Is it really possible to find "common ground" within our great divide?

I wish I had more confidence, but after the past month, it appears nearly impossible. One side refuses any longer to be denied the same rights other families take for granted. The other side refuses to acknowledge even the existence of these families and the realities of their struggles.

No one is expecting "marriage equality" in Utah, and constitutionally, that is not even a possibility. However, the word "marriage" is being used as a weapon to scare people away from even having civil, rational discussions about obtaining protections and equal access to insurance, inheritance, hospital visitation, workplace protections and wrongful-death rights for our gay and lesbian citizens. All things that help and protect families.

Paul Mero of the Sutherland Institute summed it up at a recent "Equality Utah -- Sutherland Institute" debate. "Sexual orientation is an illusion," and "We really do live in separate realities -- our two sides -- and in those separate realities there is no common ground."

For a community that claims to want to peacefully co-exist, its leaders and many citizens have declared their intentions to do the opposite quite clearly. For now it appears that we can find nothing in common and will work very hard to maintain our divide.

John Johnson

West Jordan