In the face of the increasing acceptance and legislative support of gay marriage, some members of the Pennsylvania Legislature have decided to go the other way, so to speak.

State Senator John Eichelberger (R-Blair) thinks that the current PA Defense of Marriage Act preventing same sex marriage is not strong enough because it could be overturned. In his infinite wisdom, he recently decided the best way to remedy this situation was to propose a constitutional amendment.

The road ahead will be difficult though. In addition to facing a Democrat-controlled Legislature,

The amendment must pass both legislative chambers in two consecutive sessions and then appear on the election ballot statewide for voter approval. Mr. Eichelberger said polling bodes well for such a goal, with 70 percent of Pennsylvanians saying they want a chance to vote on a marriage amendment.

Saying that 70 percent of Pennsylvanians want to vote on a marriage amendment is not the same as saying 70 percent of Pennsylvanians will support such an amendment. That is a confusing statistic.

There also appears to be a bit of “slippery slope” argument in his reasoning. Eichelberger said,

“The same logic that’s being used for same-sex marriage is the argument that would be used for the next form of ‘marriage,’ ”

Is he talking about human-sheep marriage? Human-dog marriage? Human-Alien? Perhaps polygamy? The future sounds fun!

Eichelberger’s proposed amendment will definitely earn him points in his district, whether it passes or not, but it seems a bit unnecessary, not to mention discriminatory.

What do you guys think about the proposal’s chances for legislative success? Additionally, what message do you think a gay marriage ban sends about our state?

[Source]