Same Sex Marriage and This Great Country of Ours: My Opinion

In 1997 I took a speech class and for my final project I chose something that I felt strongly about. I don't remember much about what I said, specifically, but I do remember being adamantly and unequivocally in favor of allowing same sex marriage across the board in the United States and delivering my opinion prior to being met with a good deal of questions and objections at the end from my fellow students. Being steadfast and educated in my young position on the matter I fielded and rebutted all comers. God only knows where I did my research. A library of tomes perhaps? I may very well have found it necessary to utilize the Dewey Decimal System. Surely it must have taken me the better part of a month. I got what was then one of my first and only A's in a college course. Now I get 'em like they're goin outta style... hmm must be the insanely large difference between being a dumb kid in college and a hmm... hopefully less dumb 15 years older kid. But I digress... we're now looking at approaching 20 years since my little speech and while some victories have been won, the fight for this right is still being waged.

There's so much common sense in that short sentence in this image. The things going on in our country today are really quite compelling and I felt, rightfully so, compelled to say something about it. Someday humans will be able to look back and wonder why there was ever a question mark over the idea of equal rights for everyone. I need to believe that. But for now - we need to grow up, speak up, and move FORWARD. Who are you to restrict another person's rights and still smile and nod like an ignorant idiot watching that ridiculous Dodge "freedom" commercial - or have some sense of content and complete satisfaction watching the pretty fireworks on the 4th of July? When do we get to fully actualize the ideals that our country was founded upon 94 years before African Americans were granted the right to vote, 188/89 years before the Civil Rights Act/Voting Rights Act of 1965/65, 144 years before women were granted the right to vote, and 197 years before Roe v. Wade? Where does the line get drawn if we cant all be equal - or worse if civil rights or freedoms once granted can be taken away? That Dodge commercial talks about how America got two things right, cars and freedom. Seriously? I'm not talking about cars right now (Honda!) but America has been fighting bloody fights to the death over freedom, racism, sexism, and civil rights just to name a few since day one and still can't get it right. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Well, I'm sorry but the "right to pursue happiness" being only the right to keep fighting bigotry away from defining laws doesn't cut it anymore. Its time to allow same-sex marriage across the board - nationwide and irreversibly - and put this issue behind us and move on to other ways to make the United States of America even more American than was originally envisioned 236 years ago.

Today I read the Declaration of Independence (1776), some of the Constitution (1787), as well as perused and referenced this very interesting Timeline of United States History. I look forward to educating myself more on our nation's history and these matters that are so important to us as citizens. I also now feel even more compelled to go to the Smithsonian... I wonder what things they have there. If you agree with me, pitch in in a comment. Maybe we'll both learn something. If you disagree, post an informed argument in the comments. Maybe we'll both learn something.