Monday, July 23, 2012

Quite honestly,

Ed Hubbard's post on same sex marriage nearly brought me to tears. I decided to go through Republican blogs because, as a person who leans more to the left, I reasoned it would be easier to argue a post I disagreed with than to support a post I agreed with. 


When I came across Hubbard's post, I was ready to counter all of his points, as same sex marriage is an "issue" that I feel shouldn't even be an issue. I was highly unprepared for what Hubbard had to say about same sex marriage. Not only did he back up his points with powerful quotes and rhetorical questions about universal principles, but he went on to identify himself strongly as a conservative Republican whose arguments showed that he has stepped into another's shoes and recognized his party's faults. He urges fellow Republicans to rethink their approach to same sex marriage, especially in the heat of political campaigns. 


One of my biggest concerns with the same sex marriage controversy is that a union between two people should not involve governmental intervention. The great opposition same sex marriage is met with seems silly. How does it seem right that, in some states, it is legal to marry your first cousin, yet in almost all of the states same sex marriage is illegal? Although Hubbard does not delve into the scientific realm of the argument, there are genetic problems that should be acknowledged. Marrying your first cousin and consequently producing children results in increased risk of deadly disabilities due to genetic mutations. Yet marrying your same sex partner does not yield the deadly results of inbreeding. 


One of the most moving parts of Hubbard's post is when he recognizes that the judgment of others for "sinning," is ironic for we are all sinners. He effectively acknowledges the fact that we all have tendencies that differ from the norm at some point in time, something that we should keep in mind before we turn against another fellow human being for their "sin." 


Currently Texas prohibits same sex marriage, a fact that continually puzzles me. The question that keeps running through my mind is, "how can same sex marriage be harmful to someone else?"  The question echoed louder when Hubbard used quote after quote from distinguished historical figures to demonstrate that we have presently lost touch with what our political fathers believed should bring us together--that we may express love towards each other. Hubbard makes a good point in that because our children and the new generation are listening to us, one must reflect on the fierce manner in which one express one's ideas. 


I've read through many of Hubbard's posts on various controversial topics, and I've disagreed with many of them, but it gives me hope to know that despite our different views on governing a group of people, he (and hopefully other conservatives out there) sees that despite the differences in sexuality, we are all still, at our core, humans. 

No comments: