Gay marriage – letter to my MP
Originally posted by Peter Inson at 05:13, May 21 2013
The Coalition for Marriage has encouraged me to protest at your voting with the government last night. I am not about to do that, especially as, having cried over the spilt milk of what they see as civil liberties for those who oppose gay marriage, they have had the temerity to tell me what to say to you.
What I must say is that I am appalled that so much time and energy has been expended on a relatively trivial matter, especially when commitment to marriage has been in decline for some time. Of far greater concern are the products of adult relationships, children, vulnerable conscripts, who we so often see harmed, neglected or abused by those who have brought them into the world.
It is one thing for adults to do things to and with each other, within the law; it is another for them to misuse or neglect one another once a child depends on them. Only parents can be obliged to involve themselves with the child. The rest of us, doctors, social workers, care workers and teachers have holidays, days off and new jobs to go to. We can escape, we can hand the problem child on to a colleague. Parents cannot.
Parliament should concern itself, not with the superficialities of adult relationships, but, when a baby arrives, with the fitness of adults to grow into good, mutually supportive parents. That is when we should ask ourselves whether these adults would be allowed to foster or adopt other people’s children.
We should remember too, that parents who insist on abandoning children and partners cost us a deal of money, and their children a deal of pain.