Gay marriage could save state's dying economy - Perspectives

Gay marriage could save state's dying economy - Perspectives

Gay marriage could save state's dying economy
By: Romero Montalban
Posted: 10/2/07
My father quit school in seventh grade, got a job and married at 16. After he came of age, he walked into General Motors and got the secure, well-paying job that he kept for over 30 years. Those were the good old days.

The automotive industry is dead, and it's time to bury it and create new prosperity. One definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Expecting a new auto company to rescue the dying economy is insane; it's time to do something different.

According to the National Association of Wedding Ministers, a total of $72 billion is spent on weddings annually in the U.S. The average American wedding costs $22,000.

Thirty million Americans are prospects for same-sex marriage. Multiply 15 million same-sex couples by $22,000 and you come up with $330 billion in same-sex marriage revenue, assuming each only marries once. Who turns away $330 billion in easy money?

In 2004, before many UM-D students could legally vote, the people of Michigan sabotaged our economy by adding an amendment to the constitution banning same-sex marriage. Why? For the most part, it was due to the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament, where it says two men having sex is an abomination. It's near where it says wearing cloth of more than one material (such as a poly/cotton blend) is an abomination and eating shellfish (like shrimp at Red Lobster) is an abomination. Other abominations are divination (like reading your horoscope) and adultery (getting married again while your first spouse is still alive). Other forbidden acts in the Old Testament include braiding your hair, wearing pearls and eating pork.

In Michigan, two counties voted against the amendment. Washtenaw (home to seven universities and colleges) and Ingham (home to Michigan State University).

The economy in Michigan is falling apart. Young people are coming into the Michigan job market at a miserable time because the adults before them failed to provide a prosperous economy.

Every time you see a Michigan newspaper headline about loss of jobs, or soaring home foreclosure rates, or a struggling economy, you must put the blame where it belongs. In 2004, the voters of Michigan could have allowed same-sex marriage, bringing billions into our economy.

Communities that sabotaged our economy should be boycotted and pay the price for their hate-mongering mentality.

Some of the cities where the majority voted to stop that hateful amendment were Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Huntington Woods and Oak Park. These are the cities to shop. You will notice an interesting correlation here; these cities also happen to be where prosperous people live. There appears to be a strong connection between embracing diversity and prosperity.

This is especially true in Wayne County. Cities where the voting majority wanted to ban same-sex marriage are also cities with high poverty rates: Allen Park, Detroit, Hamtramck, Lincoln Park, River Rouge, Southgate and Taylor, among others. Those cities do not deserve our money. Their bigotry keeps them poor, and in more ways than one. They voted selfishly and deserve to be shunned economically.

On the other hand, the voters of Grosse Pointe, known for its prosperity, stood against that sleazy amendment.

Bringing same-sex marriage to Michigan will create wealth and prosperity for our people. There will be catering companies, limousine services and all the other ingredients that go into a $22,000 wedding, or even more since gay people usually have more discretionary income.

Today's young people have to rise up against the outdated notions of older voters and repeal the marriage amendment. We need same-sex marriage in Michigan to replace the dying automotive industry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2007 Michigan Journal