According to this morning's press statements, the one on one, "mano-o-mano" between Senators Feingold and Specter was the side show to the Judiciary's Committee's move to have the Senate consider the bill to ban same sex marriages. I am sure there will be much syllable gnashing over this and high sounding speech making. The shame of this is that it is a wonderfully calculated move by those in power to divert our attention to the crumbling economic and political morass that embraces us.

Look, is it not ironic that the party who claims to be for less government and claims to want people to be responsible for their own lives without government interference is so active in inserting itself into our most private of acts? A year ago so many in power were so righteous in trying to determine when someone is dead (Schiavo) and now they seem intent on telling us who we can marry. So much of this is hoisted on the platform of "family values" that too  many seem to forget the "value of the family." Maybe the tradition had it right when they understood that while they could try and legislate laws of sacrifice and economic justice, medical ethics and social policy (see Leviticus 19); they knew better to try and legislate the concept  and ideal of "love."

Marriage is something, as many of us know, way beyond the purview of the Senate. The creation of a bond that involves sacrifice, commitment, compromise and courage goes way beyond passing a law. Our own  movement, through its Aleph-Bet of marriage pre-marital program understands this. It welcomes all. The introduction tot he course clearly states that we welcome "the participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered Jews and the Aleph-Bet of Marriage is designed for all couples who intend to make a lifetime commitment to one another and to create a Jewish home."

Maybe it is time for us in the Reform movement to reawaken the awareness within our congregations and communities that we celebrate the "value of our families" in all their different expressions. It is the people and how they choose to create a Jewish home and community that are at issue, not a governmentally legislated definition of what "should" be.

Remind your senators that there may be a few more important things on their agenda right now than deciding who can stand under a "chupah" or on the church alter. We have enough to worry about being at "war" with others. We need not create avenues that continue the possibility of being at "war: with ourselves.