I moved from North Carolina almost a year and a half ago, but I still have many good friends there. Two days ago, North Carolina said “No thanks” to same-sex marriage by passing Amendment One.
In case you’ve been in a coma the few weeks, Amendment One reads “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized.” The amendment was passed by a vote of 61 percent for and 39 percent against.
Before we go bashing North Carolina, let me say that it is just one of many states that have passed a ban against same-sex marriage. Amendment One carries it a bit farther because it also means civil unions won’t be recognized. Right now, only Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriages.
Now the debate about same-sex marriage has been raging for years, but there is one thing that makes the North Carolina vote historic. After it passed, President Barack Obama said he supported same-sex marriage.
In an interview with “Good Morning America, Obama said, “I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally” and became the first sitting president to state his approval of same-sex marriages. He went on in the interview to say that he has members of his staff that are in “in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together.”
If that didn’t do it, he went even further saying, “…when I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage…”
Then, the money card was drawn when Obama said, “I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
While I am sure homosexuals are upset about the passing of yet another amendment banning same-sex marriage, the community must be overjoyed to hear the head of our country saying they deserve to be in a legal same-sex union if they want to be.
Standing behind their president, Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan both released remarks saying they also support same-sex marriage.
To me, this is a bold move by Obama, especially since this is an election year. This country was founded in the theory of freedom and equal rights for all and yet most of our states don’t support marriage freedom for homosexuals.