Civil Union vs. Civil Marriage??? - The Battle in Maine

Next week Voters in Maine will decide whether or not they want to over turn a certain piece of legislation. The legislation was signed six months ago by the Governor and allows same-sex couples to wed. The current Governor said that he supported the legislation because he got an understanding of equal protection and constitutional responsiblity. He also states that a civil union is not the same as a a civil marriage. I am very interested in this myself and so I looked up definitions of both.
The Encyclopedia describes a civil union like this:
the legal recognition of the committed, marriagelike partnership of two individuals. Typically, the civil registration of their commitment provides the couple with legal benefits that approach or are equivalent to those of marriage, such as rights of inheritance, hospital visitation, medical decision making, differential taxation, adoption and artificial insemination, and employee benefits for partners and dependents.

The dictionary describes marriage like this:
the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc. And what makes it civil is that it is legal.

So,my understanding is that a civil marriage is a legal joining of a man and a women as husband and wife. Meaning that they have full legal rights to each other. And my understanding of a civil union is that it is not a marriage but a commited relationship or partnership between two people. And because of the commitment that these two people have made to each other, they gain specific rights like inheritance, visitation, medical, taxation, insemenation, and employee benefits.

Some would say that thses are much of the same rights granted to a husband and wife union, and they are right. However, this is how I see it, if you whoever you are want to commit yourself and your life to another person shoould both you have specific rights? I do not agree that same sex couples should call their union marriage because I believe that the word marriage is specific for a man and a women, but I do believe that anyone who wants to be committed to another person does deserve some equal rights. So it is an issue about understanding equal protection and constitutional responsiblity.

I do aggree that this issue remain an state by state issue and not a federal issue. But rights are rights.

I call this a battle in Maine because after the legilation was passed on May 6th of this year, by September there were 55,000 signatures to get it on the ballot for a vote on November 3rd. This same occurance happened in California. The legiation was passed then there was a vote to rewrite the Califonia constitution to ban gay marriage, even after 18,ooo gay couples were wed. If the legislation holds,Maine will join Massachusetts, Vermont, Iowa, Connecticut, and New Hampshire as the states that allow same-sex marriage. Both groups for and agaainst this legislation have been battling in Maine with televison ads, pamphlets, door to door, phone banks, you name it anything to be the victor on November 3rd. The Governor says that whatever the outcome at least both sides will be educated on the issue. Please tell me what you think!!!