Pages

Saturday 12 May 2012

Obama supports gay marriage

Last week, the most powerful man in the world announced that he supported same sex marriage. As expected, this sent ripples throughout the American political landscape.

Religious groups condemned the president's decision but gay and lesbian movements were overjoyed at the move. Political analysts say that Obama's support of gay marriage has put him on thin ice in some circles and a pedestal in others. The somewhat brave decision is a huge political gamble, especially nearing elections so it could either prove to be a clever move or political suicide.

Online reaction to Obama's decision beats the odds in his favor, but critics are unsure as to whether this will help him or hurt him come the November elections.

While Obama won widespread praise online, a significant proportion of it were still disjointed.
Many supporters of gay marriage criticized the president for not having announced his position until now, three and a half years into his leadership.  A third of those agreeing with the decision did so while asking, in essence, "What took you so long?"

Well, it is election year and Obama seems to think that his decision will help him get extra points at the polls. At this point in time, the president's 'publicity stunt' has commenters unsure of the outcome.

When asked as to why decided to support gay marriage, this is what he had to say:

"But I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I talked to friends, family and neighbors. To my own staff who are committed in monogamous relationships, who are raising kids together. I think about those soldiers or marines, airmen, sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet, feel constrained, even now that don't ask don't tell is gone. Because now they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage. At a certain point I've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that, i think same sex couples should be able to get married".

However, amidst all the hype that's been going on in the media and on the internet, these are just words. Obama's personal opinions. Nothing has been set in stone yet such as proposing legislation or issuing an executive order to have federal agencies recognize same-sex marriages.

Just because the president says that he supports gay unions, it does not give couples the right of matrimony. At least not in thirty states across the US! In the half a dozen states where marriage equality is legal it has been achieved via state legislatures or judicial decision. In other words, gay marriage might be morally right, but it is a proven loser at the ballot box.

In conclusion, we cannot say with certainty how this is going to affect the US presidents re-election campaign since support for Obama's comments remain evenly placed on both the positive and the negative aspects. I can only say for sure that November is still a long way off to decide any outcomes just yet. We will just have to sit it out and see.

3 comments:

  1. This is a good-looking blog, but you don't need quote marks around your block quote, even though it is a quote, because the whole thing is a quote and you have introduced Obama as the speaker. U.S. takes periods in it. Learn Reuters style on numbers. Make longer paragraphs. Religious?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I will describe Obama's action is politically motivated.Now in every country, these people nearly made up half of the total population. Opening the law up for these kind of people will surely secure a lot of votes for Obama in the upcoming election. This is the technique that most politicians nowadays are using to get their numbers of votes. Even in a tiny nation like Tuvalu, you think all is well in politics. But politics are politics and people like Obama also exists in Tuvalu. The former Prime Minister of the tiny country, Apisai Ielemia who always want us journalist to put the Honorable title before his name (Honorable Apisai Ielemia) even before he was officially appointed as Prime Minister made a new law that now allows any Tuvaluan citizen to hold two passports. It was ironic because his wife is a Tokelauan national. Although it is good for Tuvaluans who wish to migrate overseas and still maintain their Tuvaluan passports, it was ironic because his wife is a Tokelauan nation. Now his wife can still use her Tokelauan passport while also holding her New Zealand passport. Ielemia gained a lot of votes in the next election because a lot of people on his island really like that law. However as you said, we don't know for certain how it is going to affect the US presidents election.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mr. Obama supporting gay marriages? Well i have to say, that if this is politically motivated, then he may have made a mistake. Many know Obama is a man with strong family values and someone who will stand by his beliefs. For him to change his mind about an issue that he has been against during his time in the White House, i would have to say, is probably a bad move on his part in this campaign.

    However i may be wrong. He has come across many people who have managed to make a life together with kids even and it has worked. I would say that Mr. Obama has been allowed some understanding of this issue and has grown in knowledge and insight over the years he has been in the White House.

    Religious groups who have condemned Obama for this move needs to stop criticizing him. They just need to read their bible more and realize that if God can allow free will to every other sinner, then how holy do this religious groups think they are??

    ReplyDelete