There seems to be a growing conservative movement in the country that continues to effect changes that affect thousands if not millions of lives. The one that I want to talk about right now is the number of states banning gay or same-sex marriage. While this is far from a political forum, this is a place to talk about marriage. Marriage is a hot button for many people and this issue is a sensitive one.
It shouldn’t be.
While I will not address arguments about whether a legal union is ‘natural’ or ‘unnatural.’ Nor am I going to make an ethical argument. Those arguments are based on individual beliefs and a person who does not believe in same sex marriage should not marry someone of the same sex. It’s really that simple.
A government should not legislate on issues of choice that do not threaten life, limb or happiness. In this case, they are legislating on choice and happiness. My issue with this is that when a government begins to legislate what constitutes a marriage, they are putting themselves into the marriage issue. My marriage is with my husband, not my congressman, my governor, my senator or my president.
That is why I take issue when a government begins to legislate what type of relationship is valid and what is not. The argument that I hear the most of ten is that these laws are protecting marriage. Protecting it from what? Another person’s marriage should not affect mine. My neighbors across the street that appear to be separated are not affecting my marriage. The different couples who live along my street, married or not, do not affect my marriage.
So how does preventing couples from getting married protect my marriage?
Seriously, how does it?
It does not.
If they legislate tomorrow that bi-racial couples cannot marry, the government would be called racist. If there were legislation that indicated that Americans could not marry anyone other than naturally born Americans, there would be a nationalist or racist argument to be made against that.
Bear in mind that marriage limitations while they seem to be affecting a group that isn’t you is always a first step in taking away freedoms that you and I both enjoy. The largest threat to the state of marriage is not same-sex marriage, interracial marriage or international marriage – it’s divorce. Divorce tears marriage apart, not other marriages.
Will our government then legislate against divorce? The outcry against such legislation would surely be loud. Now while I am not interested in obtaining a divorce, a government that told me I was not allowed to be able to get a divorce whether I wanted one or not would be not only limiting my choices but also taking them away.
Our government was founded on the principles of religious and personal freedoms. They took a long voyage across an ocean to escape religious persecution. They fought against unfair taxation without representation. They fought against a dictatorial government ideal that told them what to do, how to do it and how to believe.
Our government betrays its roots when it legislates against our choices. It betrays who we are as a people when it legislates against our personal decisions. We betray ourselves when we support this abuse of power.
Protect your marriage, protect yourself and do not let your government legislate against your ability to make your own decisions. Marriage is a personal choice and it is not up to me or anyone else to tell you how to live your life or make your marriage. Enjoy your personal freedoms and celebrate your marriage by ensuring that others are allowed that same freedom of choice.
Today, those choices may not affect your marriage personally. But tomorrow – the marriage choices that you make may very well be dictated by a person who lives in another city, another state and not even elected by you.