The Sanctity of Marriage

It's a fascinating, heart-warming sight.

Hundreds of couples wait in a line circling the block of San Francisco's City Hall. They are talking excitedly, holding each other tightly, kissing passionately, waiting for their chance to declare their love to each other in the oldest, most sacred ceremony in our civilization.

Some have been together for 20, 30, 40, even 50 years. They are committed to each other, have been there for each other through the good times and the bad, for richer or poorer, through sickness and in health. And now, after all these years of commitment, they finally get their chance to stand up and say, "'Til death do us part."

The laughter, the tears, the excitement, the screams of joy. It's absolutely heart-wrenching. There is no doubt that this is the happiest day of their life. Their hearts are filled because they truly understand what a privilege and an honor marriage really is.

This, President Bush, is the sanctity of marriage.

The scene outside San Francisco's City Hall truly captures the real meaning of marriage: the love between two people that cannot be broken down by sickness, poverty, discrimination, politics or even death.

So why is George W. trying so hard to define marriage to an age old stereotype that is obviously past its prime?

Social Justification
Bush has said: "After more than two centuries of American jurisprudence and millennia of human experience, a few judges and local authorities are presuming to change the most fundamental institution of civilization."

As of 200 years ago, more than two centuries of American jurisprudence and millennia of human experience told us that slavery was a fundamental institution of civilization. And, as is the case for gay marriages today, it was believed that the majority of U.S. citizens agreed that slavery was good and fair. There was a war fought because so many people believed in slavery. Does that make it any less wrong? The majority's answer is not always the right one.

The conservative right wingers against gay marriages try to make the case that homosexuality is against moral code and against God's will. Basically, the Bible says it's wrong. The Bible also displays women as inferior beings and claims that they should not be declared the same rights as men. The more conservative churches still don't allow women to serve as priests or ministers. Yet, in our society, we have embraced women as equals and have learned that they are not only equal, but surpass men in some instances.

And the one question that none of these conservatives have been able to answer is, if God really "hates fags," then why are there gays in the first place? Most conservatives will answer, "Because they choose to be gay." But the majority of gays in America have expressed that being gay is not a choice, rather a reality that they have to deal with. This is something that they are born into. They don't get a choice. Because given a choice of a life of happiness and acceptance, and a life of pain and discrimination, a rational human being will never choose the life of pain.

Our former views of slavery, women and religion show that humanity as a whole has been wrong in the past. We grow, change and learn from our mistakes.

Hopefully, a ban on gay marriage won't be a mistake that we will have to learn from.

Benefits of Gay Marriage
The face of marriage has not exactly been clean for the past couple decades. A century ago, 'til death do us part was meant literally. Now, the divorce rate has shot up and is well over the half-way mark. People are getting married for all the wrong reasons: money, power, lust, sex, convenience. It is rarely about love anymore.

This is perfect reason for President Bush to allow gay marriages. The majority of those couples in San Francisco have been in committed relationships for years. They are already aware of the bonds of love. And some of them are already symbolically married. What better way to cut the divorce rate and showcase the true meaning of marriage than to allow thousands of committed couples to marry?

And, in this time of economic crisis, marriage licenses can also be a money-maker. In the two weeks that San Francisco has been issuing marriage licenses to almost 3,000 gay couples, they have accumulated almost $250,000 in marriage license fees. Imagine how much each city could make in a year just on issuing marriage licenses to gay couples?

Specifically, for President Bush, accepting gay marriages could also be a big political gain. Look at Gavin Newsom. Before taking office, Newsom was only known as a sneaky, high-class, business-type playboy. His conservative views did not mesh with liberal San Francisco and his biggest political promise was taking care of the homeless problem in the city. But now, he has the entire city rallied around him, supporting his every move.

With the growing number of the gay population, soon every person in the country will at least know or be close to one homosexual. If even half the population has a deep personal connection with one gay person, well, those numbers don't bode well for any anti-gay politicians.

Times are a-changing
Bush will "go down in history as the first president to try to write discrimination back into the Constitution. We have amended the Constitution only 17 times. ... [It] has often been amended to expand and protect people's rights, never to take away or restrict their rights," Sen. Ted Kennedy said.

We live in a liberal society of ever changing values. Stereotypes that we held to years ago have been proven discriminatory and wrong, and we have accepted our new values of life. If President Bush goes through with this ban on gay marriage, he will be up against a fury of liberal Americans who have embraced all races, cultures and ways of life. The American people as a whole have shown that they are accepting of the gay culture, not only through their outreach during times of hardship, such as the death of Matthew Shepard, but also in embracing the gay culture into everyday popular culture. It's a reality of today's world, and those who are not accepting of it will soon be the minority.

The perfect example of this is the straight scene outside of San Francisco's City Hall. Aside from a few protestors in the corner, signs of support are shown everywhere. People passing by stop and give hi-fives or hugs to those in line. Passers-by cheer and shout their congratulations. Cars passing by honk their support to the couples in line. Amid all the honks and cheers of support, two women emerge through the doors of City Hall. Wedding veils flowing behind them, they run down the stairs, turn to the crowd, hold up their marriage license and kiss to seal their pact as a married couple.

The perfect sign of the sanctity of marriage.