One for freedom and liberty

I have to make a confession right up front.  For years, I was against the notion of gay marriage.  Not the union of gay couples. I have always supported that. But the use of the word marriage bothered me.

Then I had a friend who was denied access to his partner at Baylor Hospital because the hospital did not recognize the couples "marriage." Leave it to a Baptist institution to change my mind.

Marriage, beside the bond in love two people share, is also a major legal document within our society. It affects wills, trusts, bank accounts, insurance policies, taxes, home purchases and yes, even visits to a hospital.

Marriage is about a union — a legal union recognized by the state.

Today the Supreme Court got it right.

Today they said that if you could issue licenses to couples of different sex, then you could not discriminate against couples of the same sex. It is based on the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — called the equal protection clause.  Allow me to quote it here for you in case you went to a Texas school and studying the constitution was denied to you in your education.

“No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

It is black and white. Everybody gets treated the same in America. Baptist, Methodists, atheists and even gay and lesbians. Can't discriminate against them. Any of them.

I believe our governor and state attorney general will try. God knows they are just crazy enough to fight this. But the rest of the world knows the truth. What is good for the goose is also now legally good for the gander.

That is how the constitution works.  So don't quote me your bible passages.  Don’t kneel in front of me in pious prayer. Don’t paste pictures of Billy Graham bemoaning the fact that America has just gone to the Devil.

No we haven’t.

We have just corrected a wrong in our society.  And the same type of people opposing this are also the ones whose kinfolk opposed the freeing of slaves.

If you want freedoms — freedom of religion and freedom of speech and whatever else you hold dear, you have to make sure the other guy gets those freedoms as well. 

For a final and personal note to Governor Abbott and Attorney General Paxton: "...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property..."  any state, gentlemen. That means Texas, too.