Much ado about nothing

By Jason Moore AFTER reading the interesting flow of letters on the issue of same-sex marriage over the last 10 days I would like to add my opinion. It is undoubtedly a highly controversial issue but I don't really understand why. It is a mystery to me and perhaps the full implications of what the Spanish government has approved escape me but I don't understand why two people who love each other can't be married. What is the problem? Six out of ten marriages in Britain these days take place in registry offices, church weddings are no longer as popular as they once were. Why? Because there is a view, which I share, that the church is out of touch in Spain and Britain. It has gone completely over-board and alienated many of its once faithful supporters. So the Catholic Church is against gay marriage. Well, I respect their opinion but so what? The Spanish government, with the support of at least 70 percent of the population, has decided to legalise same-sex marriages and and same sex couples can adopt children. It was all part of the Spanish government's manifesto which was endorsed by the electorate. Yes, in Spain there is much opposition, and yes hundreds of thousands of people took part in a march in Madrid to protest. But really, haven't these people got anything better to do...shouldn't they be marching for world peace, against poverty, the plight of Africa. Yes, they made a statement, which the opposition Partido Popular fully appreciated. We live in modern times and thankfully there is free speech and the right of self expression and protest. Perhaps, Prime Minister Zapatero should have held a referendum, which he would have won, but this would have just added yet another dimension to an arguement which I believe to be rather pointless. Zapatero should be congratulated on this issue.