Nov 05 2008
Equality is Equality is Equality
I’m not talking about a Book Without ISBN today; this one is very much a book of modern times, with an ISBN, having first been published in 1996.
First, a preface. If one believes in democracy and equality - then one believes in it for all citizens. Period. Any human right you claim for yourself - freedom of beliefs and speech, freedom of association, freedom to choose your own life direction, freedom to marry the person you love - you claim those for yourself, then you grant them to every citizen in your country. Period.
If you don’t, then you do not believe in democracy, but believe in a tyranny of one ideology, imposed on everyone around you, whether or not they believe in it too, or want it. Simple choice, everyone: democracy, or tyranny. PERIOD.
With that in mind, today’s book, which I believe should be required reading for every person in California, most particularly this morning, but really, every person in the United States.
The Case for Same-Sex Marriage, by William N. Eskridge, Jr.
Eskridge, a lawyer and law professor, demonstrates first that the historical evidence does not support the claim that marriage has “always” been defined as “one man-one woman,” then goes on to show that marriage is and will be as civilizing a force on gay people as it has always been on heterosexuals - thus eliminating some of the “uncivilized” behaviour criticized by the more conservative (or even squeamish). And then Eskridge goes on to show how unconstitutional it is to deny the right to marry to some citizens, while granting it to others.
I was anti-equal-marriage when I began this book, though I was starting to wonder if I should be. By the time I finished the book, I was pro-equal marriage.
In addition to this book, I invite you to read my own essays, in which I describe how I reasoned through some of the biggest objections to equal marriage, and as far as I’m concerned, showed them all to be complete bunk. There are five essays, linking to each other, starting here.
Read the book. Read the essays. Practise democracy. Or look yourself in the mirror, be honest, and acknowledge that you don’t believe in democracy at all.
Nice set of articles. I’d read them before, enjoyed reading them again. Question: the last one ends with “Next”. Are there any more articles in the series, or any more planned?
Hi, Ishtar. I’m glad you enjoyed the essays. I do have at least one more planned, and had made some notes and everything. Life kind of intervened in many ways, but I definitely need to get back to these. I’ve been mulling it over again lately.
If I can get the job situation straightened out, I’m going to try to finish the set, polish up the existing essays, and try to get them posted more prominently.