Article published on The Examiner
One week ago, President Obama announced that he was in support of
same sex marriage. And right away, this sparked a debate that in some
circles was deemed as yet another way of dividing our nation. Still,
can we honestly say that we were surprised when he made his
announcement? Wasn’t this the same president that was instrumental in
abolishing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” regulation that kept so many of
the LGBT community in the closet while serving in the United States
Armed Forces? Some people may be of the mindset that this was a
political ploy to obtain the support of the LGBT community since we are
in an election year. Others may say that this was an attempt to address
an issue that would have been addressed anyway had it not been for Vice
President Joe Biden going on Meet the Press to voice his particular views on this issue.
What
I don’t understand is why in this day in age is this still an issue?
Why is it that you have certain members of society so hell bent in
stopping the gay agenda…or at least the perception of an agenda if
indeed there is one? I don’t understand why it matters to social
conservatives just exactly who has the right to marry or not. Why is it
so important to prohibit a man from visiting his terminally ill partner
if he is in the hospital? Why is it important to stop two women from
uniting together in a civil union especially if the civil union has
absolutely nothing to do with you? Why is it so important to stop some
people from having the same social rights as others in this country?
I
guess that I am of the mindset that I don’t really care if you are
conservative or liberal as long as your actions don’t impact my way of
life or compromise my pursuit of obtaining a slice of the American
Dream. I don’t have the right to tell anyone how to live their life
unless in the course of them living their life, their actions cause them
to harm themselves or someone else. And in that same vein, no one has
the right to tell me what I can or cannot do because ultimately, what I
do and who I love has absolutely nothing to do with you.
After
all, if you are socially conservative, it’s probably safe to assume that
you will not be getting an invitation to the wedding. You probably
will not be attending the reception and you most definitely will not be
allowed to see what takes place in the bedroom on the wedding night.
Maybe
it’s the term “marriage” that bothers the conservatives. That’s
possible although I’m sure that there is more to it…especially since
presidential hopeful Mitt Romney doesn’t believe in civil unions.
I
understand that we are entitled to our own beliefs respectively. We
can believe what is set forth by God and church and use that
interpretation as a means to support our particular belief. Man has
been doing that for centuries. Still, the one thing that people seem to
forget is the greatest attribute of God…and that attribute is love. We
are to love not only those that love us, but those that don’t. And
that’s a tall order because many of the people that deem themselves to
be devout Christians and conservatives have exhibited some behaviors
that can be interpreted as un-Christian if not downright hateful.
I
don’t think that it is for everyone to understand everything that
occurs on this planet. I don’t think that it is for me personally to
understand every aspect of humanity as we move about in this world, nor
do I think that it’s anyone else’s because ultimately, at the end of the
day, I’m too worried about my own imperfections and defects of
character even though I’m still trying to get it right. It’s not for me
or anyone else to say who should be allowed to do what in this nation. I
do understand that you are entitled to believe what you want; just as
long as your belief doesn’t adversely affect someone else.
So
President Obama stated that he is for same sex marriage. All he did was
validate the lives of millions of people in this country saying that
they matter. And whether you agree with him or not…it’s about time that
someone stood up for the rights of everyone in this nation because
ultimately, that is what makes this country great.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election-2012/president-obama-support-gay-marriage-60-announcement-sway-vote-article-1.1076986
J.L. Whitehead
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