Nyack confronts Bush on marriage - Guest column

The most controversial debate currently surrounding our nation's politics is not about weapons of mass destruction, health care or education, but rather gay marriage. The president recently gave support to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, saying, "Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all. Today, I call upon the Congress to promptly pass and to send to the states for ratification an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of a man and woman as husband and wife."

In this same speech, given on Feb. 24, Bush also spoke about the importance of small government and the overwhelming magnitude of a constitutional amendment, yet he still thinks a ban on gay marriage is worthy of exercising Article Five of the Constitution and amending the constitution.

However, this is also a civil rights issue. People are in an uproar over the Patriot Act and the infringements on civil rights since Sept. 11 -- isn't the ban on gay marraiges an infringement on civil rights as well? By not allowing our fellow countrymen to enjoy the rights inherent in civil marriages, aren't we infringing on their civil rights? Many Americans make arguments against gay marriage, stating that marriage should only be between a man and woman and that even though homosexual relationships date back to the Roman Empire, marriage has always been recognized as being between a man and women. This should not be allowed to change, they say, it is part of our human history. Using that logic, however, slavery should still be allowed, because it is also part of our human history dating back to the Roman Empire.

The reality is, people do change. America changes. Just 50 years ago, African Americans were segregrated, unable to attend the same schools as whites, unable to ride on buses with whites and even unable to drink out of the same water fountain as whites. Now, I think most Americans would agree that was a time to change our history.

I have the privilege of living in a fairly liberal and accepting community in Rockland County, NY. However, even in Rockland, there are people who have problems with communities that, like ours, act to ensure the rights of all of the members of the community. Recently, Nyack Mayor John Shields granted full legal rights to same-sex married couples and their families in the village. In a Feb. 24 interview with the Rockland Journal News, Shields said, "Respecting marriages performed elsewhere is one more way to demonstrate my commitment to families and their importance in our community. It seems to me that people who form commitments add to a community."

Shield's stand, and the overwhelming support of the community -- both homosexual and heterosexual -- has not gone unnoticed by the Rev. Fred Phelps, an anti-gay activist. Phelps came to protest in Nyack last weekend, bringing with him members of his Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, KS. I was among the hundreds of Rockland County community members who went to Town Hall to protest Phelps' visit. The majority of the people in the crowd were heterosexual, or as one women's sign said, "Straight not narrow." We were there to show support for members of our community and to stand up for their rights to be equal members of our society.

As Americans, we are often quick to judge the lack of civil liberties as well as the human rights violations of our allies and others around the world. But if we take off our rose-colored glasses, we can see that we are not qualified to judge. Our society still has changing of its own to do.

We live in a world filled with hate. As Americans, we are often the subjects of hatred by others. We believe it is because we are a free society which grants its citizens equal rights. Yet, hatred, in the form of self-righteousness from within our country puts this notion of equal rights at risk. We must not allow an amendment to our constitution that supports this type of bigotry.

Stephanie Hausner is a sophomore.