Follow California’s lead - allow gay marraige

By: Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer

Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer

The pictures from California showed happy couples smiling from ear to ear as they obtained their marriage licenses and went through marriage ceremonies at city halls throughout the state.

While weddings are one of the happy times in life, these weddings came with a whole bag full of controversy because they were same sex marriages.

Two men or two women got married in droves in California recently after a California Supreme Court ruling that claimed a ban on the marriages is unconstitutional.

The pictures from California showed the good side of life – the side the public claims the media never show. These are life-affirming stories of couples who have been together more than 50 years who can now finally have their relationship seen as legitimate in the eyes of the state.

These are hard-working Americans, everyday Americans who make up our great country. Yet they have been denied a few simple measures because of who they choose to love.

Many here in the heartland will be quick to write the events off as something that only happens in California. As we have seen with some of the local political races, acting like California can now be used as a slam on somebody – ask Kay Barnes. But perhaps we need to view acting California as having an open mind, being brave enough to foster diversity and willing to push progress.

Missouri passed a law banning same sex marriage, denying gay people in this state the opportunities their peers in California have.

The vote of the people should always be respected, but sometimes common sense needs to win out.

Common sense tells us there is nothing wrong with gay marriage. In a time when divorce rates are high and fractured families litter the map, we as a state have the nerve to tell a group of people they do not have the right to get married? There is no common sense in that.

Those who live in the Wednesday Sun coverage area tend to fall on the left side of the political spectrum and the events in California may be viewed as a huge victory by our readers, but much of the rest of the state does not feel as strongly.

There have been other decisions in our nation’s and state’s history that were viewed as the right thing to do at the time that look terrible in hindsight. Let’s count Missouri banning gay marriage in that category.

It is time for Missouri to use common sense and open our marriage laws to all adults.

Contact Kurt Kloeblen at (913) 385-6087 or kkloeblen@sunpublications.com.