Same-sex marriage has long been a controversial issue in this country, and last month, the California Supreme Court overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriage. This is a landmark decision for California, and today, June 17, 2008 was the first full day that same-sex marriage was legalized. Hundreds of couples rushed to get their marriage licenses today, but these joyful moments were not without angry protestors.
The majority public opinion of The United States is against same-sex marriage, and only the most liberal states such as California and Massachusetts have legalized same-sex marriage. Why is this? Most citizens take extreme pride in the fact that they live in a free country where everyone is treated equally under the law without discriminating due to many different factors. People are contradicting themselves when they say that “all men are created equal” when in fact, we are discriminating against homosexuals in almost all of the states. There is no reason why homosexual couples should not enjoy the benefits, both economic and social, of a marriage recognized by law.
California will most likely be a “trend-setter” in legalizing same-sex marriage, and hopefully we will see many states following suit in the coming months. By including “Party A and Party B” instead of “Bride and Groom” in the marriage ceremony, we are making sure that no one feels segregated and discriminated against in society.
Although this time is extremely exciting for many homosexual couples in California, there is already an initiative trying to amend the California constitution to ban same-sex marriage. This issue will be on the ballot in November, and hopefully the newlywed bliss will not be that short-lived.
1 comment:
The question of whether states should allow same-sex marriages is an interesting one because it seems to go back to this country's religious roots even though we purport to live under an ideal of separation of church and state. My opinion is that religious thought is what drives the idea that the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a heterosexual couple. If the United States really had a separation between church and state, what else would there be to stop each state from following suit behind California and other more liberal states allowing same-sex marriages?
The states would be free of their moral discomfort and focus their attention on the civil rights issues at hand. For instance, same-sex couples raising children today are not allowed to cover each other under their health insurance so that one of them might stay home to care for the children. Without getting all bent out of shape about how one feels about this morally, any reasonable person can understand that two people who are raising children in one home should be able to raise those children like any other couple in America.
Of course not every same-sex couple wants children, but even if this is the case, supporting same-sex marriage is also supporting monogamy and a lifestyle where two people love and care for each other. I feel that supporting this lifestyle takes precedence over any personal feelings people might have about couples being of the same sex. Honestly, it’s time for this country to grow up. As Chelsea’s commentary states, “People are contradicting themselves when they say that ‘all men are created equal.’” In fact, even when Thomas Jefferson wrote that statement he was living a contradiction by owning slaves. Many of our leaders have not thought of each person in this country as being “equal” but I think it’s about time to change that. Let’s not make people fight again for freedoms that are theirs by virtue of being “equal.”
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