The Fundamental Right Of Marriage

A couple meets one day. They go on a romantic date; have dinner, perhaps a movie. Before they realize it, one date has turned into one year. After being together for such a long time, this couple realizes they want to spend the rest of their lives together. Cute story, huh? This particular story, however, does not have a “story book ending.”
It just so happens that the two people in this couple are of the same sex, and unless they live in Vermont or New York City, it will be impossible for this couple to make their union legal. Marriage has been a tradition in America for centuries, but no one had ever inquired about same sex marriages until recently. If a couple is in love with each other, they should be allowed to legally marry, no matter what their sexual preference may be.
Some might suggest that acceptance of same sex marriages may hurt the tradition of the marital institution. Some people claim that the marital union of gay and lesbian couples makes no sense because one of the historical underlying components of marriage is procreation; and because it is obvious that two people of the same sex cannot procreate, they should not marry. One may also say that the “only sexual re

Not only is marriage an opportunity for a loving couple to show the world they are together, “The US Supreme Court has declared marriage a fundamental right under the Constitution” (now.org). To the naked eye, one would assume that the US government supports the marital union of any and every couple in our country. Unfortunately, one would be quite wrong in this assumption.

al relations designed to lead to procreation are morally acceptable and that marriage should be limited to those who engage in morally acceptable sexual relations” (Stanford). However, this view is becoming somewhat outdated.

The love a couple holds for one another has no boundaries, and our laws are beginning to create boundaries. Marriage is a long-standing tradition in America; it’s something that every little girl growing up thinks about. Why then, should our government hold restrictions on who is allowed to legally marry? Marriage is based on the foundation of love and the strong emotional bond two people feel towards eachother. There should be no boundaries on that kind of relationship, even if the couple happens to be of the same sex.

In 1996, Congress passed a law entitled the “Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).” It defines marriage as “a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife...” (thomas.loc.gov). It goes on to say that “it provides that no State shall be required to give effect to a law of any other State with respect to a same-sex marriage” (lectlaw.com). This statement seems to contradict the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause, which states that “Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, R