My Big Fat Straight Wedding - Magazine - The Atlantic
I came upon this article the other day. So much is written - pro and con - about same-sex marriage. Those against tend to speak out based on fear or the need to impose their religious convictions on others. Those in favor want homosexuals to have the same rights as heterosexuals. I've always had some difficulty articulating the reasons behind my feeling that it ought not be an issue. This article from 2008 articulates my perspective that it ought not be gay marriage vs. straight marriage, homosexuals vs. heterosexuals. People are entitled to marry the person of their choice.
The Declaration of Independence - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."
The rights in our Constitution are awarded the people. "We the people" - it doesn't get any plainer than that. Not just male people or white people or young people or Christian people or heterosexual people - all people. Yes, I know we have amendments stating certain rights may not be denied or abridged on account of race or color or sex. When will we realize this is redundant??? "We the people"...plain and simple. The Eighth Amendment addresses rights not specifically named in the Constitution: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."
The right to marry the person of our choice is a right retained by the people...all the people. It's in the Constitution.
