MARRIAGE FOR ALL

Legalizing same sex marriage would strengthen the institution of marriage by showing the citizens of the United States it is the right thing to do. Granted, just because same sex marriage is legal doesn’t mean millions of people will support it or agree with it. The United States faced the same challenges over the disagreement with slavery. We even went to war over it. In the end, slaves were freed and although it took many years, blacks were given their equal rights. The same should be done for same sex couples who wish to engage in marriage. I believe that if two people, whether they be male, female, two men, or two women choose to get married they should be allowed to do so. This isn’t just about legal rights and benefits for your domestic partner. This is about acceptance, justice and validation. I think if others can witness same sex couples in legal marriages that over time it will be accepted and not an issue. There was a time when it was accepted to own slaves. Eventually, after slavery was abolished, blacks were recognized as equal citizens. There was a time when it was forbidden that black and white couples unite in marriage. Now it is widely accepted and pretty commonplace to see mixed raced couples together. There is always opposition to something new or something different. There was opposition with ending slavery, giving women the right to vote, and providing blacks with civil rights. I know many opponents will say that legalizing same sex marriage will cause a rise in the divorce rate. However, this is just speculation and there are no statistics to prove this theory. In fact, according to the 2005 statistics from the US Census Bureau, marriage rates are down as well as divorce rates, the lowest since 1970. Allowing same sex couples to marry will actually increase the number of marriages in the United States. As we have been a nation of freedom, we will do what is right. We might take awhile to get there but we will get there and the right thing to do is to legalize same sex marriage.


Works Cited

Gallagher, Maggie. “What Marriage is For.” The Blair Reader. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson-Prentice hall.2008. 65-71. Print.

Wedgewood, Ralph. “What Are We Fighting For?” The Blair Reader. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson-Prentice hall.2008. 62-65. Print.

Divorcemag.com. US Divorce Statistics for 2005. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2009.