Define ‘discrimination’

Didn’t I do this last year? Well it’s obvious that the definition is necessary again for the people in the back of the room who didn’t get it the first time:

dis-crim-i-na-tion [di-skrim-uh-ney-shuh n.]
an act or instance of discriminating.
treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit: racial and religious intolerance and discrimination.

With Virginia on the verge of yet another merger of church and state, it’s about time to set the record straight about what the “gay marriage ban” really is. I have noticed that few newspapers and even fewer television news programs have laid out the article for everyone to read. Very few news programs have taken the time to explain in detail exactly where this amendment could lead. Many voters are simply pushing for the amendment because they don’t approve of homosexuality rather than actually having a clue what implications the amendment holds. Have you actually read the amendment? If not, here’s the problem:

“This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.”

For those of you who are opposed to gay marriage, explain to me, please, where this amendment uses the words “only gay marriage.” Exactly. You can’t, because it isn’t there. So basically Virginia is trying to create an amendment forcing people to be married or face losing their rights as a couple. Anyone who believes that this amendment is based solely on an aversion to gay marriage obviously considers that our state government was ignorant enough that they simply “forgot” to put the words in there. Virginia is well known for its conservative voting population as well as its strong religious links, and the state government has played well into these facts. Several high-ranking Virginia governmental officials have stated how important marriage is, that it is sacred and one of the most fundamental institutions in society. Yet since the introduction of this amendment, very few have come forward and said that all heterosexual couples who decide against marriage will have the same protection as those who are married. In fact, the amendment states the exact opposite.

If two consenting heterosexual adults live together for 10 years and have three children in that time and one parent dies, then without the creation of a will, the surviving parent, and potentially the children, are left without the security that would automatically be afforded to a married couple. It has become undeniably apparent that not only does the state wish to discriminate on the bases of sexual preference but also on the basis of marriage preference. What is worse is the fact that this decision is not being based on any legal precedence, a desire to protect society – as most amendments to the Constitution are – or need to promote the general welfare of the people of this state. It is being based on nothing more than religious motivation and discrimination against something considered “taboo.”

Perhaps those who support this ban are all white Christian males between the ages of 21 and 55. If you fall outside of this group, then you should understand where discrimination of this kind can lead. Where does it end? With an amendment that basically says all couples (as long as they are heterosexual) must be married in order to be recognized, and that those who do not conform to the heterosexual “design” are not permitted to be recognized at all, we might as well be supporting the Nazis or slavery. If you believe there is a difference then you need to broaden your definition of discrimination and take a few history courses. The Holocaust began as nothing more than discrimination against Jewish people, and the slave trade in the West started because white Europeans believed many other groups were inferior. For that matter, women in this country have struggled as much to get out from being thought of as inferior to men. To that end, every conflict, war and act of genocide in the entire world has been based on someone’s belief, at some point, that another group of people was inferior and needed to be “dealt” with. The U.S. is supposed to be a place where a person can live without the fear of discrimination that many other members of humanity face on a daily basis.

I am not here to tell you how to vote. As a U.S. citizen, you have the freedom to vote as you please. I am simply here to ask that before you vote, please take the time to arm yourself with the knowledge to make an informed decision.