I received an email just a little while ago about a new group called the Institute For Canadian Values. Led by Jewish conservative, Joseph Ben-Ami, the institute aims to promote open, honest and intelligent debate on the issues of the day. One of the key issues of the day in Canada is the treatment of traditional marriage and the attempt to entrench same-sex "marriage" into the laws of this country. The institute has wisely chosen to provide serveral resources for those wishing to inform themselves about the marriage issue.
Stephen Harper should be applauded for standing by his election promise, and committing to hold a vote on reopening the marriage debate this fall. He will no doubt face criticism from both supporters of traditional marriage and those committed to further undermining the institution. To marriage supporters, its easy to see the negative winning a vote to have a debate will not change the law, and real change could still be years away. The truth is that despite the story being in the news for many years, there hasn't been a truly reasonable debate on the issue. Courts have forced the issue in an undemocratic way, and likewise the previous government forced a vote with no legitimate debate.
Voting to reopen the issue, will allow parliamentarians and all Canadians to consider the benefits that traditional marriages offer to society and compare that to the perceived benefits offered by same sex unions. After a period of discussion including a thorough review of the many materials listed on the institute website, perhaps we can truly put the issue behind us by allowing parliament to make an informed decision.
Kudos to the Institute for Canadian Values, promoting reasoned debate on important social issues can only improve our democracy.
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