Afraid of debate

The senior news producer at Wisconsin Public Television(WPT), Andy Moore, has a guest column today in the Wisconsin State Journal that made me laugh so hard at breakfast my two-year-old came running into the room clapping to see what was making me laugh so hard.

A few years ago when the state was considering the state constitutional amendment on gambling, WPT put the amendment on trial with both sides of the argument presenting their side to the public like a lawyer would in a jury trial with witnesses and everything.

WPT wants to do it again for the proposed state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and civil unions.

But they can't find anyone willling to argue the side for the amendment to pass!

The so-called "traditional marriage" groups have declined to even help find a lawyer because they believe that everyone that watches WPT will vote against the amendment and all of the folks on their side are found in churches rather than watching television.

I think it's safe to say that not everyone that watches WPT is going to vote against the amendment, but even if they are, shouldn't they be willing to defend their side of the argument?

Unless it's not defendable.

I guess it would be hard to come up with a witness that can truthfully say they have had their marriage affected for the worse by a gay relationship. Or someone actually willing say they fear they might "turn" gay if they see lots of happily married gay couples in Wisconsin. Or someone willing to say they really believe that gay couples should not have the same kind access to health care or even the ability to oversee health care decisions for their partners that heterosexual couples take for granted every day.

Tough case to make on television.