My Voice
To all my friends and family: The following thoughts are my own, and my own only. You do not have to agree with me, but I do hope that you all take a second to read this and if you feel so inclined, to let me know what you thought (good or bad). I've always tried to be a good listener and because this is something that I feel strongly about (you know I'm not usually one to publically share my opinions), I hope that you will give me that same courtesy!
I have decided to take a stand. This has been a long time coming, and surprisingly a very tough decision for me, but I have finally made one and am sticking to it. Proposition 8 has been a very hot topic lately and has spread way beyond the borders of California. I have many friends who are gay/lesbian and one especially that is close to my heart (you know who you are). I have heard countless arguments from both sides about legalizing gay marriage. My initial reaction is always to protect the ones I love…to not let any harm or judgments come upon them. As I’ve dug deeper into the issues and into my heart though, I’ve realized that reserving the sacred covenant of marriage for a man and a wife is not discriminating against same sex couples. It is standing up for what the definition of marriage is and has been since the beginning of this world and before. The religious aspects of gay marriage have personal meaning to me…but are separate from my decision to support Prop 8. Marriage= man+wife. Marriage does not equal any other combination of gender, animals, or whatever else people may think up. It would be nice if we could bend laws and rules to fit our personal needs. If I could do that, then I would have changed the speed limit to 50mph and gotten out of that speeding ticket! That’s not how things work though. Rules are set into place to govern us and to keep order in the world. We cannot change them on a whim to fit our lifestyles, desires, or decisions. As nice as that would be sometimes, that’s not how life goes or is supposed to be. Although I cannot cast an official vote, my decision is clear. I do not love my gay friends any less…in fact I have more compassion for them and the struggles they face each day that I can’t begin to understand. But they along with the rest of us must follow certain rules and learn to deal with this journey through life.
