Keep Hope for the Future

In this tumultuous political environment that exists today, it seems as though little progress will be accomplished nationwide in the elections of 2010 (when referring to legalizing gay marriage).  Problems continue to crop up in states across the country, most notably in Iowa, which just recently accepted an amendment to the State Constitution that legalized gay marriage.  Searching the news today, I discovered this story of how a man is having to fight to keep his spouse in the United States, since the man is a citizen of Venezuela.  Though I cannot relate to the situation, I couldn't imagine the feeling of losing your spouse from your life simply because tat spouse is of the same-sex.  The Progressive movement overall seems to be coming to a short-lived end, after reviving itself two years ago in the 2008 elections.  

Though this does not spell doom for nation-wide gay marriage.  While there is a more traditionalist social backlash occurring at this time, international pressure from Europe and Latin America along with domestic gay activists and portions of the press have begun to squeeze the Supreme Court of the United States.  With the pressure growing, it seems as though the Court will be forced to review the definition of marriage soon.  A positive decision on the legality of gay marriage could result in the spread of equality in other nations, such as the United Kingdom.  

I believe that the American government, no matter which branch or level is prompted into action first, will eventually do what is right and nationally legalize same-sex marriage.  Though we remain an unequal society now, eventually there will be freedom nationwide for gays to marry and hold the same rights as heterosexual spouses.

Gay Marriage is not a liberal or conservative issue, it's a human rights issue.

This video from The Huffington Post beautifully displays how issues of human rights are not just liberal or conservative issues; they breach the gap and deal with humanity itself.  As a self-proclaimed left-wing progressive, I can honestly say that I was in a state of disbelief when I stumbled upon this video--a conservative openly supporting same-sex marriage in this political environment?  Though I quickly recognized that my reaction was unfair to Olson.  Why should he be opposed to letting same-sex couples obtain the same rights that other citizens have?  It dawned on me upon thinking of this that, though Olson and I are very different in terms of politics, we can agree that everyone deserves natural humans rights.  To see others from a seemingly alien moral background or cultural background come together over basic issues like this can hopefully pull even the most pessimistic individual out of their nihilism.