OSNews

I mostly agree on that. The various cultural interpretations of marriage have varied very much in history, in differing cultures and even in current societies that usually support cultural variety and freedom. Anyway, the subject is a very sensitive to almost everyone - even if they couldn't care less for marriage personally - as it deals with the most intimate human feelings. That explains why the same sex marriage is so hotly debated subject. Also, as marriage is usually governed by state laws too, it makes it more difficult to see it only as a cultural habit that various cultural groups could handle as they please and according to their own cultural values only.

Can commercial companies take part in political discussion on this kind of subjects? A difficult question. If there's democracy and freedom of speech, who's to stop them, and why should they even be prevented from doing that? Maybe it may at least be better if they do it openly than if they were secretly lobbying and giving money for some political goals and parties behind the scenes? There are other concerns too, however. As the primary goal of companies is their business, one may start to wonder how sincere such political side goals are and whether the companies may also be campaigning for such political goals in order to advertise themselves as more ethical companies and to turn people's attention away from some other maybe non-ethical practices of those companies (not talking about Apple or Google here, just on an abstract and general level)?

From those who want to ban some or another political party/opinion in this or that debate I'd like to ask: Wouldn't it be better to let every party take part in the free and democratic discussion and decision making instead of conservative, liberal or other kinds of censorship schemes (even as jokes) that restrict and not increase freedom and democracy?

It is indeed tempting to think that one's own opinions would always be the best, and that the other irritating people with differing opinions are always wrong and should be banned and silenced... But isn't that kind of arrogant attitude the very seed of dangerous totalitarianism and witch hunts? Others with differing opinions, though maybe wrong in some question, may sometimes have good points to bring to the discussion too that oneself may not have thought about. Democracy and freedom of speech forces even opposing parties to openly discuss and listen to each other which is usually only good for political decision making.