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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Don't Ignore Rights of Others
By Cody Davis
Albuquerque resident
Voters in the state of Maine have overturned marriage rights for gay couples, and the self-appointed purveyors of morality are crowing about their victory. May it be short-lived.
America has strained to see the whole of “self evident” truth since that phrase was written, and the time has come for gay Americans to be seen in that light. The ever changing, and spotted lens of morality has always required the clean cloth of reason to improve our sight, and America has a pretty good record of seeing things clearly, eventually.
The claim of a moral victory by those who voted down the measure is stunted thinking, as willful refusal to regard another human with dignity is not morality, but moral turpitude, and the idea that the sanctity of the institution of marriage has been somehow saved seems ludicrous. Divorce statistics prove the sanctity of marriage was destroyed decades ago, and by heterosexuals.
The other day I was discussing gay marriage with a man who asked me if I thought a man should be allowed to marry a man. When I said yes, he asked me if I thought a man should be allowed to marry a dog. This letter is not intended to better inform the opinions of people of that ilk. It is meant for those who have not yet thought so thoroughly about this matter that they believe moral behavior can be made manifest by imposition of religious-judicial law, the thing we deride Middle-Eastern countries for, government sanctioned, religious oppression. It is meant for those who realize that morality resides in the hearts of people and is manifest in the way we treat our fellow human beings, especially those we do not understand.
Teaching our children that ignorance, or hatred, or self-righteousness, or bigotry, or degradation and intolerance are the building blocks on which we should found a great and moral society is wrong.
The gay community is not an anonymous, roving throng of degenerates. They are compassionate and loving people. They are our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, our children, our co-workers, soldiers, caregivers, our friends and neighbors.
It is difficult to comprehend the minds of people who fervently claim to be the standard bearers of decency and democracy trying to turn America into a self-righteous theocracy. They have wrapped themselves in the wrong flag. They offer the stinking olive branch of state-recognized civil union, which smells like separate but equal.
We all know that sordid ideology resides only in the minds of bigots. Have they forgotten that the Pilgrims came here to escape religious persecution? Freedom of religion still means freedom from pious persecution.
Our nation is broad and inclusive, and our ability to embrace people who are a minority is our strength, not our weakness. The victory claimed in Maine is overshadowed by the massive numbers of people who voted for gay marriage that would have been impossible 30 years ago,. The tide is turning.
My gay brothers and sisters will eventually get justice in the United States of America, and it will most likely come in the form of a federal ruling. When that happens, those who reserve the right to ignore the basic dignity of others can still take comfort in the fact that they have the constitutional right to call anyone they want a dog.
I support them in that right, but they should never be allowed to make narrow-minded, pious ideology a point of law. Not in America.
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