Proposing

Proposition 8 on this November's California ballot is eliciting quite a clash of commercials. It's yet another attempt to ban same-sex marriage (after the last try was overturned by the state supreme court), and that's as politically volatile as it always is.

The opponents suggest that it's fine for those who are uncertain about whether they support gay marriages to be uncertain, but ask whether those people believe our laws should treat people differently.

They make it a question of fairness.

The proponents concoct a scenario where an elementary school child comes home, with story book in hand, and gleefully declares how in school she learned that "a prince can marry a prince," or that she can grow up and "marry a princess." They allege that this will be taught to children with parents having no opportunity to object.

They make it a matter of parents' rights.

Of course, their ad has an obvious flaw.

No, not that.

This is California, part of the United States. We do not have royalty in this country. However, traditionally princes and princesses were married off for political or economic gain, not for love. No king is going to want to marry off his princess daughter to another woman—especially to some American commoner! There's no benefit for his kingdom in that.

Granted, these people probably don't want history taught to their children either.

Presumably it was good enough for those people to not learn anything.

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One does fail to see the logical connection between banning the act of same-sex marriage to keep it from being taught rather than simply banning the teaching of same-sex marriage without specific parental consent.

Ah, but one doubts logic has any place in American politics.