February 21, 2012 in Opinion, Letters

Grant full citizenship

 

Recently, many of your readers had several letters published indicating their dismay and disapproval with the governor and state Legislature in proposing legislation that would grant marriage rights to homosexuals. Many of your readers also cite verses from the Bible commanding that homosexuals be put to death, Leviticus 20:13.

“We the people.” Brave words, aren’t they? They come from the preamble to our federal Constitution. But, at our nation’s inception those words applied only to white males. Women, blacks and Indians were largely excluded from the Constitution.

It would take a major Civil War and passage of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments to the federal Constitution to eliminate slavery, and to state that all citizens were to be treated fairly, equitable and uniformly. Unfortunately, these laws would not be put into practice until the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and would take over three generations before the vast majority of our people would accept equality for all of its citizens.

Homosexuals are citizens, many of whom fought bravely in our nation’s wars to protect and defend our freedoms. There is no reason to deny them full citizenship rights that all other citizens enjoy.

Mark Johnson

Nine Mile Falls

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Three comments on this story so far. Add yours!

  • berrybestfarm on February 21 at 8:17 a.m.

    Let’s hope this is the very last equal rights barrier to fall. Personally, I’d like to get on with fixing our governments’ financial woes and corruption. Equal rights and protections for all consenting adults should be a done deal by now—it is the 21st century.
    Dennis Patterson—Deer Park

  • Arbeautis on February 21 at 10:20 a.m.

    Thanks Mark, for pointing out that we ALL have certain freedoms. Many people don’t view this as an equal rights issue, they see it as a moral issue. Please observe other’s right to hold THEIR oppinion even if yours is viewed by them as wrong. I still like the superbowl hamburger ad; says alot.

  • SMARTGUY on February 21 at 1:34 p.m.

    If you are a strict constitutionalist , you should only support the true document, the amendments were added later, and not part of our founders intent.

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