Noam Chomsky has long been noting that not only is the US one of the most heavily polled countries in the world, but our opinions are much more progressive and to the left than either political parties platform.
A quick browse through www.pollingreport.com quickly confirms this.
But there is one issue that is still divisive in this country: Gay Marriage.
It doesn’t make sense to me but that is probably because I am an atheist (though I know many liberal theists might object to this, but I don’t think many will deny that the bulk of objections to gay marriages centers around religious views).
To me it is purely a civil rights issue: is there an acceptable reason to deny equality to homosexuals; is there a legitimate legal argument to banning gay marriages? I don’t think there is.
A few states have recognized the unconstitutional aspect only for "mob rule" to allow their prejudices to deny others what they hold selectively for themselves.
If marriage is a religious issue then there should be no legality involved since the first amendment is clear on Congresses ability to make legislation respecting an establishment of religion.
And if marriage is not a religious issue and is a legal one – which is clearly the case – then there is no legitimate basis to deny equality to others simply because of their sexual orientation.
The irony is the annual boasting of our past as it pertains to civil rights. We pat ourselves on the back for having the courage to say no to racism and sexism, but we quickly adopt the behavior of the Old South when homosexuality is mentioned.
But this too will pass. My generation and those younger than me – I am 28 – are already vastly more tolerant and open minded to gays and lesbians.
I guess the most troubling thought for me is that we shouldn’t have to ride out this wave. This ought to be a non-issue and homosexuals, bisexuals and transexual ought to be able to enjoy equal rights.
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