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THEIR VIEW: Take me out of the ballgame!
7/9/2008 8:00 AM  

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Dys

By JEREMIAH G. DYS

CHARLESTON -- I was recently in Washington, D.C. for some meetings with pro-family leaders and politicians. Following a day's worth of meetings, I was graciously given a ticket to watch the Washington Nationals play the Anaheim Angels.

As we settled into our seats, the pro-family leaders I was sitting with were surprised to hear the loudspeaker announce, "To sing our National Anthem, please welcome the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C."

The sweet irony of pro-family leaders sitting in the midst of what we soon discovered was "Gay Pride Night" was not lost on any of us!

My colleague's next comment grabbed my attention. Of this 'Gay Men's Chorus,' he said, "What other lifestyle that social science tells us is detrimental to the family would we take time to celebrate like this?"

Indeed. Could you imagine having, "Adulterer's Pride Night" or having the "Pedophile Chorus of Washington, D.C." sing the National Anthem?

While it is regrettable that those men are held captive to the grip of a self-destructive lifestyle, what is more regrettable is that politicians and judges are imposing policies that will undermine the family by knowingly depriving kids of a married mom and dad.

When I got back home, I happened upon the website for Dr. Trayce Hansen, a clinical, forensic psychologist who has debunked the very social science research the radical homosexual lobby misuses to support its push for the redefinition of the family.

In one of her writings, she concludes, "[A]lthough we empathize with those homosexuals who long to be married and parent children, we mustn't allow our compassion for them to trump our compassion for children. In a contest between the desires of some homosexuals and the needs of all children, we can't allow the children to lose."

It is for the benefit of children and our future societies that we set government policies to encourage the union of one man and one woman and reject those policies seeking to give aid to the expansion, fracture, or redefinition of the core family unit.

As Dr. Hansen says, "The accumulated wisdom of over 2,000 years has concluded that the ideal marital and parental configuration is composed of one man and one woman." When judges and politicians disregard the wisdom of the electorate and redefine a family to appease less than 2% of the nation's population, our children are placed squarely in harms way.

"Arrogantly disregarding such time-tested wisdom," says Dr. Hansen, "and using children as guinea pigs in a radical experiment is risky at best, and cataclysmic at worst. Same-sex marriage definitely isn't in the best interest of children."

Love, regrettably, is not enough. Vibrant families are defined more by the complimentarity each member uniquely contributes to the other, and less by the level of love he or she is possessed of.

I agree with Dr. Hansen, "Mothers and fathers simply are not interchangeable. Two women can both be good mothers, but neither can be a good father."

Dys is the president and general counsel of The Family Policy Council of West Virginia, a servant organization advocating for policies that embrace the sanctity of human life, enrich marriage, and safeguard religious freedom. Read more from Dr. Hansen by visiting www.familypolicywv.com.

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Comments on this article

  • "Take Me Out of the Ballgame!"

    I can only hope the editors of The West Virginia Record will find someone who can provide a little balance to Jeremiah G. Dys' diatribe against Gay Americans. I'm sure it must have just ruined his day to have to sit through a rendition of our National Anthem by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC, because he could only characterize them as "held captive to the grip of a self-destructive lifestyle." That comment, of course, was just the springboard for his rant against marriage equality for Gay couples. That Gay couples seek to marry is not an attack on marriage. If anything it is an ENDORSEMENT of marriage, an acknowledgment that it far better to encourage couples toward monogamy and commitment, rather than relegating them to lives of loneliness and promiscuity. Ask any Straight couple why they choose to marry. Their answer will not be, "We want to get married so that we can have sex and make babies!" That would be absurd, since couples do not need to marry to make babies, nor is the desire to make babies a prerequisite for obtaining a marriage license. No, the reason couples choose to marry is to make a solemn declaration, before friends and family members, that they wish to make a commitment to one another's happiness, health, and well-being, to the exclusion of all others. Those friends and family members will subsequently act as a force of encouragement for that couple to hold fast to their vows. THAT'S what makes marriage a good thing. Gay couples recognize that and support that. And those that want to prohibit Gay couples from marrying do so only because they don't want to allow Gay couples the opportunity to PROVE that they are up to the task. For those who suggest that the issue of marriage is best left up to the states, it's important to remember that the federal government has a vested interest in married couples for the purposes of income taxes and Social Security benefits. From the fed's point of view, it wouldn't do for a couple to be considered married in one state, then magically "UN-married" once they decide to move somewhere else. The fact remains that the term "marriage" does not occur in the Constitution of the United States. There is technically no "right" for any couple, Gay or Straight, to get married, at least from the federal government’s standpoint. And that is why, ultimately, the Supreme Court will have to address the issue of what constitutes a marriage, much as I'm sure they would prefer NOT to.

    by Chuck Anziulewicz

    url: http://anziulewicz.livejournal.com

  • It is easy to dehumanize people you don't know

    How did Mr. Dys take a beautiful rendition of the national anthem and turn it into a diatribe against marriage equality? It takes a some truly convoluted reasoning to make the jump. Can't the singing of this nation's anthem--a nation that supposedly celebrates equality, freedom, and fairness--just be that and nothing else? Does Mr. Dys even know any of the members of the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC? I'm a member, and I've never met him before in my life. How could he possibly know what my life is like--or what the lives of any of the 200+ members are like--if he hasn't at least talked with some of us? I would NEVER presume to know what Mr. Dys's life is like, or make presumptions about his family, lifestyle, beliefs, or mental health, or any other aspect of who he is. I don't know him--how could he presume to know me? It's very easy to dehumanize people you don't know. It's easy to say "those people," and "that lifestyle" without actually knowing who "those people" are and what kind of lives that they actually live and lead. If Mr. Dys would spend a day in my shoes, he'd see a very different life than the one he pretends to know.

    by Dan Kaufman

    url:

  • Child of a gay union

    I am a child of a homosexual. Yes I am a product of a man and a woman engaging in copulation, but my mother lived her life as a homosexual with her female partner. You may ask what kind of demented childhood I had growing up with two "mommies," what kind of horrors I was subjected to, or how deranged I am now, but the truth is I am a 27-year-old professional with a wonderful marriage and relationship with God. My mother's sexual orientation was her choice; just like my heterosexual orientation and marriage is my choice. I consider myself lucky to have two parents in a day and age where many children only have one. It doesn't matter that my two parents were both women, and I did certainly did not miss out on having a father figure in my life. I have a wonderful relationship with my grandfather and my uncles, and it proves that father figures come in all forms. If we are to admit that it takes a village to raise a child, then why can't we acknowledge that a diverse village is also beneficial? I feel sorry for people who are so closed minded that they cannot see past their own beliefs. "Judge not, lest ye also be judged"

    by Jennifer Duncan

    url:

  • Sad

    How does Mr. Dys dare to associate Gay men with adulterers and pedophiles (Could you imagine having, "Adulterer's Pride Night" or having the "Pedophile Chorus of Washington, D.C.")? How does Mr. Dys dare to write, "What other lifestyle that social science tells us is detrimental to the family would we take time to celebrate like this?"? What social science? Surely there are other views on this issue -- a vast and growing majority I'm happy to note. I am as proud of my Gay Men's Chorus of Washington family as I am of my born-into family. And my born-into family loves and is proud of me -- for who I am -- and for being honest and open about it. Mr. Dys and those who share his biggoted views will lose this battle. Fairness, love, and understanding is truly the American (and human) direction. Thank you, Mr. Dys, for sharing a bit of our music. I'm sorry that you do not chose to understand me, my chorus, or my family. I hope that someday you do.

    by Ed Oseroff

    url:

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