When Will We Learn?

Have you seen the latest story about gay marriage?  A US District Court Judge ruled that Michigan's ban, "breached equal protection rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution."  Reuters reported that 50 people had lined up for marriage licences when the clerk's office opened at 8 am in Oakland County.  This is only the latest example.  Gays and lesbians are making strides all across our nation in securing their equal rights.  The mayors of Boston and New York City boycotted their city's St. Patrick's Day parades.  Both on grounds that the parade coordinators were excluding gay and lesbian groups.  Boston Mayor Martin Walsh specifically sited the exclusion of a gay veterans group.  I guess they are good enough to die for our country, but not march in our parades. 
When are we as a country going to learn that "All men are created equal"? From the colonists escaping tyranny in England, to blacks fighting and dying for freedom, to immigrants, and now gays; America is a country made of people who have had to fight for our rights.  So, why is yet another group of Americans being forced to fight for their rights?  I did a little research and found the same few arguments over and over.  I searched on the net and interviewed several friends and neighbors.  They will remain nameless to protect their ignorance.

• Strong Religious Objections- I wonder how in-touch these people are with their own religion.  For example: Doesn't the Bible teach us to judge not lest ye be judged?  At the very least love thy neighbor as thy self, or love the sinner but hate the sin.  I just find Christians who persecute gays to be uneducated about their own beliefs.  Jesus preached love and acceptance, not hate and inequality.  
• Legalizing Gay Marriage Will Result In Higher Divorce Rate- I'll just slap this with a statistic.  In Massachusetts (the first state to legalize gay marriage in '04) the divorce rate has declined by 21% since 2003.  
• It's Too Expensive- I can list page after page of websites explaining how we can't afford to provide the same benefits to gay married couples as we do heterosexual married couples. I admit that it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to provide benefits to just our federal employees.  But, since when does our government put money before the basic rights of its citizens?    I'm asking lawmakers to go through their budget and decide what they are spending money on that is not as important as their employees' healthcare.
• Marriage Is Defined As A Union Between A Man And A Woman-  Really?  Is that even an argument?  Look it up.  Lexicography (the writing of dictionaries) is largely based on societal opinions.  With the exception of the Cambridge Dictionary, I couldn't find any dictionaries still defining marriage solely as  "A Union Between A Man And A Woman".  Check for yourself at Dictionary.com
• I'm Sick Of Them Putting Their Business In My Face- Believe it or not, I actually heard this from several people.  Each time I had to make a serious effort not to laugh at them.  The solution is easy.  Give gays and lesbians the same rights as everyone else, and they would have no reason to "put their business in your face."  I highly doubt the gay community is beating down the door of homo-phobes to have sex on their couch.  

Finally, we are a country based on the fact that we are all created equal with an equal opportunity to pursue our lives.  Each time I feel a little pride in our accomplishments, I look around to find we're repeating history, again.