.” Or you open your credit card statement and suddenly realize there’s no way you’re going to be able to pay the total in your lifetime. It’s my favorite lesson learned from the poor lobster in the pot: it seemed so comfortable all along, but now it’s too hot to get out!
I think we’re in that pot again. Last session, at the very last moment, HB444 was revised to create “civil unions.” Proponents argued that the bill was not meant to be a gay marriage bill, but all the wording in it referenced the Hawaii Revised Statute concerning traditional marriage. No, they argued, that’s what it looks like, but we are not trying to weaken traditional marriage. Well, fast forward to this session. The bill has surfaced early on; and, despite all the controversy and emotion generated by it last May, Gov. Abercrombie didn’t even address it in his State of the State on Monday. He says we all know where he stands.
Where’s the lobster been? If you are over 40 years old and think back to the type of TV shows, magazine articles and ads that you first remember, then compare them to what your children see and hear today, you will see how their strategies have been effective. We were told that you didn’t have to be married to live together and have kids. Then we were told that “love” made a family, not a mom and dad. Next they asked why shouldn’t we be treated the same for tax purposes, etc. as other “families?” Then came Hawaii’s 1997 Reciprocal Beneficiaries law, and things calmed down for a while, on the surface, at least. But now, the very structure of our society is being challenged. If we don’t make our views known, fairytales will someday begin with “Once upon a time, there was a family with a mom and dad……” Call your legislator this week. All listings are in the front of the phone book!
Gotta go boot up my hard drive! Aloha--- Mary B
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