A man screams as he hurtles down from the building, thrown by masked men. He hits the ground, but miraculously he survives the brutal fall from the high-rise building. So the spectators finish him off with a few angry tosses of the rocks on the ground. This man’s crime? He is accused of being a homosexual in ISIS-controlled Syria.
This is just one of the many reasons that ISIS needs to be stopped. But I use this scene not to highlight the fact that ISIS is cruel and oppressive, but to illustrate something that lies much closer to home for the majority of Americans: the oppression of the homosexual population within the U.S.
Now before you jump to conclusions, I am in no way suggesting that the policy of the U.S. on homosexuality is even close to that of ISIS. In fact, countries such as Ethiopia and Russia have more in common with ISIS than the U.S. on this particular issue. But what I am suggesting is that the U.S. is being hypocritical as it condemns regimes such as these while not looking within its own borders.
Although real progress has been made on this issue, there are still many states that have not fully developed rights for homosexual couples, starting with the fundamental right of marriage. This denial of equal rights violates the spirit that we are guaranteed as Americans — to receive equal treatment from everyone. On top of this, the courts (the least democratic institution in our entire Union) hold enormous power over this issue, limiting the progress to be made. That is why I am proposing that we amend the constitution in support of same-sex unions and equal liberties.
But why do we need an amendment to support this? Aren’t state and federal laws sufficient when they are passed? One might say the same thing about African-American’s suffrage (15th amendment) and women’s suffrage (19th amendment), as well as the due process of law (5th amendment). There are two reasons why I feel a constitutional amendment is necessary.
In the first place, this issue is comparable to those mentioned above in that it highlights something that is fundamental to U.S. Constitution itself. You see, our Constitution was written with a number of purposes in mind, but the main one was to ensure the liberty and equality of Americans (that is if you include the amendments that have been made so far). Therefore any initiative, idea, or action that supports both equality and liberty is quintessentially “American,” and therefore should be enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
Secondly, a decision that is as momentous and fundamental to our existence as a nation as this one should not be left to the courts, but should be decided on by “we the people,” or at least by our elected representatives, as a constitutional amendment would make possible across the board. Since the majority of Americans support marriage equality anyway, it doesn’t make sense to let a select few (federal court judges) hold back the rights of the many.
At a time when homosexuals are being thrown from buildings, stoned and all around persecuted around the world, the U.S. needs to take the lead on this issue. Even though the U.N. has made some progress on LGBT rights, there needs to be greater action on the part of the U.S. This needs to start with enshrining such a fundamental right within the Constitution itself, so that people unequivocally understand that same-sex couples in this country have the right to same liberties as heterosexuals, no matter what my religious and personal beliefs (or anyone else’s for that matter) may say about it.
Reach the columnist at jbrunne2@asu.edu or follow @MrAmbassador4 on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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