With all the troubling news around – immigration, the war in Iraq, lack of border and port security – there is one bright spot that always makes me laugh. That’s the push for gay marriage and the opposite push for a constitutional marriage amendment. It’s a riot.

A marriage amendment would be devastating to Republicans. They hold this issue hostage and all they have to do is pull it out whenever their poll numbers are low or they want to win an election. In the last presidential election, activists pushing for gay marriage did wonders for getting people out to vote for President Bush.

Just when states were starting to pass “partnership” laws that were giving gays the rights of married people, activists just had to demand marriage for gays. Either they were completely politically naive or they were die-hard Republicans.

The word marriage means “union” or “partnership.” Most Americans are OK with partnership rights for gays, but their brains aren’t wired to accept the term “gay marriage.”

Thanks for the laughs, guys.

Peggy Smedberg, Lewiston