I live in North Carolina.  For those of you who live here, follow the news, or live in a state with similar laws on the books - you may be familiar with a ballot item that will be voted on here tomorrow.:

Amendment One [link]

Many have framed this as a marriage issue.  It isn't.  Those who support the bill are, by and large, overtly anti-gay rights.  This is not about gay rights, it's about human civil rights.  Same sex marriage is already illegal in this state, and that will be an argument for another day.  

This amendment essentially says "Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State"  I have a problem with this.

I'd like to tell you a story. It's a true story. It's about two men who are not gay. To protect the innocent, and add some irony to the story, I'll call them Adam and Steve. Adam and Steve were good friends in college. They were the best man at each others weddings. Steve was at the hospital the day Adam's wife gave birth to their daughter. Adam attended the bris and bar mitzvah for both of Steve's boys. Both families were very close and frequently vacationed together. Their kids played together all the time. Adam was there for the kids when Steve's wife was killed in a car accident. Adam also helped Steve through the deep depression, drinking and drug use that followed. After 20 years of marriage, Adam's wife left him for another, and the divorce settlement left him devastated and near broke. Steve was there for him, and invited him to move in until he got back on his feet. As it turns out, it was a good thing Adam was there. Steve had been diagnosed with cancer. Although he would live for another 10 years, the treatments would take its toll and without Adam there, Steve would have had a tough time through the bad days. Adam never left Steve's side. He would give up 10 years of his life to care for his friend. When the day finally came when Adam could no longer provide the care - Steve went into the hospital. His final days would not be comfortable and worse yet... Adam was not allowed certain visitation rights, and could not make medical decisions he knew Steve would want. Even Steve's son (who had been living overseas) could not get Adam the power of attorney he wanted. When Steve died, the will was read. He had left a large portion of his estate to Adam. Steve's other son (the one who spent all his life getting high and basically doing nothing) contested the will, and got most of it. The law sided against a dying man's wishes to take care of the one person who showed him unconditional love, and supported him through the best, and worst of his life.

This is the story of the type of people Amendment One will hurt. For those who will... when you cast your vote, remember that this is not about your definition of marriage, nor is it strictly about homosexual relationships. This Amendment hurts people of every belief system and sets a dangerous precedent for allowing the unconstitutional merging of church and state.   

I always believed laws were created to help citizens.  Who does this law help? Who?