"I
would like to thank every single person that helped defeat the same-sex
marriage ban in Minnesota, as well as every person who contributed to
passing marriage-equality legislation in Maryland and Maine and (likely)
Washington. Together, we made a statement that America is tired of
division. America is tired of discrimination, of exclusion, and of
unthinking oppression—the belief that people have to live their lives
according to someone else's views rather than their own free will.
"Together, we made sure that the world our children will grow up in is
one step closer to tolerance, love, and equality; a world where our
children can make their own choices instead of being shackled to dusty
hate from the past. Together, we showed this nation that a polity
functions best when it includes all of its citizens, when it celebrates
their differences as part of one glorious whole, when it synthesizes a
wide assortment of cultures and beliefs under the guiding principles of
freedom and happiness for everyone.
"Together, we can approach the work still at hand. We can face the
continuous fight for equality that every society must wage each
generation. We may not know the specifics until they’re upon us, but the
underlying foundation is always the same—living your own life vs.
someone else making your choices for you.
"Together, we can promote free will over oppression. We can treat others
the way we want to be treated, with dignity and respect. We can work
together to find common ground, despite our differences, and build a
stable, nurturing society. There is work yet to be done, but we passed
an important milestone today. Ten, 15, 20 years from now, when our
children ask us, 'What did you do when it came time to fight for someone
else?,' we can tell them about Minnesota and Maryland and Maine, states
where people finally said: Enough.
"Enough with the hate. Enough with the bigotry. Enough with the
discrimination. We are all Americans, and we are all in this together.
Without each other, we have nothing." - Minnesota Vikings punter
Chris Kluwe, writing for
Slate.
Thich Nhat Hanh
