Font Resize"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Most Americans are familiar with that sentence from the Declaration of Independence. Notice it says "all men," and "men" is used as a generic term for males and females.
Any attempt by legislatures to prohibit two people from forming a legal union which is known as marriage, regardless of their sexual orientation, is denying those citizens their unalienable rights.
The California Supreme Court agrees. Kudos to California for recognizing that. Now, if only Pennsylvania would get onboard and dismiss any thought to passing any law that would violate a citizen's right to enter into a legal union with the partner of their choice.
It must be election time; the gay rights issue will be forefront on the Republican hate-filled agenda and the religious right will be out in force voting for the candidate that wants to restrict gay marriage as if that portends the end of our democracy and way of life.
Rather, I would suggest that our democracy is threatened by the demagoguery of an administration that has plunged us into a relentless conflagration in Iraq, ignored the public's outcry for help with health insurance, watched helplessly as the oil-rich nations held us over the escalating oil barrel, ignored the mortgage market's increasing frenzy with profit-taking
The next election should not involve gay rights or a debate question about gay rights.
Rather, it should focus on the life and death decisions that need to be made by the next President of the United States.
MARG GOTWALD
SPRINGETTSBURY TOWNSHIP
