Heather Pharis, Viking Fusion Reporter
This past week, the Supreme Court started listening to same-sex marriage arguments. The argument does not directly involve the legality of gay marriage, but whether or not a marriage is recognized outside the state the marriage was installed.
Right now marriage is considered a state right. That means, if a gay couple married in New York and were to move to a state where gay marriage is illegal, such as Georgia, the union would be considered invalid. Thus, the Supreme Court is having to address whether or not the federal government needs to add their own definition of marriage. The Supreme Court is focusing on two pieces of legislature: Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act.
In the summer of 2008, California recognized that marriage was a state institution and not a federal decision allowing California to implement gay marriages. Then in November of 2008, California amended this with Proposition 8, stating that heterosexual marriages between men and women are the only marriages recognized by California.
What is being argued today is whether or not Proposition 8 violates the constitution by targeting a minority group and taking their rights.
President Bill Clinton passed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. This act federally defined the terms “marriage” and “spouse” as only pertaining to heterosexual, monogamous relationships. The act further recognized how marriage was a state right and how it was in the power of individual states to define what was a legal union.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear several cases from around the country that involves this controversial topic. Hundreds of people rallied outside the Supreme Court bringing their own opinions to the case. Berry students are no exception and also have their opinions about this topic.
Joshua Willis, the new Co-President of Listen, states, “I think the Supreme Court will legalize it. I don’t see why they won’t. There are so many people supporting it and, yeah, I want a ring around this finger one day, but I feel that there are other pressing matters that the gay community is facing right now.”
Other Berry students have differing opinions.
Fresmen Caleb Reese said, ”I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and any deviation from that is not marriage. However, any laws regarding the legalization of homosexual marriage should be left up to the states to decide not implemented as a federal law.”
Freshmen Anna Smith has a third opinion on the matter.
“I just don’t know,” states Smith. “I mean there are so many different sides to the story, where I’m just not sure. It’s kind of too complicated to choose one side over another.”
Same-sex marriage is one of the biggest issues facing our country right now. The Supreme Court has not made a decision yet, and a decision is not expected until later in the year. Until then, the country is waiting for a final solution to this testy topic.