It Seems Simple To Me

This has been quite a week for social change. First we had the uproar over the Confederate Battle Flag ignited by the white supremacist's terrorist murder of eight African-American people. Then today we had the US Supreme Court's ruling on same sex marriage. The SCOTUS decision is more historic, but both events are important. They push our country toward a more free and equal society. I already wrote a post about the battle flag dustup.

The upholding of the right for LGBT couples to marry was too long in coming. I fully understand the religious objections to this ruling. I support their right to refuse to allow gay couples from marrying in their churches or for priests, pastors, rabbis, mullahs or other clerics refusing to perform those marriages. I don't agree with them, but they have that right. I don't think that governments and public enterprises have that same right. They are here to serve all segments of our society. 

I find it amusing that so many people fear that this SCOTUS decision will ruin our country. About 3½% to 4% of out population identifies as LGBT. How can that small a percentage take down the most powerful country in the world? Seems a little paranoid to me. All people in the United States deserve the opportunity to be happy. They deserve to be treated equally. 

The "slippery slope" argument is another example of grasping at straws. What if the next push is by pedophiles to allow marriage to children. What if someone wants multiple wives. What if brothers and sisters want to get married. What if a father wants to marry his daughter or a mother her son. Well, children are a special circumstance. They are not able to make adult decisions or enter into binding contracts. Harming a minor, not just sexually, is a crime. I can't imagine that incest would ever be a big issue. How many siblings do you know that would willfully cohabit after adulthood. Multiple wives, if all parties are adults it doesn't much bother me, as long as multiple husbands is also OK. It seems to me we currently discriminate against certain religions that allow multiple spouses. Isn't that a violation of religious freedom? Oh wait, for the most part religious freedom in this country actually mostly means Christian religious freedom. 

Here is my simple solution to all opposed to same sex marriages. Live and let live. Allow the LGBT community to have the same rights as the heterosexual majority. If you are against same sex marriage, don't marry anyone who is the same sex as you. Likewise if you are against interracial marriages, don't marry anyone outside your race. If you are against marriages between people of different religions, marry only within your religion. If you are against marriage outside your nationality, only marry within your culture. The list goes on. The solution is always the same, marry only those you want to. Nothing in the SCOTUS decision says you have to marry a gay or a Black or a Hindu or an Italian or a blond or someone who is short, left-handed, tall, bald or blue-eyed.

Just say no but allow the rest of the adults in this country to make that same choice. It only seems fair to me. It also seems to be the compassionate, empathetic and tolerant attitude.

It seems simple to me.

wjh