- Billie Joe Armstrong:
- There will always be something that the government does or legalizes that will garner some opposition from SOMEONE. It's inevitable. Abortion is still legal and yet there's plenty of opposition against that.
Why can't gay marriage be legalized on a national level? This shouldn't be a state to state issue, this is a national issue. There is a group of Americans, from all across America in every state that aren't receiving the rights they deserve. This is most certainly a national issue and should be addressed on the national platform.
State to state makes it less likely it will happen. People bring personal politics and beliefs into the equation when they vote (ie: Prop 8 in California). They should let the government make the decision. Because there is nothing wrong with this, there shouldn't even be an argument about it. I want one good, plausible, non-religious reason that gay marriage shouldn't be legalized. When the nay sayers can think of one I'll be surprised.
I don't know that state-to-state makes it less likely. For a while, legalizing gay marriage was so, like, the new in thing! Four or five states did it within a short span of time. =/
It's easier to do it on a state-by-state level for now because generally, certain regions are more conservative or more liberal than others. If we do this nationally, and now, because so much of the country as a whole is still conservative, it would probably be defeated. (Not talking just how the electoral college went or who the national representatives are, but as far as their state legislators, etc., and overall, the citizens of each state.) Whereas, state-by-state, it's easier to have an overwhelming majority vote yes on legalizing it if it's in a liberal state. Better than trying to do it all at once and getting nothing.
They're working on, also, having other states recognize marriages that happened in states where it is legal. Again, that's in the House right now. Which is another big step in the right direction.
This is the sort of thing that really has to happen in baby steps. I'm grateful that we're seeing progress. As much as I'd like it all to happen overnight, I know that it won't, and as others have said, there are other, very pressing issues to be dealt with that seems to be the priority (as it should be) for most of our Congressmen/women.