In a discussion today that I had in a class about gay marriage, a lot of emotion came up. The argument for most seem to boil down Morality Vs. Equality. For me though I have a different way to decide what I vote when it comes down to issues like this. I base my decisions on the inalienable rights as defined by the United States Declaration of Independence. These inalienable rights are defined as "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". So when I look at an issue such as Gay Marriage I do not look as what I believe , whether or not I see it as a correct or incorrect behavior, instead I ask myself how will a yes or no vote effect another persons life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the state of California recently, this is the dilemma I along with tens of millions of Californians were faced with, it was called Proposition 8. Proposition 8 proposed to define marriage as between a man and a woman, thus banning gay marriage in the state of California. To me this was really a no-brainier, I have always been fighting for gay and lesbian rights. I have participated in multiple 'days of silence'. This is something I truly believe in, but my conclusion took a long journey to come to.

When I was younger I decided not to be a democrat and the basis for my decision was not based on anything political, instead it was based on the fact that I despised homosexuals. I thought they were disgusting , they were immoral and they were an abomination. I was young and impressionable and this was what everyone around me believed and this is what they taught. They would site gods laws to me. I remember listening to how god was all loving and all caring yet vengeful and alienated certain groups. I accepted these conundrums though. The only thing that made me feel weird was that,I felt alienated. I am genuinely attracted to females and attracted to males at the same time. I do not ride the fence, these are my preferences. I am a true bisexual. So in growing up in the church atmosphere i did, I felt hated and alienated. I wasn't like anyone else and if I acted the way that I felt inside, I would be hated. I would break my mothers heart and perhaps even she too would hate me.

As I made the transition from Elementary, I began to see that I wasn't alone, there were others just like me. This is where my thinking began to change and this is when I began taking up politics. As I entered High School, I found even more people like me and people began to talk to me about these issues that were a form of taboo in my mothers church. At the end though I realized that I am perfect just the way I am. When I would get up to argue my position on things like gay marriage though i didn't see the point in arguing morality, because the Constitution is based on a separation of church and state, ensuring that no ones personal beliefs become infringed upon. So as prop 8 came up and people began to tell me why they were voting yet, I used the United States Declaration of independence to retort back. All Americans Are Guaranteed Three Inalienable Rights.

If I were to vote yes on 8, was I infringing upon someones right to LIFE? Answer: No. Prop 8 is not a life or death proposition.
If I were to vote yes on 8, am I infringing upon someone right to LIBERTY? Answer: Yes. Marriage is a legal binding contract between two people and by discriminating on who can enter into this legal binding document and with whom, means that voting yes on 8 would infringe upon someones freedom in America.
If I were to vote yes on 8, would I infringe upon someones PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS? Answer: Of course. Getting married to most people is the happiest day of their life, there are few other occasions that compare. Two people are in love and this contract of marriage helps them guarantee that they will be with each other and no ever, they will stick together in sickness and in health, through the good and the bad. This contract is someone giving up there life to make it apart of anothers. It is truly one of the most selfless acts that can be committed and for most will guarantee love until death.

Okay so were now know that voting yes on 8 would infringe on certain individuals inalienable rights, how about a no vote. What would a no vote on 8 do?

If I were to vote no on 8, am I infringing on someones right to LIFE? No. Once again, this is not a life or death situation.
If I were to vote no on 8, would I be infringing on someones right to LIBERTY? No. If anything I believe this guarantees the rights of a minority and promotes the American ideal of Freedom for All.
If I were to vote no on 8, would I be infringing on someones PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS? No. If anything by voting no on 8 I would be encouraging someones pursuit of happiness, because there is nothing happier than devoting yourself to the one you love.

So by voting no on 8 I believe that this does not infringe upon any persons inalienable rights. Even the people voting yes, we do not infringe on your lives, it is not your liberty at stake and it is not your pursuit of happiness at stake, so I believe that a vote no on 8 is the best for the American Ideal of freedom for all.

I am sad though, 8 passed 52% to 48%. Although, there are lawsuits being filed to overturn this vote, I am disappointed that the vote went this way. Is the the freedom of the few worthless? I stopped saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the 9th grade because i stopped believing in it. The Pledge of Allegiance is said as follows:

I stopped saying it because it is no longer true and I cannot pledge my allegiance until injustices are fixed. We are not one nation indivisible, we are truly divided morally, on equality on everything, even the support of troops. How can I honestly say that there is liberty and justice for all, while the majority bullies another minority. What we stand for, are freedom everything is at stake. We are divided under different gods with liberty and justice for the majority. I am saddened that this occurs in America today, in 2008. I thought that the discriminatory mindset of the 50s and 60s were over. I thought we as a nation were past civil liberties, but apparently not many have read the history of this nation or do not remember it and now another minority is doomed to repeat it.

In Closing, Marriage should not be between A MAN and A WOMAN. Marriage should be between two people that love each other, people willing to scale any mountain for the one they love or"swim in shark infested waters just to get lemonade" (Dr. Laura AM 640 KFI). Marriage should be about LOVE. The love for each other. With marriages in America failing and divorce rates skyrocketing, marriage is becoming more and more demoralized. Marriage is becoming less and less about love between two people and suddenly about what society wants it to be. I think when gay marriage passes, we will be bring back to marriage what matters, LOVE.

Maybe one day America can again be indivisible, with liberty and justice for all and I guarantee you on that day I say the pledge of allegiance again.

(RM if you read this, you win because this is filled with emotional evidence that even I see as validated, so okay I get your point you win.)