Thursday, December 1, 2011

Civil Liberties

Today I was watching a video post about Michelle Bachmann talking in a town hall meeting in Iowa. She was asked from a young student, a member of the GSA(Gay Straight Alliance), how she would protect members of the LGBT community. Bachmann's first response was that all American citizens have the same rights and it is the job of the government to protect these rights. The young student then asked, then why don't gay couples have a right to marry? Bachmann's response to that was Americans all have the same rights because they can choose to marry a person of the opposite sex. Obviously the student didn't buy this answer and neither do I. How can a someone say to a young person that everyone has the same rights and the government should protect those rights, but only if you are someone that they find acceptable. Those same rights do not apply to everyone and the student called her out on it. Bachmann had said that the government does not give extra rights based on an individual's sexual practices, and the student responded by saying that having heterosexual marriage, but not gay marriage is giving a privilege to the heterosexual couple. Last time I checked being heterosexual is a sexual practice just as much as being homosexual. Bachmann didn't have anything intelligent to say back, only that it's not the law and so they don't have those rights. It is disturbing to me the answers Bachmann gave, not only were they not logical, but this kind of social thinking is holding the nation back. Regardless what someone's personal or religious views are, everyone should be treated equally under the law. People deemed to be different from the acceptable social norm already have to deal with negativity in their personal lives, they do not also need the government telling them their rights are not as valuable as others. The video was also somewhat encouraging to see a young student courageous enough to stand up for what she believes in.

Genuflect: To bend the knee
Nebulous: Lack definition or definite content

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