WHAT IS THE FUROR OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE REALLY ABOUT?

[N'Zinga Shani]

If You Are You A Parent Or Grandparent Answer These Questions for Yourself:

1. How many parents and grandparents decide to abandon, disown or stop loving their children once they find out that the children are gay?

2. How many parents and grandparents would agree to their children being discriminated against?

3. Or agree to such children being treated as second-class citizens?

4. If you threaten to abandon or disown your child, will that prevent or stop him or her from being gay?

5. If ensuring equal treatment under the law is not the right, legal, fair, moral, democratic and ethical thing to do, what are the alternatives?

As long as we continue to legalize oppression, condone discrimination, and excuse or justify hatred of differences, we are functioning as much less than a true democracy, and we are telling those who choose to act on their bigotry that it is acceptable to do so.

6. Without the benefit of marriage, in many states, the partners of gay people have no legal standing; therefore, in cases of illness or legal matters, they cannot make decisions on behalf of their loved ones. 

7. How many parents and grandparents agree that this is an equitable policy?

8. Do you believe that the people with whom your children and grandchildren shared their lives for decade should have nothing to say about how your children and grandchildren are cared for in the final days?

Issues such as these along with all of the other legal, emotional and financial benefits of marriage seem to be what Same-Sex Marriage is about. It is not about condoning immoral or unnatural acts.  People are going to live their lives as they feel compelled to do whether society approves or not.  Same-Sex Marriage is really about equity, fairness, justice and democracy. 

Those who assume positions of leadership should take the higher road of enlightenment; they need to make a clear commitment to what is fair and equitable; they need to set the standard that represents America as a nation.  That seems to be what President Obama has chosen to do.   In a nation where the vitriol of hatred and bigotry has been spewing since Nov. 2008, it is difficult to see how anyone could consider what he has done anything other than courageous.  However, not to have done so—not to have stated what he thinks, regardless of what it was-- would have been cowardice.   Injustice anywhere affects justice everywhere.

What are your points of view? Please share.  We welcome hearing other perspectives.  Below are links to a range of views and perspectives from right, center and left.  

RIGHT SPEAK: Reactions to President Obama's Gay Monday, May 14, 2012

Pat Buchanan stated last Sunday on NBC's 'The McLaughlin Group' that President Obama's gay marriage declaration not only put his presidency in peril, It's also made the reelection of some Democrats like Claire McCaskill, Jon Tester and Tim Kaine more difficult and has energized conservatives and evangelicals for Romney, where he had an enthusiasm deficit:

http://www.rightspeak.net/2012/05/reactions-to-president-obamas-gay.html

The Caucus: N.A.A.C.P. Endorses Same-Sex Marriage By MICHAEL BARBARO - U.S. | May 19, 2012 

  Same-sex marriage: Empathy or right? Washington Post‎

http://www.wcvb.com/news/politics/Black-pastors-react-to-Obama-s-ga... 

BalancedPolitics.org - Same Sex Marriages (Pros & Cons ...  www.balancedpolitics.org/same_sex_marriages.htm