On Valentine’s Day this year, 250 couples in New York City’s central park declared their love in a new way, by “unmarrying” each other. They did this to protest the fact that gay marriage is still illegal in many states of this country, and they believe that they should not have the right to be married while others don’t.
This country is contradicting its own principles stated in the Constitution when it keeps gay couples from marriage. America prides itself on the fact that people have the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” but it turns its back on many of its citizens.
Love is love, you can’t choose when or where or how it happens. It can’t be controlled and it’s not supposed to be. So when people say that gay or lesbian couples shouldn’t have the right to commit to each other, I find myself thinking of what is truly wrong with society. What makes their love different from that of a man and woman? Do they treat each other with respect, or stand by their side when life gets tough? Do they stay faithful to each other, lean on each other, and enjoy life together?
Those who say that the church says it’s wrong, that’s a whole other fight. My point is that the government needs to recognize the difference between church and state, and that legally there is nothing wrong with gay marriage.
America was founded on a society in refuge from religious persecution, and now we’ve started our own brand of it. I say it’s time Americans stop being hypocrites and allow gay couples to have the right to the benefits of a legal marriage. If they want to be married by the church, go talk to the pope.
It’s time to make a change. There are so many types of love in this world; the love of a mother and child; of a friend; of a grandparent; of a past love; of a husband or wife. They each make our lives richer each in a different way.
Who’s to say that a man who loves another man (or woman who loves another woman) is right or wrong. We, as Americans and members of the global community, have learned things the hard way too many times. When an injustice is occurring around us, to stay quiet is just as bad as to be committing the injustice. I urge every person with a heart to stand up and make a change. As the Beatles put it “all we need is love.”
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