Frighteningly Enough, I Have Almost no Problem With This

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The Conservatives are introducing legislation that will protect those who oppose Same Sex Marriage. As a proponent of SSM you'd think I'd have major problems with this, but I don't. I have no problem with Ministers having protection against being forced to perform Same Sex Marriages. If we want them to respect our beliefs we have to respect theirs. As for justices of the peace I have no problem with them being protected as well, but I'd add the caveat that in places not close to a major urban center, where there may be only one or two justices of the peace, the government should have to arrange for a justice who is willing to perform the marriage to be transported there to do so, thus giving rural same sex couples the same access as their urban counterparts.

I do however have a major problem with the proposal that would protect opponents from voicing their opposition to SSM. Now, of course I'm for the Charter of Rights and thus for free speech, and if that's all the Conservatives have in mind I'm fine with it. But we need to make sure we don't condone hate speech. What's the distinction? I don't know, I'm no lawyer or legal scholar. But I do know freedom of speech should not give one the right to speak publically about harming homosexuals.

The difference between we Liberals and the Conservatives is we're willing to comprimise. We don't mind that they have religious beliefs that contradict our own and would even fight to protect their right of freedom to worship. But they don't share the same compassion for our side of the debate, they think that they're right and we're wrong and so the law must be set so that we're forced to believe as they do. I couldn't care less what the law says. The problem for them is their tactic won't work. Do you think that if Same Sex Marriage were banned tomorrow I'd be any less for it than I am now? Do you think if they passed a law saying we all had to attend Church on Sundays (Damnit! Don't give them ideas! -Ed.) that I would go?
We Liberals try to work out the best comprimise for everyone, Conservatives try to impose their will on overyone.