Same Sex Marriage

In light of the recent Ms. California debacle I think it would be appropriate to explore the reasons in favor of same sex marriage and also against. The biggest problem that I have with not allowing same sex marriage is the fact that the government and traditional ideas in society are telling people who they can and cannot marry, which technically violates the foundational idea that the US was raised on.
My question to conservatives and the like is, "what does it bother us if there are two men or two women married?" I mean, come on, why does it matter to me personally? I am a 21 year old, college student, heterosexual female but what does someone else's marriage certificate have to do with me and how they spend their finances? The US government cannot stop homosexuals from dating or being together in public so why does it matter if they have a piece of paper that makes them share finances and debt?
Marriage to me is a lot more than just the certificate you receive. To me, it includes a friendship, romance, sexuality, and never walking away and those things can't have to be approved by the court. But in our fine country, we have to have a license to acknowledge these commitments while binding us financially to another being. I just don't understand why we would deprive any couple of the actual legal binding but have no other choice but to allow them the commitment of those untouchable ideas. We can't take love away from two people of the same sex, so why should we take their right to a piece of paper away?
Most couples who aren't married but have been together for lengths of five, ten, fifteen years consider themselves married and find it more of a benefit to not get married. I don't understand why the US government won't allow same sex marriage, is it because they want to say "hah, see we won't let you get married because it's not supposed to be that way" or is there another reason for it? Either way, it's ridiculous.
Some concerns that I have heard with same sex marriage is that it opens up the door to people being able to marry their dog or their cell phone. Although I don't doubt that someone in this country would try to do that and would gather a posse of about 50-100 people to fight for the idea of being able to marry their dog, I don't think that is a very intelligent argument. How stupid do politicians think that we, the people, are? Now, I won't deny - I can agree with the worst case scenario- there are those people that are just that idiotic but for the masses of people they either 1) won't hear about it because they don't watch the news or 2) ask, "why does it matter to me?" In our society today we are so selfish and if something doesn't directly affect us then we just kind of shrug it off.
For the people who would fight it and be angry about it, get a life. Let's get serious- there are bigger problems with our country other than same sex marriage. For instance the national debt to China - global warming - the war against terror and yet we still have people picketing against same sex marriage. In all honesty, I feel that there are more important things to take a look at and stand against, like our failing public education system, then same sex marriage.
Let people live their lives the way they want to as long as it doesn't harm someone else then it should be okay. If same sex PDA offends people we should then look at smoking in public bars, using swear words, dress codes, and morbidly obese people all of which I have known to offend people in some shape or form. Society will never be perfect, but we can start by focusing our attention on issues that affect bigger populations rather than scrutinizing homosexuals.

I realize there was no research done, it was all opinion but this is my gripe...post your own.