viewpoint of promiscuity in the gay community. When homosexual marriages are made legal and become popular, society’s view of gay people will become more positive. The nation as a whole is looking at gay marriage as a moral issue; everyone must hold the same beliefs and values. In this country, there are a so many different religions and ethnicities, making it impossible for all citizens to have the same beliefs. This issue of same-gender marriages should be looked at much the same way as the issue of abortion was looked at. Hank Nichols explained this quite well by saying, “The Supreme Court did not require that we all approve of abortions, only that we accept the right to abortion” (Nichols 2). No minister should be required to marry any same-sex couple, but these marriages should be recognized in all states.Marriage has always been seen as a personal decision in this country, but obviously it is not. The government has the power to say that two people of the same gender cannot get married; are two, law-abiding, tax-paying adults not responsible enough to decide for themselves who to spend the rest of their lives with? What ever happened to tolerance, “live and let live” (Nichols 2)? Marriage is a civil right that belongs to everyone. Loving, committed same-sex couples form families and provides emotional and economic support for each other and for their children just like other couples do. When heterosexual couples apply for a marriage license, the state does not ask them whether their relationship is worthy of its recognition, because the government has no business deciding whom a person should marry. That is a completely private, personal choice that every individual has the right to make for him or herself – a basic principle that should be as true for same-sex couples as for other couples. The government controls so many aspects of our lives, it is time to stand up for this country a...
