But, when it comes to same-sex marriage all talk of equality stops. Polls indicate that 60-70% of Americans opposes same-sex marriage, almost the same proportion as those who support gay rights. I find this hard to believe.

One wonders how many of these polls are skewed by biased pollsters. It's strange how polls, the litmus tests of democracy, guide (or misguide), our political leaders. How many members of congress are willing to stand up and be counted as favoring same-sex marriage? Noting the polls, they mouth political weasel words like supporting gay "civil unions", but not "marriage". I would respect a candidate who stood up for gay rights without first counting votes.

Harping on “marriage” is engaging in semantics. The word dates back to customs and conventions that have long been bypassed. How many people actually get married these days? And how many simply live together, and then go their separate ways without bothering first to get married and then divorced? In many European countries, many couples do not even marry until they have children. Even then, many don't bother.

"Common law" marriage legally protects the rights of couples who are not actually married, but have co-habited for a long time. So, is there common-law marriage for gays? Or, is that called "common law civil union"?

The current fuss over same-sex marriage seems to be an election year attempt by a "moral majority" to disregard human rights for homosexuals. What is the real issue? Is it religious belief? The declining value of marriage is caused by widespread divorce and adultery – why is there no uproar against these problems?

If this is a religious issue, then why is the President meddling? The constitutional amendment that he is committed to support is a process that takes years to work through and requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, plus ratification by the legislatures of 38 states. It just won't happen, and of course President Bush knows that. His posturing is, transparently, the promotion of a wedge issue – pleasing his own political base while trying to divide his opposition. Give me a break!

My prediction: This political furor is a precursor of things to come in this century – the legalization of marriages between humans and clones, techno-humans, robots, machines. Brave new world!