Who do the YES campaigners think they are?

[Meursault]

i think they should criminalize marriage between everyone. in doing so you liberate society

joking of course. i think if they want to marry they should be allowed. if they want to be as unhappy as the rest of us so be it.

the no campaign from what i can discern, is all about wording and so on. at the end of the day the referendum is just the right to marry regardless of gender.

i vote yes

[Bropro]

Very few people here are making reasoned and grounded arguments on either side on this thread with a few exceptions.
Firstly, let me declare that I was very firmly in the no camp at the beginning of all this and am still leaning a little this way albeit less so now on the eve of the vote.

I do agree that the campaign on both sides has done absolutely nothing for me and my position - the shift has come because of a minority of well thought-out and reasoned agruments but I have to stress, very few on the yes side and only two I heard on the no side would have made me stop and pay them any attention.

I have my views, yes, but I am always willing to listen to opposing views and am willing to change my mind on any subject if the argument is well made, well thought out and, more importantly, made in a respectful fashion.

I have quite a few gay and lesbian friends and I certainly do not want to be seen as against them by wishing to vote no - I am only too acutely aware of the issues they face with regards to the legal recognition, tax, inheritance and loads of other issues they face due to this inequality. However, I do believe, sincerely, that the manner in which this is been driven and conducted, by the yes side in particular, and the fact that anyone who raises even an inkling of an objection is castigated as being "anti-gay" and "anti-equality" in some way rubs me up the wrong way and this kind of conduct including some on here would tend to push me more towards the no side - not a good reason but that's that.

My issue is that, while I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment behind allowing marriage in this way, particularly with regards to the matters I mentioned above (not exclusively), I feel that we are opening up a legal quagmire for everyone because the simplicity of the change in this referendum has not been fully teased out as to its potential legal implications down the line and that the government and other parties have not fully thought this through and are afraid to raise reasonable argument for the same reasons as outlined above. It is very easy to be populist..... Not so to put your head above the parapet.

Can the answer to all these issues be simply resolved by making this one, small change, allowing same-sex marriage in the constitution? I would genuinely love the answer to be yes - do I believe it? Definitely not!

When it comes to it tomorrow and I finally get back home to vote - when presented with the ballot paper, I may vote yes, only because of the hope, not the belief, that it will make a difference to the quality and security of the lives and families of some of my closest friends and that of same-sex couples everywhere, which I do agree they deserve.

Therein lies my deliema.

[Jiberjabber]

However, I do believe, sincerely, that the manner in which this is been driven and conducted, by the yes side in particular, and the fact that anyone who raises even an inkling of an objection is castigated as being "anti-gay" and "anti-equality" in some way rubs me up the wrong way and this kind of conduct including some on here would tend to push me more towards the no side - not a good reason but that's that.

I'm glad someone drew attention to this.

[Cassandra]

Very few people here are making reasoned and grounded arguments on either side on this thread with a few exceptions.
Firstly, let me declare that I was very firmly in the no camp at the beginning of all this and am still leaning a little this way albeit less so now on the eve of the vote.

I do agree that the campaign on both sides has done absolutely nothing for me and my position - the shift has come because of a minority of well thought-out and reasoned agruments but I have to stress, very few on the yes side and only two I heard on the no side would have made me stop and pay them any attention.

I have my views, yes, but I am always willing to listen to opposing views and am willing to change my mind on any subject if the argument is well made, well thought out and, more importantly, made in a respectful fashion.

I have quite a few gay and lesbian friends and I certainly do not want to be seen as against them by wishing to vote no - I am only too acutely aware of the issues they face with regards to the legal recognition, tax, inheritance and loads of other issues they face due to this inequality. However, I do believe, sincerely, that the manner in which this is been driven and conducted, by the yes side in particular, and the fact that anyone who raises even an inkling of an objection is castigated as being "anti-gay" and "anti-equality" in some way rubs me up the wrong way and this kind of conduct including some on here would tend to push me more towards the no side - not a good reason but that's that.

My issue is that, while I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment behind allowing marriage in this way, particularly with regards to the matters I mentioned above (not exclusively), I feel that we are opening up a legal quagmire for everyone because the simplicity of the change in this referendum has not been fully teased out as to its potential legal implications down the line and that the government and other parties have not fully thought this through and are afraid to raise reasonable argument for the same reasons as outlined above. It is very easy to be populist..... Not so to put your head above the parapet.

Can the answer to all these issues be simply resolved by making this one, small change, allowing same-sex marriage in the constitution? I would genuinely love the answer to be yes - do I believe it? Definitely not!

When it comes to it tomorrow and I finally get back home to vote - when presented with the ballot paper, I may vote yes, only because of the hope, not the belief, that it will make a difference to the quality and security of the lives and families of some of my closest friends and that of same-sex couples everywhere, which I do agree they deserve.

Therein lies my deliema.

Oh and I've been a good girl for so long.

What you're saying is you lack the mental capacity to shift through the bullshit down to the hard facts and then make a decision inline with your core values?

Legal quagmire my ass.

I don't think you're anti-gay. Just Lazy in the way you are approaching this. Sorry Dob ,sorry JJ, but honestly. Ignore the the commotion,seek the truth of the matter, then decide accordingly.

[Curvaceous Kate]

Oh and I've been a good girl for so long.

What you're saying is you lack the mental capacity to shift through the bullshit down to the hard facts and then make a decision inline with your core values?

Legal quagmire my ass.

I don't think you're anti-gay. Just Lazy in the way you are approaching this. Sorry Dob ,sorry JJ, but honestly. Ignore the the commotion,seek the truth of the matter, then decide accordingly.

It appears that Irish people are inherently stubborn and don't like change of any kind, good or bad. That's as racist as I get

[Pleasure seeker]

I voted the start of the week, to be honest it now and never will have an effect on my life, for me it was a simple case of being sick of hearing narrow minded pro Catholics going on and on and on, I don't know if it will go through, I think ever person old enough to be brainwashed by the church will be out for this one so will be close, YES gets my vote and with it the hope that Ireland will take a step out of the shadows and into the real world where we live based on what is right, not on what some pedo in a dress says is right

[Westsidex]

I would vote the yes. love belongs to all make the love not the war

A bit of peace belongs to all as well doesnt it?

Westside.

[nonpareil]

Are you campaigning for the yes side using reverse psychology?

[nonpareil]

You seem remarkably concerned about gay issues.
Perhaps you're trying to tell us something.
You're even having images of something in your throat in one of your posts above.
In time the closet door will open :O

[justfrank44]

When you have to start swearing about someone's views whether they be right or wrong it just shows how small minded you are.take a chill pill

If that cleverly worded riposte is about my post, then I wonder who really is narrow minded when you do not address one point in the post, but rather try to dismiss it because of one word .Narrow minded would be, calling Ireland a catholic country, dismissing all the work put into make this country what it is by those not of the catholic religion, or of no religion at all. Narrow minded would be ,not allowing all people of this country the same rights as each other, not special rights, or more rights, just the same rights.