After the dust settled
on the issue of gay marriage, it appears that all of the political anxiety and
fuss was unwarranted, at least according to a new Quinnipiac University survey
of 1,282 registered voters in Virginia.[1]
The survey showed that while
the issue of gay marriage is a deeply divisive issue, a majority of the
registered voters surveyed said gay marriage won’t affect their vote in the
upcoming presidential election.
Out of the 1,282, 25%
said that same-sex marriage was “extremely important” or “very important” to
them.
Interestingly, and
disturbingly, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney received a greater “more
likely” to vote for him response due to his opposition to gay marriage than
President Obama’s recent statement of support for gay marriage.[2]
Gay marriage has been
the 21st Century’s biggest struggle for civil rights, akin to
the Civil Rights Movement that spread across the southern states of the U.S. in
the mid-20thCentury. [3]
While this may be an
obvious point, what is less obvious is why such a sizable minority of
Virginians are so opposed to what is essentially an issue of individual
freedom, a value that is so embedded in the “fabric” of America, let alone
Virginia.
What individuals opposed
to gay marriage appear to fear is the “slippery slope” or supposedly moral
degradation and social fracture stemming from its institution. While some
traditions and customs should be retained in any society, individuals who argue
against gay marriage seem to forget that the freedom of each individual to
freely choose who they’ll wed IS part of America’s greatest tradition,
individual freedom in general.
The real slippery slope
begins when we start asserting that this or that social phenomenon that falls
under the aegis of individual freedom is not worth legally or informally
protecting. Maybe someone in Virginia feels that long hair is also a means of
social degradation, should we criminalize long hair too? No, of course not.
Ultimately, gay marriage
comes down to the same bottom line: same-sex individuals who want to marry
should have the freedom to do so, period.
[1] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-and-centers/polling-institute/virginia/release-detail?ReleaseID=1760
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