Gay Marriage
It was really tough for me today. I awoke and learned our President had called for an amendment to the Constitution to prevent people like me from getting married.
Logically, I’m unshaken in my belief that future generations will look back on this with the same kind of uncomprehending wonder that we now have for those who railed against “mixed” marriages, or women voters. But that doesn’t help me emotionally, when I feel physically ill-at-ease, roiled up at the notion of what this man is doing — and what’s more, of all the people who helped. Silly as it sounds, I found it difficult to believe that someone worked to tape and (badly) encode the speech for the webcast, someone (else?) prepared the Web site to announce it, the Press Secretary defended it… all in support of this hateful message.
I’m not so out of touch as to believe that there aren’t people who fear and loathe gay people, even to the point of violence. The thing that shocks me is they would be willing to do violence to the Constitution itself, a document so vibrant and precious that I believe it serves not only as the foundation upon which this great nation was built, but indeed as a manifestation of the best parts of human nature and our common desire to live free.
By acting as he did, the President signalled he thinks differently. I’m saddened to hear it.