Letter: Gay marriage ban an insult to Americans

Thursday, June 8, 2006 | 7:32 a.m.

Having nothing positive to show after 5 1/2 years in office, President Bush has spoken out once again in favor of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. This issue, which Bush used to invigorate a certain bloc of voters who helped re-elect him in 2004, was revisited to divert attention from the many major problems facing America.

We wake up every day without a glimmer of hope that this administration can do anything to end the violence in Iraq, provide health coverage for 45 million uninsured Americans, catch the terrorists that attacked our country on 9/11, provide tax relief for the middle class or enact an energy policy that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil. With so much else gone wrong since he took office, why was a constitutional amendment to define marriage a priority for the president?

The proposed Marriage Protection Amendment was a sham and a waste of time. It was of no value other than to divide our country for political purposes. The defeat of this bill will allow the Republicans to call into question the ethics of all who voted against it. They will spend millions of dollars in TV advertising going into the November elections gay-bashing and questioning the morals of anyone who voted against the amendment.

Young Americans dying in a fruitless war can always take a back seat to the importance of the federal government's definition of marriage.

The next diversion from the real issues facing our country will be the "Flag Burning Amendment," which could also be titled the "Solution for a Nonexistent Problem."

When will this administration stop insulting the intelligence of the American people?

Phil Ventura, Las Vegas