Race Case

When someone mentions marriage, people often picture one of the happiest days of their lives. Whether they are still planning the big day, or reminiscing about the past, it brings a smile to their faces and a warm feeling in their hearts. For others, it is just the opposite. Perhaps it was something that was rushed into for the wrong reasons, or maybe it just didn't work out. Marriage can make people grimace or run away scared. Still for some, it is a dream that cannot be realized. Not because they haven't found "the one" yet, as many of the people I speak of have been with their partners for years. It is because the law will not allow them to marry given that they have chosen partners of the same sex. America prides itself on civil rights and equality, however we fall short where gay marriage is concerned. Homosexuals should be allowed marry and enjoy all of the rights and privileges that come along with being a legal union.

Most Americans like to consider themselves open minded and non-prejudice people. If you asked them if gays deserved equal rights concerning holding jobs or buying property, a large number of them would agree. However, when the issue of gay marriage comes up, suddenly the rules of equality change. As the topic becomes more prevalent in society, it seems there are more and more arguments against it. CNN reports that nineteen states not only won't recognize gay marriages, but have amended their constitutions to outlaw them. Why is such prejudice this being allowed?

A strong belief of many people is that marriage is for procreation and that children should not be raised by same sex parents. This claim is completely unfounded. Perhaps many years ago, marriage was strictly for procreation. However, these were often hard, loveless marriages where women were severely oppressed. Today, many couples either are unable to or actively choose not to have children, but are still allowed to marry. As stated by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in the case of Goodridge v. the Department of Public Health in 2003, a landmark case in the fight for same sex marriage, "... it is the exclusive and permanent commitment of the married partners to one another, not the begetting of children, that is the sine qua non of civil marriage." Just as marriage is not a requirement for having children, having children is not a requirement for getting married. That is not to assume that homosexual partners do not desire children. However, the overwhelming majority feels that children best fare in homes where they are raised by both a mother and a father. Advocates against gay marriage will often throw around statistics that show children succeed more in life when raised by a mother and a father. A closer look at these statistics will show that they are often misrepresented. Sociologist and researcher, David Popenoe states that on average children do better when raised by two parents because that means more resources, more support, and in general more help. This has nothing to do with the sexes of the parents, but rather the strength of the family and the amount of self-sacrifice. The details of "mother and father" are merely inserted for effect.

Another argument against permitting homosexuals to marry is that the very existence of their relationship is immoral.