Posts tagged submission

I want to thank everyone who voted today. I’ve never seen this many of my peers rally up for something that they truly believed in, and it makes me happy to know that so many people I know and love took the time to stand up against injustice. HOWEVER, out of North Carolina’s 6,296,759 registered voters, only 23.73% voted. I can’t help but wonder that if only more people exercised their right as an American, things could have been different. There can be no change if we don’t ALL stand up for what we believe. As citizens we must take interest in our government, we must participate, educate ourselves, and take action. This is OUR future, complacency is not an option.

I live in North Carolina. I’m 18 years old. This is the first election in which I have ever had the opportunity to vote. So it’s fitting, really, that in this election, I voted on my own marriage.

The terms by which I define my sexuality are not important, but the fact that I always envision myself marrying a woman is. I’m still in high school. I can count on one hand the number of people to whom I’ve come out. But still, there is no way to explain what it feels like when a good friend approaches you at school and tells you that marriage is between one man and one woman, and to remember to vote for the amendment today to ensure it stays that way.

Would you change your views if you knew that one of your friends is gay? I wondered. More likely, it wouldn’t be an issue, because you would no longer be friends with me. Heartsick and unable to choose between speaking up or breaking down, I just walked away.

The world is changing. The United States is changing. People are changing, slowly but surely. Gay marriage is an issue which in 50 years we will look back at and laugh. If you wonder about the truth of that, remember that it was illegal for African-Americans and whites to marry in Virginia until 1967. We have come so far in so short of a time. We can’t take a step backward.

Constitutions are meant to give and ensure rights to the people, not take them away. This amendment is pointless, as gay marriage is banned in North Carolina already, and it harms other groups who have nothing to do with gay rights, like single parents and grandparents and children. Today I voted against Amendment One, and I can only hope that there are enough who feel the same way, so that it does not pass, and we can take another step towards equality for all.