Having turned eighteen this summer I was really excited that I would be able to vote in this year’s presidential election. Coming to school in New Hampshire allowed me the opportunity to either register here and vote, or send in for my absentee ballot from back home in Minnesota. At first I didn’t think it would be a big deal to just register in New Hampshire and vote, but then I remembered that during this election Minnesota residents would be voting on whether or not to amend the state constitution defining “marriage” as a union between one man and one woman. If I only cared about voting on who the president would be for the next four years I could have just voted in New Hampshire, but instead, I sent away for an absentee ballot so that I could vote no on the amendment.
By checking the box that said NO on my ballot, I was opposing the ban on gay marriage in Minnesota. As a result of the election on Tuesday, the state of Minnesota defeated the proposed amendment and, personally, I couldn’t be any prouder of my state.
Although I attend a Catholic college, I respectfully disagree with the Catholic view on same-sex marriage. In my own opinion, for somebody who is of legal age and in a monogamous relationship, I don’t mind who they marry: gay, straight, man, woman, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, black, white, purple, orange – it doesn’t matter. I believe that if you truly love someone you should have the right to marry them.
What I find hard to believe in this country is that we discriminate people for simply loving one another. Who gets to be the ultimate authority on what is the “correct” definition of marriage? The ability to love someone enough to commit to them forever through the symbol of marriage is not a privilege reserved for the “correct” few. I believe that it is a human right we all should have.
The key word here being should. Although we’ve overcome racial, religious, and gender discrimination in this country we are still struggling to come to terms with the fact that two people of the same gender can fall in love. The simple fact is that banning same-sex marriage is discrimination; “protecting” family values is quite possibly one of the weakest arguments there is for taking away the rights of other human beings.
Just because a couple is gay doesn’t mean that their parenting will be any less than that of a heterosexual couple. Familial abuse goes on constantly between heterosexual couples and, if you want, you can make a very strong argument toward the fact that many heterosexual couples are raising children to be discriminatory and hateful towards their fellow gay human beings. I don’t think that sounds like a great family value to have, hating another person for loving someone of the same sex.
A large majority of the support for the same-sex marriage ban in Minnesota came from the Minnesota Catholic Conference and Minnesota Family Council. Both of these groups claim to be fighting “to stand up and defend marriage as a unique institution that, from the beginning of human history and in every culture, is the union of one man and one woman for the propagation of the human family and the upbringing of children”. If we want to say that marriage is a unique institution that stems from the beginning of human history and has been in every culture, we could also say that about slavery or gender stratification.
Throughout the Bible, Jesus’ underlying teaching is always to love one another. I don’t understand how people can persecute the rights others have towards showing that love and claim to be doing God’s work. Wouldn’t God rather have everyone treated equally and accepted in society instead of being persecuted for being different? If Jesus were to come back today, do you think he’d be having dinner with the “American family” – Dad, Mom, Son, and Daughter – or would he be having dinner with the “sinners” in the gay community? I believe that, as he did two thousand years ago, Jesus would be having dinner with the gay community, those people who have done nothing but are simply different than the what society tells them they should be.
The excuses of “protecting family values and child development” and “living in accordance to God” are smoke. If you’re in a heterosexual relationship, your children are most likely going to be raised by you and if they turn out “incorrect” that’s your fault, not the fault of the homosexual couple down the street, they didn’t raise your kid. God created everyone uniquely, so where do any of us get off telling someone else that they’re not in accordance to God’s lifestyle? God never sat down and wrote out a list of the different types of acceptable lifestyles, he only asked that we treat each other equally and with kindness.
The point I’m making here is that I don’t believe people ban same-sex marriage because God said it’s wrong, but because they are afraid of it. They are scared of the change it is from what has been a tradition for humanity. Change scares people and when people refuse to change, especially if they’re asked to change their beliefs, they use power over their opponent. With the opposition of same-sex marriage it’s the power of the legal system and certain religious institutions.
As a secular country, our legislature should be taking zero advice from any religious body. Instead we should be looking at the original values our country was founded on, “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”. Whether or not any religious body agrees with allowing same-sex marriage, the government should not be used as a means to hold back the rights of a certain group of people.
As I said previously, I am extremely proud of Minnesota for defeating the amendment. As a human being I feel that I have a duty to fight for my fellow human beings who are discriminated against in society. By voting NO, I feel that I helped make a step in the direction for equality for all and the freedom for love to be allowed.
The results showed that over fifty percent of Minnesota voters opposed the same-sex marriage ban and both Maine and Maryland passed laws allowing for same-sex marriage. Although I don’t think we should have the need to vote on who should be allowed to be married, I believe that it is important that when it comes time to vote we do. As Maine, Maryland, and Minnesota showed, the voice of their voters was heard and the results were historic because they showed that people can make a difference through their vote.
