I am a bigot. Thankfully, this was recently brought to my attention in Steven Snyder’s March 4 opinion piece in The Minnesota Daily. As a result, I am taking a look at my abhorrent life as person who actually believes in the rule of law. Religion aside, I am branded a hate-filled homophobe on the basis that laws are to be put in place by the people and are to be changed by the people when deemed inappropriate.

First, the United States is a democracy. It was founded by men who believed people were capable of deciding their own minds. They did not want to be ruled by a king or small group of elites who imposed their minority views on the majority. Today, that is precisely what is happening.

A very small, vocal group of people has decided they are above the law. Gay marriage advocates sought out activist judges (i.e., people who dream up laws instead of upholding them) for the means of getting their way. The Massachusetts Supreme Court has imposed same-sex marriage on the entire nation knowing that through the “full faith and credit” clause of the U.S. Constitution, a gay marriage in that state must be recognized in all other states.

The people of Massachusetts did not vote on this issue. I know I never did. My opposition to gay marriage is not a lone voice. A Gallup Poll conducted from December 2003 to February 2004 asked this question: “Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?” Sixty-three percent responded “no” to that question. Separate Zogby and USA Today/CNN/Gallup polls reported similar findings.

The point is that most Americans oppose same-sex marriage. But apparently what we Americans think does not matter. An elite core of judges has taken away the legislative process and replaced it with judicial decree. I thought that is what our Founding Fathers were escaping.

Another problem with gay marriage my bigoted mind has trouble with is the argument that gays are being profoundly discriminated against. Their civil rights are being violated. They liken their “struggle” to that of what blacks went through in the history of our nation. I find this comparison a complete disgrace and an abomination. The United States does not have a perfect history and people should not pretend otherwise; but to compare the trials of blacks – including chained enslavement, whipping, denial of a vote and a host of other utterly regrettable events to achieve equality – with that of gays wanting to dress up and go down to the mayor’s office for a marriage license

is preposterous. Gays can vote, were never enslaved and forced to work against their wills, and they can even get married – to a person of the opposite sex.

Bigotry had me thinking for years that marriage is between two people of the opposite sex. Marriage was thought of in that bigoted way by my parents, grandparents and their grandparents. The institution of marriage is what it is: a union between man and woman. It has been for thousands of years.

A hen is not a goat and it is incorrect to claim otherwise. A union between two people of the same sex is not marriage and it is incorrect to claim otherwise under the current laws. There is no reason gays should be exempt from our current laws.

If a law is discriminatory, those wanting change have to gain support of the majority of the people and change the law through the legislative process. That is why we have a legislative process. That is why we are a nation ruled by the people – the judges. Thomas Jefferson, quoted in The Federalist online journal, said, “The original error (was in) establishing a judiciary independent of the nation, and which, from the citadel of law, can turn its guns on those they were meant to defend, and control and fashion their proceedings to its own will.” How bigoted of him.

Jenna Stocker is an accounting senior. She welcomes comments at [email protected]