I just don't get it

There are two things that I'm struggling with.

First, is the fear. I don't listen to the radio very much at all. I only listen to it when I'm in the car, which is about 30 minutes every third week or so. But I was listening to my local oldies station last night, and an ad sponsored by the national organization for marriage came on, urging New Jersey citizens to write their representatives and urge them to protect the definition of marriage. I've asked this many times, and i haven't heard a single answer, let alone a good answer. By allowing Clark and me the legal benefits, protections, and responsibilities of civil marriage, how does that jeopardize anybody else's marriage? Why do you fear so much, why do you hate so much? The ad pointed out that every popular vote that has come up across the country has resulted in denying equal rights (ok, they didn't phrase it like that, but that's what it means). Do people have such a short memory? Do people not realize that 43 years ago, when the supreme court struck down state bans on inter-racial marriage, it wasn't by popular vote. It was a panel of highly educated people, analysing the law, and doing what was right. The ad said that they believed that gays and lesbians should be able to live their lives the way they want to, but they shouldn't be allowed to marry because that'll screw it up for everybody else. Why? Why? Why?!?

Second, who's fighting for me? I mean really fighting for me. The Human Rights Campaign? The American Civil Liberties Union? Maybe it's natural to dwell on the negative, but I'm much more familiar with the National Organization for Marriage and what they're doing. And why is the National Organization for Marriage Education Fund, which they describe as "The NOM Education Fund represents another aspect of NOM's overall effort to protect marriage, engaged solely in pro-marriage education and research, making information resources available to clergy, scholars, political leaders, and activists across the country", a 501(c)(3) organization - a tax deductible "charity". Lobbyists are not tax deductible. How can what they describe not be seen as a lobby? I guess it's a fine line, but I'm pretty sure they're still on the lobbyists side of that line.