I was raised understanding people are different and not just

tolerance but acceptance. The difficult part of this though is

living in a nation that proclaims "liberty and justice for all" yet

denies many citizens equal rights under the law. I just do not, and

will not, ever understand this.

I am not sure how it is right that my gay and lesbian friends

and fellow citizens are not protected by the same rights I have. I

am a heterosexual who has been married 3 times (24 years this last

time), how is that ok but homosexuals can not marry? I know many

gay and lesbian couples who are very dear friends and have been in

long lasting loving relationships as long as I have been married to

my husband!

What is it people are afraid of? We are bombarded with

sexually explicit ads for things like shampoo, toothpaste and the

like but somehow homosexual marriage is a bad thing? Are we a

country of equality for all or not? And why on earth are we even

allowed to vote on who gets rights in this country and who doesn't?

Are you kidding me?! Mob rules is not exactly how we managed to get

where we are today, with a black President. Surely if we have come

that far we can finally give all adult citizens the right to marry

whatever adult they choose?

Marriage is a legal contract but also one of love. It is not

religious to many of us, certainly even if it is the separation of

church and state should come to play in this. And civil rights,

geeze why would any of us allow civil rights to be suppressed?

Don't people understand if you allow one group to have their rights

removed (or never given) you risk the same for everyone? Are we a

just nation or not? If not let's stop pretending we are.