A New Social Agenda
PARIS — The French Cabinet has approved a bill legalizing gay marriage, sending the measure to the legislature for debate the day after Maine and Maryland became the first American states to approve same-sex marriage in a popular vote.
Gay marriage has become a contentious issue in France, where President Francois Hollande made it a cornerstone of his campaign. At the time, it appeared to have the backing of a majority of the population, but support has fallen off amid vocal opposition from religious and rural leaders.
Lawmakers from the conservative UMP denounced the Cabinet approval Wednesday.
"It's the end of the family, the end of children's development, the end of education. It's an enormous danger to the nation," UMP senator Serge Dassault said on the radio show France Culture.
But, it is not just France, the US (slowly but surely) is moving into that direction.
Altering the course of U.S social policy, Maine and Maryland became the first states to approve same-sex marriage by popular vote, while Washington state and Colorado set up a showdown with federal authorities by legalizing recreational use of marijuana.
The outcomes for those ballot measures Tuesday were a milestone for persistent but often thwarted advocacy groups and activists who for decades have pressed the causes of gay rights and drug decriminalization.
‘‘Today the state of Washington looked at 70 years of marijuana prohibition and said it’s time for a new approach,’’ said Alison Holcomb, manager of the campaign that won passage of Initiative 502 in Washington.
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| Reefer Madness... |
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who opposed legalization, was less enthused. ‘‘Federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug, so don’t break out the Cheetos or Goldfish too quickly,’’ he said.
The results in Maine and Maryland broke a 32-state streak, dating to 1998, in which gay marriage had been rebuffed by every state that voted on it. They will become the seventh and eighth states to allow same-sex couples to marry.
In another gay-rights victory, Minnesota voters defeated a proposed constitutional amendment that would banned same-sex marriage in the state. Similar measures were approved in 30 other states, most recently in North Carolina in May.
‘‘The tide has turned — when voters have the opportunity to really hear directly from loving, committed same-sex couples and their families, they voted for fairness,’’ said Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign, a California-based gay rights group. ‘‘Those who oppose the freedom to marry for committed couples are clearly on the wrong side of history.’’
Pursuit of Happiness, according to our Declaration of Independence, is one of our inalienable rights. According to Merriam-Webster Online, the definition of freedom is:
1: the quality or state of being free: as
a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence
c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care>
e : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken <answered with freedom>
f : improper familiarity
g : boldness of conception or execution
h : unrestricted use <gave him the freedom of their home>
2 a : a political right
Synonyms: autonomy, independence, independency, liberty, self-determination, self-governance, self-government, sovereignty (also sovranty)
So, we have made the connection of freedom to our Declaration of Independence; therefore, it is not quite such a leap to presuppose that someday soon, Americans will want to have the freedom of Same Sex Marriage. And, as a country that is still based upon freedom, should we make any attempts to deny that pursuit of happiness? Or, for that matter any pursuit of happiness?
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