Half a century ago we thought discrimination was acceptable. Our nation was fine with the belief that white and black children shouldn’t be taught in the same schools. Less than 50 years ago we said they couldn’t marry. The Supreme Court overruled this, stating that “separate is not equal”. Now here 50 years later we have come to a similar crossroads: should gays be allowed to “marry”? Those who say no say that they should have the same rights, just they can’t use the word marriage. But then that is separate. And as we already know, that cannot be equal. Our country was founded on the belief of equality for all; and now we have voted against that. One of the main purposes of the government is to protect the rights of the minority from the overpowering majority. What has possessed us to remove the rights of the minority? In the 1960’s black people were the minority. We know that they get the same rights; they are human beings. Are we now going to say that gays are not human? Do they function differently? Are they a disruption to peaceful society? I think not. We have had more trouble from cultists and evangelicals than homosexuals. Should we take away their rights too, then?

    The bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman, but the bible has no power over our country. The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that we may practice any religion and that the government has no involvement with the church. Banning gay marriage is based on the fact that the bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. The bible does not have the authority in this country to define marriage. In addition, marriage is not a solely Christian idea. Muslims marry. Buddhists marry. Atheists marry. Yet another reason that we cannot use the bible definition in our national law. 

    Many say that the definition of marriage is a union between a man and a woman. They say that cannot be changed. Just wondering, when did Webster’s dictionary become a government document? Anyone can print a dictionary: the government could use any definition of marriage. Marriage is a word. You cannot reserve a word for one group; in this case heterosexuals. We do not call white people white and black people black all the time; we are all people. We all hold jobs. We work together, eat together, go to school together. In this great nation of tolerance, what has compelled us to be intolerant to a different group?

    Supporters of Proposition 8 belive that this is not a matter of discrimination; they say it is a matter of choice. I think that sexuality is not a choice: it is ingrained in the depths of our conciousness from the day we are born. Homosexuals do not say, “I want to be gay.” They realize it but it has always been there. There are different levels of femininity in males, and different levels of masculinity in females. Those who are homosexual have more of the opposite, and vice versa for heterosexuals. Just as race is, sexuality is not a choice or a state of mind; it is a state of being. 

    This is discrimination in its purest form. In the founding documents of our country it says that we must treat all equally; and we are not treating our nation’s people equally by taking away their right? All people have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If someone pursues happiness in marrying another and is restricted from this, is this not directly unconstitutional? We have struck down slavery, segregation, and persecution. But now we have struck down a fundamental right; the right to marriage. What’s next? Free speech? Freedom of expression? Freedom of the press? Removing the right to marriage as we want it is just the beginning of a long and steep slope to a grim end of peace and harmony in our country. We say our country was the first place to have perfect freedom; are we going to be the first to kill it off, too?