With all the red shirts and heated arguments at the state Capitol, it might seem like people fall into only two categories: those vehemently opposed to civil unions in the name of God, or deeply committed to equal rights for same-sex partners, also in the name of God.

Those for civil unions identify themselves as the minority, but who is the majority?

The majority isn't the hundreds of anti-HB 444 people in red shirts holding signs on Beretania Street.

The majority of Hawai'i residents are too busy working to hold up a sign, too worried about their own families to pay much attention to anybody else's home life and too focused on survival to care about much else. Weren't we talking about closing schools, cutting social programs and hanging on for dear life through these terrible times? When did all that get put on the back burner? Nothing like an emotionally charged, divisive social issue to distract from the crisis no one in state government knows how to fix.

That's not to say that the issue of civil unions should not be taken up by the Legislature, but at this point, it is taking over the Legislature. It has turned into a debate over religion, which always gets ugly in government settings. Some seem to enjoy the public venting of their fears and prejudices. If not for this issue, Mike Gabbard would lose his reason for being in office. It's his favorite fight.

The arguments against civil unions really leap off the cliff with the "we don't want homosexuality taught in the schools!" action. Right now, they're having a hard time teaching reading and math in the schools. Right now they're talking about closing schools. Keep fixating on civil unions and there might not be schools.

It is frustrating and disheartening to see the Legislature again get wildly pulled off topic — this year's van cams. Are legislators just trying to get us to forget about the 36 percent raises they took for themselves?

Hawai'i has a history of liberal political leanings and tolerant social values. At the same time, Hawai'i can be a place where change happens slowly. This may not be the right time to establish civil unions. The bill could be so battered and bludgeoned by the time it's through that even if it got passed it might not help anybody.

But for everybody, the ones for, the ones against and the ones just trying to take care of their own business, for all the Hawai'i folks draining savings to pay bills and cutting back to basic cable and tuna sandwich dinners, those part-time legislators making $48,000 a year need to focus on the economy.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.