I hate to be bringing back an old ghost, but People and US magazines have given me every right to do so. America’s talented (snicker) singing beauty Britney Spears decides to get married with her longtime pal Jason Alexander in a Las Vegas chapel. The unexpected wedding lasted 44 hours before they filed for an annulment, a new record low. As if that Madonna-wannabe, talentless ditz knew what true love was. At the same time, we have church groups and even President George Bush complaining about court decisions to allow homosexual marriages.
Wow.
Apparently, heterosexual couples can treat marriage like it’s a game, while gays and lesbians, who sometimes seem more committed, can’t have a lasting civil union or marriage or whatever the hell you want to call it. It seems like marriage is becoming a joke in my eyes.
Many conservatives and marriage defenders believe the problems and the liberal attitudes toward homosexual couples are what are ruining the concept of marriage. Again, logic seems to be blinded by bias. Personally, it’s divorce that’s ruined marriage for quite some time. Being the victim of having my parents divorce rather unhappily, perhaps my views on how divorce destroys marriage are too severe, but if we think that gays and lesbians marrying are a larger threat, think again.
Divorce creates nothing but misery in many families I’ve observed. My parents talk about each other behind their back and I have to be the mediator. It’s the most goddamn unfair thing for a child of any age to be faced with. Do you think I like to play spy and see what each parent is up to? No kid deserves to see the concepts of love and fidelity torn in their face when their parents divorce.
Marriage is no longer the commitment it was long ago, when a man and a woman could say, “I love you,” to each other and have the patience and fortitude to stand by each other, through everything. They’re called vows, ladies and gentlemen. Nowadays, if your husband or wife irks you in any way, you can find a legit way to divorce them. If marriages are abusive or threatening, then by all means divorce, but this garbage of 50 percent of married couples divorcing is heartbreaking.
Call me a hopeless romantic, but I want a relationship that’s based on absolute love, not petty romantics and the opportunity to ruin lives just because you don’t like something about your partner. From what I see, these homosexual couples seem to have more commitment than a lot of heterosexual married couples.
People don’t know how serious marriage is. When people say marriage is sacred, they speak of the serious commitment and the true love shared, not just what society thinks or what Hollywood tells you marriage should be like. The Catholic Church, one of the biggest advocates against homosexuality, should know what it’s talking about – a large hunk of their priest population is gay, and of course let’s not forget their troubles with the altar boys huh? I’m Catholic, but I’m not blind.
Hollywood, the bottom-feeder when it comes to morals and ethics, shouldn’t say a damn thing. In a place where fame, fashion and fortunes rule, the concept of love here is a joke and/or publicity stunt. The Britney Spears “marriage” or that Ben/J-Lo crap is proof enough. I know there are always exceptions, but from what I see and hear, marriage is not at all sacred to them. They may have personal issues, or maybe they think they’ve found love – I don’t know. To make all this fuss and commotion only to go back on any promises that they made with each other is sickening. The news should really focus on more important things, like the situation on Mars or the renewal of Iraq – not this mind-numbing schlock.
Marriage is indeed a sacred institution. When I get older, I would love nothing more than to get married and raise a family, but without someone having to tell me idiotic rhetoric over how I should treat it. Love comes from the heart, not the head, not the papers and not from the government. When people are ready to settle down, then do so. If you know the responsibilities and the trust involved in this union between a man and a woman, man and a man or woman and a woman, then go ahead, get married and don’t let anyone tell you you’re wrong for the way you love someone.
The problem is not what orientation or religious background someone is from that takes away the sanctity of marriage, but the fact that people fool-heartedly treat marriage like going through the motions. Marriage is like the military, you should know what you’re signing up for before you do it.
Colin Minich is a sophomore in the College of General Studies.