Your MP is Supposed to LEAD YOU!!
Did you know that according to some Liberal MP's, your MP is supposed to lead you and not follow what their constituents want?
Edmonton Journal, January 26, 2005
Gay Marriage a Hot Button Nationwide
"Prime Minister Paul Martin quashed a last-ditch battle by two of his Liberal MPs to fight gay marriage legislation while the powerful Liberal women's caucus wholeheartedly endorsed the bill and accused party colleagues who are opposed of wanting to follow their constituents rather than lead them."
So does that mean we don't live in a democracy like we are led to believe? When did we stop being a democracy? I can tell you when. When the government started thinking they were above the people that elected them. That is the fundamental issue I have with the Federal Government...They are not there to represent us!! What is it going to take to change that attitude? Maybe we could get GW to liberate us!! Then maybe we could start all over again and not let this attitude happen again. Where is the accountability to the people that elected the MP? Maybe its time for the people of Canada to take a stand before we lose our status as a democracy.
3 comments:
I realise I might have been resisting you a bit on this issue in these comments (and some on my blog). I still don't see the harm in gay marriage itself as an issue, but we can definitely agree to have a friendly state of disagreement on that one. I heard an interview with Conservative MLA Peter (?) Morton on the radio today, talking about the same kinds of political and constituional questions you've been talking about, and I'm coming around to share that point of view: I think there are good, established, consultative mechanisms for making these kinds of laws, and that they're not being followed. As you've noted here, the decisions being made by judges, and the way the Federal government is dealing with it, are not in keeping with those processes.
By the way, do we have any stats or polls on what would happen in Canada if it went to a national referendum? Probably not as certain as the outcome would be in the US, but I haven't heard anything specific.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2005/01/27/911547.html
I've noticed your absence but also knew your thoughts on the subject so wasn't surprised that you didn't want wade into the water unnecessarily. Well you have and thanks for doing so.
I would imagine that in your line of work and being in a university environment, and correct me if I am wrong, but you would see and know people who are. I say that because of the more liberal environment I have heard about from people who have gone to university. I personally don't know of anyone who is gay or lesbian…. well I suspect I probably do know someone but don’t actually know. I would even like to talk to someone who is so I can actually try to understand. When gay marriage first came about it was about having the same rights as a traditional marriage. But what is a traditional marriage? I think it is a marriage that is performed in a church by a religious representative of that church. I know that you can get married down at city hall but I don't see it being the same. The government looks at the legality of it and the church looks at the spiritual side of it. It's funny though that if you get married in a church but don't register that marriage with the government, you are not legally married. You being a religious scholar of sorts would know if there is any precedent in the bible that deals specifically with marriage. Does the bible not say something like “marriage is defined as one man and one woman that are joined in holy matrimony under the presence of God?” I can hear your thoughts now. Lorne, I know your agnostic!! True enough…but even though I don’t call myself a Christian, I respect a person who does and stands up for it (to a point). Does gay marriage affect your family? Of course not and it wouldn’t affect mine. But does it go against Christian beliefs? That my friend is your call. Now should the government make the call of a definition of marriage knowing that many of the so-called values they represent are in fact based on Christianity? Should the people who actually elected the MP to represent them have a say? Gay marriage isn’t the only issue the people of Canada have not had a say.
I read your definition of marriage on your blog: “Actually from my (mostly religious) perspective the marriage starts when you start living together and/or sleeping together, and neither government nor church has any more than a ceremonial role after (or before) that.”
If that is the case there must be a lot of teenagers out there who are married and don’t even know it. :-) I grew up in a more conservative environment but that doesn’t mean I value everything I was taught.
You asked about polls. If you do a Google search on “gay marriage polls canada” you will find quite a few polls.
Ya…maybe we will have to agree to disagree. When I get off these stupid pills we’ll have to have a couple of rum and cokes and then we can really say what we think!! :-)
Post a Comment