President Obama made an historic proclamation on Wednesday by deeming the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. This statement from the President cannot be understated by those in support of Same Sex Marriage as President Obama has wavered in his stance on the issue for the past decade and a half. For those vehemently opposed to all things Obama, this is just another log on the anti-Liberal fire. On the heels of releasing a fairly conservative budget proposal which included extending the Bush Tax Cuts, this is sure to draw the ire of those on the right with whom he may have gained some recent ground.
As this blogger, a married heterosexual man, sees it, the President's commentary on DOMA represents progress. Currently, many are trying to vilify progress as socialism or even worse, fascism. However, while there are those who are afraid of progressing, other nations are passing us by in many categories. So, the potential abolition of DOMA may not help us catch up in science and education but it certainly acts as an impetus to encourage dialogue regarding hot button political issues.
For now, though, I'll stay on the point of Same Sex Marriage. I personally don't find the slightest bit of malice in the marriage of two individuals who are in love with each other, regardless of their gender. After all, gay or straight, we are all human beings and we all deserve to have our civil rights protected by the government. If the governments, state and/or federal, refuse to provide an equal opportunity for all of it's citizens then they have failed in their duty to serve the public interest and we as voters have failed by electing them.
A common argument opposing Same Sex Marriage is the omnipresent "what if everyone was gay" rhetoric. If you wanted to, and had the free time, a person could drive themselves mad playing the "what if' game with even the most mundane of daily tasks. The "what if" game yields so many takes of the same scenario that it would make Kubrick look like an expedient film maker. Gatorade somewhat recently aired a commercial with a similar theme, "What if Michael Jordan missed vs the Cavs". As if long/still/eternally suffering Clevelanders hadn't played the "what if" game long enough over that painful moment, revisiting it didn't change the stubborn fact that Michael Jordan didn't miss the shot. And a similar ethos applies here: stopping gay people from marrying isn't going to stop people from being gay.
President Obama's denouncing of DOMA must feel like a major victory for the LGBT Community that has worked arduously for decades to hear that remark from somebody in a position of such power and prestige. A number of Equal Rights associations have poured their time, their money, and their lives into affecting change to this piece of legislation only to be turned away time and time again. While DOMA still exists in it's current state, some level of vindication must be felt by those men and women who likely see this as a step towards achieving their ultimate goal of legalized marriage for same sex couples.
It has been said many times over that love is blind, that it knows no bounds.... insert your cliche here. The greatest expression of love is being able to share your love and your life with the person you care about the most. You don't need a marriage license or the state's permission to do that but that doesn't mean LGBT couples should be denied those rights, either. If true love indeed knows no bounds, what right does the government have to say who can and can't be joined in love? I say none.
Good post.
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