Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Should Same-Sex Couples Be Allowed to Get Married?

What if I was to say that interracial couples could no longer date? What would you say if the state decided that women no longer could have the right to vote? And what would you do if the USA government said that slavery was once again legal?

Chances are you would be appalled, you'd probably raise your voice to whoever was around you, and you may even try to fight it!

So what is it that these three things have in common that would get you in such an uproar? Changing these "norms" would be changing the equality rights we have as USA Citizens. So I ask you yet again, should same-sex couples be allowed to get married?

Denying anyone the right to marriage is unconstitutional. Who are we as individuals to judge a person based on their sexual preference? Who are we to deny a citizen a right? Who are we to discriminate in a way in which our Constitution says we are not allowed?

So God says marriage is between a man and a woman? God tells us we should ban marriages and discriminate? We have a law in this country, written right there in the Constitution in which our nation is based... it is called our FIRST AMENDMENT.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
One of our nations' Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, made this point ever so clear as to state "...Wall of Separation Between Church and State."

We are a nation who was founded on freedom, a nation who is formed by rights. And though in our history we have gotten things wrong at first, as a nation we have come together to make them right. We fought for our country to realize slaves were people too and deserved freedom and rights. We fought for our country to realize women too deserved freedom and rights. We have come to be our country by people of all different ethnicities making the journey from far away lands to immigrate here, and we have given each and everyone of them freedom and rights. So why are we taking a step back? Why are we trying to take away a right? If we let our nation succeed at taking away the right to marriage, what will be next? Will women no longer have a voice? Will the freedom to free speech be taken away? Will the "rich white people" bring back slavery? WHEN WILL IT STOP?