Tuesday, November 3, 2009

No on 1

Today is voting day.  Here in Maine, we have the option to vote to overturn the right that we have given to gay and lesbian couples to marry.  This is question 1.  No on 1 would uphold the right, yes on one would take away a right.  I think a yes vote is rotten, mean, and unfair.  I believe that all people should have the right to love and marry who they want to.  I feel that taking rights and happiness away from people is unkind and unnecessary.  I think of my girls and all they have ahead of them in their lives and hope that if any of them do fall in love with a woman, they have the opportunity to marry, love, and live in the same way they would if they fell in love with a man, and to be proud of that.   I took Maya with me to the polls this morning, and we have been talking for a while about how everyone should have the same choices and opportunities, so when we got there, I explained what we were about to do.  Maya said, "right, Momma, we want everybody to be able to love everyone, and be happy, right?  And, Momma, it's okay for girls to love girls and boys to love boys like you and Daddy do, right?"  So I told her that she was right that everyone should be allowed to make their own choices and live how they felt was best for them, because we are all the same.  She said, "why some people want to make some people not be happy?"  I didn't have a good answer for that so I just told her that hopefully, after today everyone would get to be happy and equal.

4 comments:

Beth said...

Here here! I took the boys with me to vote today, and was trying to explain to William why voting is important. I don't think he understood my explanation as well as Maya understood yours, but I think he understands that voting is important. That Maya is one smart cookie!

Joanna said...

If I still lived in Maine, I would have been voting with you. I'm glad to hear you have such open and important discussions with your kids...but I pretty much assumed that already.

We only had some local stuff on our ballots. One of them was to vote for Nark for Constable. Hey, he's got the name for the job ; p

Karla said...

Great discussion with your daughter. Very noble of you to be so open and honest with her, so young. You are really teaching her and helping her to value and appreciate everyone. :)

Julie said...

I love how toddlers can simplify logical things so perfectly. Kudos to you for talking about this stuff with her, especially b/c its such a great lesson to love and accept people for who they are. Its never too early to have "grown up" discussions. I think I have already beaten the "Don't ever smoke" horse to death over here.