Marriage flap much ‘I do’ about nothing

by J Scott Christianson, Columbia Daily Tribune Columnist

Starting next week, gay couples in California will be allowed to marry. No doubt, this will be a media spectacle covered on every channel.

The story is even more sensational because voters in that state might pass an amendment to ban such unions in November, closing the window for gay marriages within six months of its opening. If the news of gay people in some far-off state getting married scares you, don’t worry. Your governor is on the job. He frowns on such activity and knows that the people of Missouri do, too.

Gay marriage has been made illegal in the state several times, the most recent effort being a 2004 amendment to the Missouri constitution that said: “A marriage between persons of the same sex will not be recognized for any purpose in this state even when valid where contracted.”

But our governor knows that just banning gay marriages from taking place in Missouri and refusing to recognize any such marriages from other states is not enough. Nor is the fact that the federal government refuses to recognize any marriage license issued by a state unless it is specifically between a man and a woman, preventing gay couples from filing joint tax returns or getting other federal benefits of marriage.

“The latest news from California is yet another clear indication of the need to protect traditional marriage within the United States Constitution,” Gov. Matt Blunt said last week…