Letter: Republicans are falling short

As a straight man, a practicing Catholic and a young person who (sometimes embarrassingly) identifies as a Republican, I implore Republican lawmakers to immediately cease all efforts to amend Indiana’s state constitution to outlaw gay marriage. The reasons are many: the abuse of the Constitution, rampant Judeo-Christian hypocrisy, codification of discrimination into the fabric of our laws and it is politically unwise for the Republican Party’s future.

First, the purpose of a constitution is not to perform as a statutory, specific legal weapon. Rather, a constitution is a guiding document from which powers are derived and divided, checks and balances ensured and the basic mechanics of government outlined.

Indiana’s constitution grants the state legislature the power to write, debate and pass statutes that can then be signed into law by the governor. Indeed, the General Assembly passed a statute outlawing gay marriage. (This remains the law today, further negating the need for a constitutional amendment.)

Second is the problem of Judeo-Christian hypocrisy.

Whether your opposition to gay marriage comes from a genuine religious conviction or an “icky” feeling, the right to harbor one’s own opinion does not translate to a right to forbid someone from enjoying basic civil rights. Marriage is, in fact, a civil institution in addition to being a religious institution for many people. In order to be married, one must consent to government regulations (obtaining a license, not committing incest, being of legal age, etc.)

Marriages already take place in casinos, court houses and without religious officials, and 50 percent of them end in divorce. If we don’t even bother to hold Christians to standards of a traditional marriage (“’til death do us part”), then how can gays be held to standards of traditional Christian marriage?    

Third, the greatest stain on our nation’s history is that of slavery, which was once defended zealously by Southern Christians as an institution ordained by God. After all, the Bible mentions slavery.

In the same way America subjugated blacks, withheld the right to vote from women and forced the Native Americans to endure terrible hardships, we continue to discriminate against a group of people because they are different from “us.”

Freedom and liberty mean the ability for everyone to choose their own path, whether
“we” like it or not.

Blacks and Native Americans do not choose their race, women do not choose their gender and gays do not choose their orientation. It is time for discrimination to end.

Finally, and sadly, perhaps of most interest to legislators are the political ramifications of these policies. Indiana’s businesses must be able to recruit and retain the best talent. Recently, executives of Lilly and Cummins, two of the state’s largest employers, testified to the negative impact this could have on our state’s economy.

With Baby Boomers aging and the emergence of the millennial generation, it is time for party leadership to listen to our voice, and we overwhelmingly support marriage equality.

Each generation has its fight for equality; our generation is fighting for gay rights.

With the recognition of marriage in half a dozen states, increased recognition of civil unions and the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the train has left the station; if the party hopes to exist in a meaningful way, its members better climb on board.  

The Republican Party’s path to success lies in a long-term plan that genuinely restores the government to fiscal health.

Old and young, black and white (and Latino), gay and straight can rally around this. Republicans leaders, it’s time for the tent to get bigger before you’re left camping alone.

— Ryan Short, IU senior