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Should gays and lesbians be allowed civil unions but not marriage?

The answer to this question comes directly from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Our nation, of course, has taken the position over the years that some people are more equal than others; how else can you explain the persecution of blacks? But we have grown as a nation, and we've wisely come to read "all men" as all people. And all means all. It doesn't read all white people, all Christians, all Republicans, all Democrats, all Billy Joel fans or blue-eyed banjo players. It means all people. Period.

I would like to believe we've learned from our mistakes. You may find their behavior distasteful (and I, in fact, did for many years on the basis of my religious beliefs). But gays and lesbians are people, and they are legal citizens of these United States. You can't argue that. So how can you argue that they don't deserve the same legal rights as heterosexuals - including marriage?

It's simple. You can't.

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