Standing for Tolerance...

As November 3rd draws nearer, many yards in our neighborhood, along with churches, and public properties, don political signs. This sparked a question from Greta on the way to school today about Question 1. She asked me what "Stand for Marriage" meant, which is the slogan that the Yes on 1 campaign uses to defend their belief that marriage should remain by law between man and woman, and would overturn the referendum voted on in Maine last November making gay marriage legal. I paused briefly to try to organize my thoughts about this matter before explaining it to her in appropriate seven year old language, and then dove right in! Parenting a child that can read brings with it a whole new set of challenges. I told her simply that some people believe that men should only marry women and vice versa, and that others believe that if gay couples want to get married they should have the same rights as couples that aren't gay. I was prepared to tell her about the benefits of marriage legally, but had not to, she'd already formed her opinion. "So the people who say they stand for marriage, don't really stand for it at all" she said nonchalantly scuffing her feet along the ground as she walked, "they only stand for their kind of marriage". My heart swelled with pride. She is viscerally tolerant. This nation could learn a lot from my little girl!!

I will be proudly voting No on 1 this election, so that my children may grow up in a world that's more tolerant and kind, just like them.