[canmarielan]

Discrimination based on religion, gender, race, handicap, or sexual orientation is supposed to be illegal in the United States of America. However, homosexuals are being discriminated upon by the government on a daily basis. Couples of the same gender cannot be married legally in most states in “the land of the free.” The government says it is because marriage is a holy union of two people of opposite gender. It is a matter of fact that “…all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness.” It is not read anywhere in the Declaration of Independence that these rights are meant only for people in a relationship with someone of opposite gender. In order to dispel some of the arguments against gay marriage, it is imperative to examine them further.
Those who oppose same-sex marriage claim that gays cannot fulfill the main purpose of marriage, which is to have children. To be consistent, they would also need to believe that heterosexual marriages that don’t produce children after nine months should have to end. They would have to tell Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich that they shouldn’t be allowed to stay with their wives. “Sorry gentlemen, we know you’re spending your life with the one you love, but since you can’t procreate, you must be forced to live by our rules.” This doesn’t make much sense, does it? Statements like this would never be made. Some people that do not agree with same-gender marriage argue that being homosexual is disgusting. A lot of things are disgusting to a lot of people. Spitting is disgusting, will that ever be illegal? Probably not.
Another argument against gay marriage is that marriage is a holy sacrament of a the religious institution. Marriage is a holy sacrament? It only takes two plane tickets, a pair of fake gold rings, and a bad impersonator of Elvis reading nuptials in Las Vegas to say “I do.” If we are to regard gay marriage as an invasion of a holy sacrament, than all marriages that end in divorce should be considered an abomination, every woman that uses contraception while married should be shunned, interracial marriage should also be illegal, and the idea of marital rape shouldn’t exist. If our government takes any one of these religious ideas literally, then it should also be forced to take every other idea literally as well. The government should not be allowed to pick and choose only certain religious rules they want to uphold.
Furthermore, the chapter in the Bible that names homosexuality a sin also names eating shellfish a sin, touching even the cloth of another man’s wife a sin, eating red meat a sin, even working on Sunday is a sin. So, is the American government prepared to uphold these rules? Are we prepared to loose an entire work day, shrink the economy by banning sales of certain foods, and support an increase in criminal activity by arresting those who hug? That would all seem pretty foolish, wouldn’t it? Therefore, it seems hypocritical to think of banning gay marriage as anything less than foolish.
"‘The exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage violates the most fundamental guarantees of equality and liberty for all,’ said American Civil Liberties Union attorney Kenneth Choe.” If “We the People of the United States of America…” would really embrace the freedom that our country was founded upon, the anti-gay marriage issue would never exist. Exclusion of same-gender marriage is incompatible with the constitutional principles of respect for individual autonomy and equality under law. As we have reviewed some of the arguments against gay marriage, we have actually reviewed arguments against freedom itself. This question remains: “When will we really be free?”