Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – my ass.
Once again, the mistakes of our founding fathers, who were believed to support the rights of every citizen, intended to ensure happiness, have left us in a bind, which only our decision can change.
With the November election looming, Tennesseans have the chance to make history and change the idea of what the pursuit of happiness may, or should, include.
The Tennessee Marriage Protection Agreement is a proposed amendment for the Tennessee State Constitution scheduled to appear on November of 2006 ballot. In it, the idea that only marriage between a male and female will be legally recognized by the state of Tennessee is expressed. This will ensure that same-sex marriage is prohibited throughout the state. Political officials believe that even with the decision being in the hands of Tennessee citizens, the amendment will pass by a large margin.
This assumption is most certainly true and the amendment’s chances of passing will ultimately be the decision of voters. It will be the citizens of Tennessee, given the opportunity to change things, which will vote ‘yes’ and be left in the same debate we’ve been in for years. We might as well blindfold our eyes; retrieve earplugs and duct tape our mouths. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
That’s what homosexuality is to these people: evil. It’s an idea, which has been ingrained into our society for years. If I’ve said this once, I’ll say it twice: the majority of Americans are Christians, giving more leverage to religious-based prejudices.
The belief is that homosexuality is evil and same-sex marriage is not something with which our nation, founded under God, should be associated. Surely there’s a loophole.
Perhaps it all started with the reason for exploration of the New World years ago. The decision to leave England, based on knowledge acquired from history, was mostly due to overpopulation, Black Plague and the idea of making money. It wasn’t until later that the pilgrims came for religious freedom, but certainly it wasn’t the horse pulling the carriage in the race of establishing a new government. It was only religion’s near-death experience during the Enlightenment which brought about the Great Awakening, then believed as mass repentance and now, in my opinion, one big fat lie.
The men who led the United States in the Revolution, wrote the Declaration of Independence and put together the Constitution did not do so under the Christian religion.
It was President Eisenhower who signed the resolution into law which allowed America’s most famous motto, “In God We Trust,” to be added to U.S. currency in 1956. That is nearly 180 years after the founding of this country.
As for the original Pledge of Allegiance, written by Francis Bellamy, it read something like this: I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Our own amendments have made it the pledge we wholeheartedly say today, just another form of worship, which restricts patriotism to only the religious.
These ideas are ones that have been added long after the initial establishment of who and what America was supposed to represent. The fairytale which school teachers feed children, one in which pilgrims founded America all for God, is not fact. It is easier to explain, sounds nicer and makes everything we stand for seem a bit more justified. When in fact, it is anything but.
Now, I have a bone to pick with the title of this amendment: Tennessee Marriage Protection Agreement.
With 41 percent of Americans admitting to having cheated on a spouse and 68 percent having been cheated on, it’s obvious that there is more than just homosexuality eating away at the ideal marriage. Somehow, 86 percent Americans still claim to believe in the “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” commandment. Funny that the government has no qualms in regards to adultery.
Is it fair that the government sides with the majority of Christians? Should other individuals, ones different in their beliefs (or the same), only choosing a different lifestyle, be forced to suffer? People spit out insults towards groups that they don’t understand.
We’re becoming desensitized to the hate. I hear comments such as “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” So, maybe people really are that disgusted with the idea of same-sex relationships that they feel humor, to an issue their God denounces, will solve the problem.
We’ve grown into something that may be irreversible, a monster with too much power, too little heart and drawers full of documents that once held the principle belief that we failed to embody: freedom. Tennessee will, no doubt, vote ‘yes’ for the amendment because the people of this state, and this country, are far behind in the times.
Those that vote ‘yes’ will ignore the reality that marriages are already falling apart and will do so with or without this amendment. Their ignorance will continue to restrict and blind them for years to come.
They will live in content, believing that their sins (which they are always so willing to admit to having committed) are not as extreme as homosexuality. This, like so many other common beliefs, contradicts Christian doctrine.
Of course, our mouths will quickly deny this to be true, the idea that we are better than others. Just remember, our actions speak louder than our words.
So, when the election arrives and you stand before the ballot and are given the decision to choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for this amendment just remember that your values may not be every other American citizen’s values.
Do not forget that we are all different and deserve the freedom that we so easily abuse. Do not try to reverse the path which America has been on since its beginning and instead take us back down a road of close-mindedness and inequality.
With beliefs revolving around religion governing us, our way is already paved in a downward slope.
Instead, use the past and our history of war, terror and hostility to pass judgment. If we do not use what has already occurred for the future, so that we do not make the same mistakes, then it has all been a waste. The protests, the deaths and the tears: all to waste.
Who will we have to blame in a country where all we preach is equality and all we show is discrimination?

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