Yesterday, Vermont became the first state that ratified a bill authorizing people of the same sex to marry. They had to override the veto of the Governor to complete the task. All the other states that have authorized same sex marriage have been because of unelected judges. Dennis Prager discussed this issue on the way to work today.

What is the real issue with same sex marriage? Is it the rights that married people have? No, same sex couples can get the same rights if they so choose. Is it to get the same benefits that married people have? Maybe, but these benefits can be obtained in ways other than getting married.

Then what is the real reason? The answer may lie in the acronym used by the Gays and Lesbians, LGBT. That stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. The gays and lesbians claim that they are that way because it is genetic. People are bisexual and transgender because of choice. That would indicate that the goal of the organization is to blur the line between male and female. If you blur the line between male and female, then bisexual and transgender become more acceptable. Also as an offshoot, gays and lesbians are not considered different at all.

Why throw away thousands of years of Jewish and Christian tradition just because a few people say so? Shouldn’t we acknowledge the wisdom of the ages? There has to be a reason that the Jews and Christians adopted the marriage covenant between men and women only. The reason is obvious. If you want society to continue, you have to have children. The only way to have children is for men and women to get together and create a child. Marriage then protects the woman and children from starvation and death. Traditionally, the man is obligated to care for the woman and children. Both the man and the woman then train the children in what is expected of them to make them good members of the society. This practice has successfully continued civilization to our day. It is a successful practice.

We started to modify that practice when we needed women to work during World War II. At that time, women had to go to work because most of the men were off fighting in the war. Women liked earning a paycheck. When men came back from the war, many women had a difficult time giving up the paycheck to become the housewife again. That started women working. In our time, women have to work to provide enough money to pay for the houses that we own. Generally, men also do not earn enough money to have a wife and children at home like they did before World War II.

Gays and Lesbians say that changing the definition of marriage will not have any impact on society. I believe they are wrong. It will take a few years, but I believe that changing the definition of marriage will confuse the gender roles that men and women have had for thousands of years. In other countries where they have relaxed the marriage laws, marriages are much fewer. That means more women raising children without the aid of a husband. I do not want to sound like a male chauvinist pig, but I believe that men are essential in a family. Boys need to learn how to be men and girls need to know how men are supposed to behave. Just like boys need to learn to respect their mother and sisters, girls need to learn how to be women from their mothers. A family where one of these roles is missing is not a complete family. Studies show that children are less likely to be involved in crime if they come from a home with a father and a mother. I am not saying that there are not good people that were raised by just their father or their mother. I am just saying that in general, children born and raised to a married father and mother turn out better.

If you want a predictor of crime, one of the best statistics you could use is did the person come from a one parent household. If you want a predictor of poverty, one of the best statistics you could use is did the person come from a one parent household. The percentages are against one parent households being successful. There are many that are, but there is a larger number that do not make it. There are just not enough statistics on children raised by two fathers or two mothers to be valid, but my guess is that they are not much better than single parent households. Only one gender is represented. A successful family has both genders as role models.

I have been successfully married for almost 37 years. During that time, each of us has had a role in raising our children. Both of us taught them different things and that turned them into whole individuals. Our children laugh when they identify that this or that trait came from me. It makes us closer as a family. I frequently see my father in the things that I do and say. I am sure that my sons do the same thing. As I look back, I would not change much. I would still marry and raise my seven wonderful children, even if I knew how much of a problem that was going to be.