Till Death Do You Part?
Jessica French
?Till Death do You Part??
When you are born in America or legalized as a citizen, you are granted certain unalienable rights under the constitution and the declaration of independence. We are granted the freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, the right to vote, right to bear arms and the right to the pursuit of happiness. But is this really the case? Are the citizens of the United States really as free as they believe? I say no!
Today I am here to expose a great injustice in Americas judicial system. First I will explain the details of this injustice, secondly I will take you through what its like to be a victim of this injustice and lastly I will tell you how YOU can be part of the solution.
So, are you REALLY as free as you believe?? Do you REALLY have all this freedom guaranteed by the government of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?? For most of us, yes but for a growing number this so-called ?freedom? is becoming more and more of an illusion everyday. I’m talking about the freedom to wed whom EVER you chose. Right now in the US you have the right to chose when you marry, how many times you marry, where you marry and who you are married by, but still TODAY in our country you cannot chose the sex of your spouse. Still in the U.S. same sex marriages are illegal and not recognized by the state. It is illegal for this con try’s citizens to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, ethic background or SEXUAL PREFERENCE so why is it that our government feels that THEY hold hat right? I believe that same sex marriages should be recognized as ?holy matrimony? in all 50 states.
Take Meagan Murphy and Laura Carson for example. This young homosexual couple dated for many years and went though a lot before they decided that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. But how were they to go about doing so? The state of Michigan sure wasn’t about to let them, that’s for sure. In Michigan like all but 1 other state (Hawaii) same sex marriages aren’t marriages at all! When put into a legal view gay marriages do not get any of the rights that straight ones are granted. If 1/2 or a gay or lesbian couple is in a hospital situation where only family members can visit , his or her partner does not have the right to go see them, and if brought into a court of law for some criminal act one partner can be required by the law to testify against the other where as legal couples are not. Another major issue is insurance benefits. If a partner in a homosexual relationship dies the other person does not receive a penny as would the spouse in a heterosexual marriage, even though the remaining partner in the homosexual relationship still has to cope with the loss of 1/2 of the wages of that household.
As for Meagan and Carson they were forced to do what many gay or lesbian couple do when the need for a finalization of the relationship arises. They had what is called a commitment ceremony?. Its exactly like a traditional wedding with one minor difference, there was no priest to legalize the ?union of these two souls?. Is this fair? Who can say that these two people aren’t in love enough to be legally wed? How can we be granted so many freedoms but yet be denied this one?
Under the we are granted ?the freedom to the pursuit of happiness and according to the supreme court The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men. So if we have the legal right to the pursuit of happiness and if, according to the supreme court, marriage is so vital in that pursuit how can they honestly say that it is illegal in the eyes of the states to marry someone of the same gender! I feel that the government need to shed their hypocritical stand on this topic.
Marriage is no new topic of discussion up on capital hill either. Throughout the history of the United States our government hasn’t had the best of judgment when it comes to the ?legal? sanctutity of marriage . Prior to the civil war, Afro-Americans were not allowed to marry in 39 states, Prior to 1967 inter-racial couples were not allowed to marry in 40 states. Currently,in 49 states, homosexuals are not allowed to marry.
Now that I have brought to your understanding that this is a PROBLEM in this country I will bring to your attention the solution. DON’T ACCEPT IT. Don’t turn and look the other way saying that’s terrible, its to bad that our government feels that way about homosexual marriage?. Get up and do something about it! You can do so many things from writing letters to your local legislature or attending rallies and demonstrations to even just signing a petition. When the polls are open for the presidential election of 2000 take into consideration the nominees stand on this issue. Its said that ?marriage is the binding of two so in love they are willing to submit their souls to one another.? Now who is anyone to stand in the way of that?
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