The decision by United States President Barack Obama to throw his support behind same sex marriages must be taken for what it is, a grab for the White middleclass vote. The fact that his loquacious Vice President Joe Biden has gone public in support of same sex marriage would have forced his hand also. The decision was probably not that hard for Obama to make anyway, he admitted in his autobiography to have not been raised in a Christian household and therefore he is not trapped by the dogma of religion when considering the issue of homosexuality and same sex marriage – see Audacity of Hope.
To borrow a term, the world is witnessing the ‘evolution of a belief system’ which sees a growing relativist society treating with the homosexuality and sex marriage as a black or white issue. Pro-advocates of same sex marriage in the USA collapses the argument on the fact that all humans are entitled to equal treatment under the law.
To be expected local pro-advocates of same sex marriages have not wasted any time aligning and promulgating Obama’s view led by Peter Wickham et al. It is note worthy that Wickham fully leveraged his right to freedom of speech on the talk show last week supported by a fullpage column in today’s press. Perhaps Wickham’s strident advocacy would take on credibility if he were to state publicly if he stands to benefit from Barbados’ acceptance of same sex marriage.
It is interesting that Obama’s opponent Mitt Romney in the next US Presidential Election, a practising Mormon, has taken an opposite view. Romney recently told old university graduates the he “adamantly rejected same-sex marriage yesterday and trumpeted his belief in Christian values and the family”. Perhaps another bit of political rhetoric to woo the conservative vote. Yet another issue which will be kicked about on the political football field until November comes.
BU is not equipped to offer all the technical arguments like Wickham, Zoe, BT et al can except to apply commonsense. As an independent people (Barbadians) we have the right to build out the kind of society we want. The personal position of Obama which is being used to legitimize same sex marriage is NOT what should be the overriding consideration for Barbadians.
What kind of society do WE want?
