Gay Marriage

By Taylor Gillig

Mayor Newsom of San Francisco has been handing out marriage licenses to people of the same sex. This has sparked enormous controversy and complaints from both sides of the political spectrum. Regardless of where one’s sentiments may rest, the fact of the matter is that what Mayor Newsom did is illegal and our government at this time cannot support the whole concept of gay marriage.

Federalism is what governs our state. Under Federalism, each state can establish its own rules, within reason, for ho w they want to live. Over sixty percent of California voted to keep the law that marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman. Mayor Newsom overruled this form of government in two ways. For one, he basically said that over sixty percent of the votes do not count. He defended this act by saying that it was unconstitutional. He, in his infinite wisdom, decided to bypass the Supreme Court and bestowed the title of Judge upon himself. This is completely outrageous.

Some Americans are against gay marriages. Sophomore Ryan Umbenhaur said, "I don't think God intended people of the same sex to marry." Other Americans think that gays should be allowed to join in a civil union. Until recently Marriage was a religious and political term, but when we established our government we separated the two. The church sees marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The government does not have the power to change religious terms. We have to keep the government out of religion.

Liberals, on the other hand, think that everyone should be absolutely equal. To them, it does not matter if the government must come in and overrule the Vatican. It is hard to believe how these people who fought so avidly to completely separate church and state, and go to the extent of trying to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance could take the other road so quickly and try and force the government to intervene in a religious argument. They must stop trying to make this a national debate and allow it to be a debate within a single state, as our founding fathers intended.

But Mayor Newsom thinks that this should be a national law. He spits in the face of Federalism not only when he hands out marriage licenses to gay San Franciscans, but to out of state couples as well.

We must condemn the acts in San Francisco if we want to live in a law abiding. If one does not like the fact that gays cannot marry, then lobby for it and get the state to vote for it again. If you believe that it is unconstitutional, then bring it to the attention of the Supreme Court. Don't break the law that the majority of California voted to put in place.