Either/Or

Have you noticed how often the right wing presents questions in terms of either/or? Here's an example from Jeb Bush (hereinafter known as "Jeb!") on same-sex marriage:

At the conference, he affirmed his support for “traditional marriage,” saying: “In a country like ours, we should recognize the power of a man and a woman loving their children with all their soul as a good thing, as something positive and helpful for those children to live successful lives.

“And while there are people who disagree with this, we should not push aside those who do believe in traditional marriage.”

First off, who, specifically, disagrees with his example? No one that I've heard of. Take this as another example of the arrogance and narcissism of the "Christian" right: theirs is the only possibility, and if you hold out other alternatives, which can certainly co-exist, then you're negating their position.

The reality, of course, is that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the right of same-sex couples to marry, "traditional marriage" will still be around. It's not being threatened at all, and those who support it are not being pushed aside -- they're simply being told to mind their own business.

It's a consequence of seeing the universe as sketched in black and white, a matter of absolutes, which, as we learn more and more about it, we realize isn't the case at all.