Illustration by Holly Wells

Last week's election proved one thing: No matter how bad the issues facing our country become, nothing will motivate many Americans to act in our democracy quite like the fear of seeing boys kissing boys. In a time when the economy has been struggling, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, health care costs are skyrocketing, and more than 1,100 troops have died in Iraq, apparently "moral values" are most important in voting for our president.

At least that's what motivated a plurality of U.S. voters last week. Exit polls showed that 22 percent of the voters cited "moral values" as the issue that mattered most to them. That's right, "moral values" outpaced all of the actual issues that face our country. I mean, who cares if you're unemployed or that our soldiers are dying, so long as gays are kept out of sight and out of mind?

Brett Berry Columnist

Is it any real surprise that the vast majority (about 80 percent) of these "values" voters voted for Bush? This election is just the largest example of how this country is being dominated by red-state mentality. This country is being taken over by the Christian right, and nothing brings out the zealots like gays. It seems now that simply acknowledging the idea of civil unions for gay people is enough to inflame the "fear-the-queers" crowd.

Just last week, the Texas Board of Education made a health textbook publisher change the wording in describing marriage. Using terms like "married partners" instead of "husband and wife" was ruled to be contrary to a Texas law banning the recognition of civil unions. So the outraged conservatives got their way - the book was changed. Apparently, even just acknowledging the idea of civil unions was just too sinful for these people to tolerate.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I just don't understand these people. Why can't we just let gay people have the same rights as everyone else in this country?

I mean, if you think homosexuality is a sin, that's fine. I don't necessarily think people are going to go to hell for having a gay relationship, but you're allowed to think that. This still is a free country. If you and your congregation don't want Frank and Jack to get married in your church, that's fine. No one is saying that they have to be. But every person, gay or straight, absolutely deserves equal protection under the law. Sorry, but no matter how hard you try, you can't make the Bible and the Constitution one and the same. For that, I truly thank God.

And it's not as if fully accepting gay people into our society is going to suddenly piss God off. After all, gay people didn't just start popping up in the last few years. Gay people have been around since long before "Will & Grace," and, so far as I know, our cities haven't been burned to the ground. Hallelujah.

But that's not necessarily true according to Rev. Jerry Falwell of the Christian Coalition. Right after Sept. 11, 2001, he said, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians ... have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'" I certainly hope that Falwell does not speak for all the members of the Christian Coalition.

Honestly, though, what does allowing gay marriage or civil unions really do to our society? The popular line seems to be the "preservation of the sanctity of marriage." But if that's our goal, then why not outlaw divorce?

Why not make adultery a felony? Why not shut down pretty much all of the Las Vegas strip? I think all of these things have done more to desecrate the institution of marriage than two loving, committed, same-sex partners ever could. So why not let our gay friends celebrate their committed love with the world?

Obviously, President Bush's plan to use a gay marriage amendment as a wedge worked quite well. He lit a fire under the evangelicals of conservative America, and the issue has snowballed. Suddenly our country is being hijacked by the Christian right. They have felt that for years they have been subject to liberals trying to impose their moral views on the rest of America. Now, apparently, they think that their best response is to try to impose their views on the rest of the country. But we can't let any group wield this much control over our country, especially a group of religious zealots. If we allow for this "values" takeover to continue and let religion and government move closer together, then all of us are going to be sodomized in the end.

Brett Berry is a regional development senior who thinks that neither party holds a monopoly on values. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.