Marriage is a bond many people search for their whole life until it is found. The official definition of marriage is, "The formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife" (Oxford Dictionaries). This definition excludes the men and women who are not attracted to the opposite sex. So what about them, should they just not have the same rights as everyone else because they are slightly different from the common person? I say we rephrase this definition to: "The formal union between two individuals, recognized by law, by which they become eternally bonded." I have seen first hand the pain and devastation the law against gay marriage can cause. We need to legalize gay marriage. This is America, where we claim to have natural born rights, one of those rights being the pursuit of happiness. Everyone deserves to be accepted and happy. If you're not harming the safety of others, then do what you please to be happy. Also, in America we have freedom of religion, where we can practice a religion anyway we choose. If you choose to be Christian, and are also gay, no one can tell you, you can't do that. Marriage has come a long way, we need to start being more open and accepting. Family members of my own have had their dreams shattered because they can't say that their partners and themselves are legally married. Even though not everyone in my family is as accepting as I am, and many others disagree with me, I still believe that everyone has the right to be happy. If marrying someone of the same sex brings you happiness who is to say that you can't do that?

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." This is a quote from our constitution, stating that no matter what, everyone is equal, and we all have equal rights. One right I'd like to point out is the pursuit of happiness. Every individual in the United States has this right, according to our nation's constitution. If this is so, then may I ask why we discriminate against homosexuals? What is anyone's right to say that who they love is wrong? If you are connected to them in such a way that you feel eternally bonded to them, that you couldn't possibly love another person like that ever again, who are we to tell them they can not pursue the happiness they want? The average person would agree that one of the happiest moments in a person's life is their wedding day. Imagine how it would feel to never experience the glamorous day of your wedding. You didn't get to pick out a cake, or get your hair and makeup done professionally. You never get to pick out your wedding dress, or your wedding tux. You would never get "that special day" all because the law states that gay marriage is illegal, which is pretty much saying it's the wrong thing to do. No, you love who you love no matter the sex. This law contradicts our constitution, and needs to be changed.

"They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness" (Ezra 9:2). This is a quote from the Bible, where it claims mixing races is wrong, and unholy. The bible states biracial marriage and sex is wrong. But we still allow people do to it. So many people claim that the reason they are against gay marriage is because "God hates homosexuals," and "It says in the Bible that being gay is wrong." First off, God hates no one. He is accepting of all, even those who aren't accepting of him. Secondly, in America we have freedom of religion, meaning you can be a part of any religion you wish, and practice anyway you choose. If someone claims to be a Christian, but is also gay, are you going to tell them they can't be part of your religion? I'm sorry, but last time I checked you don't make the rules, and you don't speak for God; He will allow anyone to follow Him, whether you like it or not. If we are accepting of biracial marriage, where clearly it states in the Bible to be wrong, then why can't we accept gay marriage as well?

I personally don't see why we make such a big deal about gay marriage, just have it legalized. If you aren't homosexual then what does it matter to you? It doesn't matter if gay "marriage" is legal or not, gays will still be together, they will still hold hands, kiss, do whatever they want, because they want to. The only thing that isn't there is a certificate saying they are legally married, give them what they desire. Instead of having debates over gay marriage we can have debates over more important issues. I have yet to understand why in twenty-five states you are allowed to marry your first cousin, Kentucky being one of them, but gay marriage is only allowed in nine states. Something's not right there.

I've made it clear that people will argue against me, especially over the religious aspect, but we can't live by everything the Bible says. Here's another quote from the Bible, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37). Judging is wrong, and because so many people love to throw the Bible at my face over this topic, how about you practice what you preach? No one wants to see any type of couple making out anywhere, man and woman. Female and female, or male and male. No one wants to see it. They will be ridiculed anyway, so I doubt they will want to bring more attention to themselves as it is.

Why not legalize gay marriage? Because the Bible says not to? If we listened to every single word in the Bible, life would be very different. The world and the people in it have evolved; we live differently than people did 100s of years ago. The Constitution is the go to source when deciding laws, so why do we still ignore the fine print of, "all men are created equal," as well as "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?" Legalizing gay marriage will bring our nation closer, and make our citizens more happy. America is "the land of the free" but we still have laws against our own citizens that stop them from doing one of the most common forms of pursuing happiness, which is marriage. Do this not only for the homosexuals, do it for people like me, who have to watch members of my family hurt, and be ridiculed for a characteristic they can't change. How would you feel if there was a law against two blonde-haired people getting married? And you fell in love with a blonde-haired person, but legally you couldn't get married, just because someone from YEARS ago said you couldn't? You would want someone to change that for you... I'm trying my hardest to show why gay marriage really isn't bad, consider everything you've read, and let it sink in. For you hopefully will see, this law is wrong.





Bibliography
Oxford University Press. "Marriage." Oxford Dictionaries. 15 February 2013 .
"State Laws Regarding Marriages Between First Cousins" NCLS. Issues and Research. 15

February 2013.
Wellman, Jack. "What Christians Want to Know." What Does The Bible Say About Interracial

Dating And Marriage. 15 February 2013.
Wikipedia. "Same Sex Marriage in The United States." Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.


15 February 2013.