I find it ironic that some of the strongest shouters of "Freedom!" are anti-LGBT. The US has some powerfully conservative morals. In my own travels as a foreign

I find it ironic that some of the strongest shouters of "Freedom!" are anti-LGBT. The US has some powerfully conservative morals. In my own travels as a foreigner across the US (a straight white anglo male), I found that there were plenty of times I had to watch what I said or did. The big cities where people don't chant "Freedom" is where people acted freer, and the rural areas were opposite (broadly speaking). I'm a centre-left in my own country, which would be far left in the US. Gay marriage is a non-issue to me, because it doesn't affect anyone that is not involved and consenting. I'm of the opinion that if those religious people who oppose it because it brings the devil or some such, if they want to ban it because of their beliefs, then they should step forward and provide some proof. If you want to meddle in a stranger's life, there should at least be some evidence, rather than a hunch. Unfortunately I don't have a good answer for you, apart from the intolerant christians simply turning to religion because of easy answers. There's plenty of christians in the US who don't bludgeon their neighbours with their faith, and those people generally are up for discussion. It's like the Church of England in the UK - they're christian, but they're also perfectly normal people that can live beside people who don't behave the same as them. But if you're the kind of person who finds asking searching questions difficult, then a loud defense of your religion helps keep you 'safe'. As for the smugness, I find it hilarious when conservatives talk about how smug progressives are, even as they're using a dismissive tone as they describe that smugness. The main article is a classic example of this, and my comment was just meant to point out that both sides do this tactic that the author so despises. Unfortunately, the only way to get people to change these kind of deeply-held beliefs is to get them to ask themselves questions about it, and they may get there of their own accord. But if the other side isn't listening, then those questions can't be seeded. A shorter form of my opinions on gay marriage is this: it's fucking outrageous that a completely unrelated person can get in the way of a loved one making important decisions for their partner (like medical care). Is there a need for debate on it? No, not if you're for 'Freedom'. And, of course, if a person is not for 'Freedom', then they must Hate America :)