Homosexual Marriage

Gay marriage. Those two words automatically open up a whole world of debate with a broad range of issues. A lot of stigma is attached to this debate and encompasses a whole range of topics. From the definition of marriage to the preservation of traditional marriage, all the way up to the pursuit of happiness.

Marriage: A close intimate union between a man and a woman. Wait. A close and intimate union. Okay. Continued; joined in matrimony. A close and intimate union joined in matrimony. Matrimony: The ceremony or sacrament of marriage. Union: Having something to with labor practices. All right now I'm being facetious but adding a few words like between a man and a woman or removing them the definition of marriage is relatively harmless. Past civilizations have always defined it as between a man and a woman. Conservatives say that it is between a man and a woman in order to preserve society.

Now conservative definitions of marriage of course always state marriage is between a man and a woman. All the while divorce rates and single parent families are at an all time high. There are no calls for constitutional amendments for the definitions of divorce, or the requirements of marriage. Why don't Conservatives want to define traditional marriage? Because there are many examples of traditional heterosexual marriages that could be viewed to be just as bad as homosexual marriage.

There are many types of marriage and not necessarily good types that have been considered traditional marriage throughout history. Arranged marriages are usually frowned upon by particular groups, but in a lot of cultures this is wholly acceptable practice. If someone is forced to marry another person in the United States should that marriage be considered legally binding? Polygamy is another one of these forms of marriage frowned upon. Multiple wives hmm? I can barely handle the one woman in my life I don't know if I could handle multiple wives.

Homosexuality should be considered a belief, and it should be protected under the first amendment so that there can be no legislation against it. Homosexuals should be allowed to marry. There is no sacred covenant of marriage unless there is love, and if there is it is broken everyday by heterosexuals. People marry all the time for reasons other than love, and people "fall out of love" yet stay within these marriages for years. A marriage of convenience is not necessarily a traditional marriage, unless you lived during the middle ages. Then it wasn't a marriage of convenience it was usually political.

The whole point is that traditional marriage has never been truly defined. People used to marry as early as 12 or 13 and traditionally this was a wholly acceptable practice. Conservatism is the return to or upholding of old values. But which ones? You can't cut out pieces in order to make the definition fit, when there was truly no definition at all. Also where is the time cut-off for traditional or "old" values, is it always arbitrary? Heck people at one time were not able to marry inter racially, there are people who say that this is unacceptable now. Homosexual marriage is one progressive belief I ascribe to. A monogamous relationship should be supported by everybody whether heterosexual or homosexual. Monogamy is truly stable and stable is where people flourish.