Freedom to marry is a human right

On March 26 the United State Supreme Court heard an appeal to California’s Proposition 8, and the following day listened to oral arguments over the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The issue of same-sex marriage rights is all over the media and the LGBT community is listening.

Prop. 8 was approved in November 2008 with 52 percent of voters supporting a ban on same-sex marriage.

Now in 2013 Americans can only hope that the country can look at this with more reasonable eyes and realize that denying same-sex couples the right to marry is a violation of their civil liberties, and one of the most obvious forms of discrimination.

DOMA’s argument is that the Act is defending the sanctity of marriage, but what are they defending it from exactly? They are defending it from regular people who love one another and just want to live happy lives.

Marriage does not need defense against same-sex marriage; heterosexuals have already tarnished the sanctity of marriage. With the divorce rate in the country around 50 percent, there is nothing left to defend.

Americans will look back at this time and read about how two people who loved each other could not solidify it with legal marriage, and they will laugh at how silly the thought is of not allowing two ordinary people to wed.

It is hard to argue that same-sex marriage should not be legal because there is no legitimate argument for why it should not be. Those who argue against same-sex marriage only propose the religious argument, which holds no importance at all in the state or federal government.

Those who are holding on to the hopes that this country becomes a fundamentalist Christian country are holding on to false hope. America is a melting pot of different cultures and beliefs, and just because a certain group of people believes marriage should be a certain way does not give them the right to tell people whom they can love.

The separation of church and state was created for a reason. If the people who say they are defending marriage will step aside, it will make the process easier for Americans who have been deprived of civil rights.

Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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