Ashley Summers

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                           What about Freedom?
America was founded on Thomas Jefferson's famous words of “All men are created equal” Which in todays society refers to men and women both, and means that all human beings no matter what skin color, race, sexual orientation, or gender that a person has, that he or she should be treated equal.
Women, as well as African Americans have came a long way in their
rights sense that time, and this is a changing nation, and should always let every human being have the same rights as the next. Isn't that what America is based upon? Freedom. That's the word that our four father's based this country upon.

There are three issues of this argument that I find needs to be brought to peoples attention. Separation of church and state needs to be put into action as soon as possible. Thomas Jefferson once wrote in a letter to the Danbury Baptists; he refereed to the First amendment to the United States Constitution as creating a “wall of separation” between church and state. This basically provides two things; secularity of government and freedom of religious exercise. Which in the light of same-sex marriage, it means pastors of any denomination or church would not have to perform a same-sex marriage if they do not want to.   Another issue is; even criminals have rights. Don't get me wrong I know homosexuals have rights, and the only one they don't have in some states are marriage rights.The only reason that I see valid for a small minority not having a right that the rest of the world has is ifthey have broken the law or done something in which they deserve for the right to be taken away. Face it, the only reason gay people are dined the rights of marriage or based on religious institutions alone.


It isn't a moral issue, it's a human rights issue. Theists have been shoving this in anyones face since this argument first arose. “It's morally wrong” is what they say. What's morally wrong to one person may not be to another. This is like telling someone they can't practice their own religion, because they believe that its not the right religion. By denying someone marriage you are denying them of so much more then people really know. Just to name a few, your denying them of; status as next-of-kin for hospital visits and medical decisions where one partner is too ill to be competent, joint adoption, benefits such as pension plans, Social Security, Medicare,wrongful death benefits for surviving parter and child, and inheritance automatically in the absence of a will. This only to name a few of the benefits that heterosexual couples get, and homosexual couples are denied.  To deny us marriage is say that we are second class citizens, and that are love is not the same. We love each other just as much as any heterosexual couple, and many of us would put down our life for our parter. That is much more then you can say about Britney Spears' twenty-four hour wedding or Pamela Anderson saying that she gets married, and divorced for the fun of it (Which she did say in an interview) and not to mention the divorce rates in this country or higher then ever before.

The point that I am trying to make is that all people should have basic rights, an no one should be held back from all of these benefits just because a religious institution says its immoral. America is about diversity, and the ever evolving world around us. No I don't think the next stop should be letting people marry animals if thats what you're thinking. People that say that are the people that really freak me out. I just think that everyone being presented the same rights and opportunities from birth is the way America should be.