Recently, the issue of same sex marriage has taken a central place on our national stage. Since this issue will probably not go away anytime soon, it bears talking about.
To begin, my readers who are familiar with my ideas will remember that my veracity knows no bounds; so it is in this vein that I write this article.
Marriage is and has been an expression of a fundamental religious tenet since its inception. It is older than the concepts of colonization, war, government and even democracy. For this reason, it is and should continue to be respected as a fundamental value in our society. Seriously, anyone who remembers even the faintest amount of history will recall that the first immigrants coming to America from England were in search of religious freedom and property ownership. It is this religious freedom and the practice of that makes us who we are fundamentally as a nation and should not be forgotten. Secondary to this is our concept of societal rights bequeathed to us through the wisdom of our forefathers. These and other values are just as important and should also be honored.
For these reasons let me submit, that the concepts of same-sex marriage and gay rights are harmful to our society and should be abolished. Same-sex marriage is harmful to our society because it threatens the religious expression of heterosexual individuals. Regardless if the heterosexual individual practicing marriage believes in the existence of a Creator or not, the idea of marriage as stated earlier has its inception in a religious tenet. So much so, that those who do not practice any particular organized form of religion still recognize the religious significance of marriage even if they deny it for themselves. Since it is understood that one does not have the right to deny someone their religious freedom, it should simultaneously be understood that the right to take another's religious practice and superimpose it onto oneself with a meaning completely alien to that from which it was derived should not be allowed either.
Furthermore, insisting that another individual accept the practices of others that they believe wrong is downright unjust. We are a nation that guarantees equal protection under the law not universal acceptance. What makes America great is freedom of speech, the ability to say, "I don't like that you do." which should not be abridged. Attempting to force other individuals to accept anything that they consider wrong, effectively makes them a victim. Forcing them into acceptance under the law portends to eventually usher in legal victimization which is the equivalent of legalized malice. This is wrong.
However, a dichotomy must be forged because as much as it is wrong to threaten the religious practices of individuals, it is equally wrong to deny equal protection under the law to same-sex couples. Due to this, it is important to find a way to grant same-sex couples the legal rights granted to heterosexual married couples. Civil unions, although imperfect are a start in this direction. Eventually, I think that it is only a matter of time before the same legal rights of a heterosexual marriage is extended to a same-sex partnership. However, to call the relationship between same-sex individuals a "marriage" portends a victimization of heterosexual individuals and a religious practice and should not be allowed.
Gay rights are harmful to society and to the individuals petitioning for them because it threatens their assimilation into mainstream society. As a society, I think we would be better served to work toward equality for all instead of trying to separate out a certain set of individuals and fight for rights. In effect what occurs is the creation of a permanent underclass of individuals. This only frustrates efforts and in the end will help no one. Rights are for human beings only and individuals seeking rights should seek them on the basis that they are deserving of them as human beings and not because they engage in a particular lifestyle.
The bottom line is an individual engaging in a lesbian or homosexual lifestyle deserves no more rights than an individual who engages in a heterosexual lifestyle. Rights are granted because an individual is a human being not based on what the human being does or does not do.
The truth of the matter is astonishingly simply. The world is full of injustice and inequality and a bunch of mean and nasty things that as human beings, we are forced to deal with on a daily basis. Along this backdrop each one of us has to make an informed decision as to how to conduct our lives in the way that will bring each of us the most happiness. One of the biggest choices that one makes along the path to discovering this happiness is the decision to live a lifestyle that is either homosexual, heterosexual, lesbian, both, or varied. Congratulations to all of my readers who have made such a life changing decision. With that, I challenge all to go out and live life being happy and to appreciate those individuals who are not accepting you regardless of the reason.
You see, the individual not accepting you is exercising a right of his/her free will just as you are engaged in a practice of your free will. Since this is America, and freedom is extended to all, both of your rights should not be abridged. In other words, I don't have to accept you, you don't have to accept me, but we both must be given the right to express ourselves equally. God Bless America!
Eve Gatewood is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in psychology.
