Obama and Same-Sex Marriage: Discussion Week #1

Okay, where do I begin? President Obama's positions are clearly inconsistent. 

If you are not the President of the United States, when you feel something about a certain topic, then those ideas usually play out through your actions. For example, if you think same sex marriage is wrong, then you will probably vote No on Prop 8. This is elementary stuff and perspectives that we pick up in the earliest stages of life. But, when you are the President of the United States, everything you do has a motive behind the action.

When Obama publicly stated that he supports civil unions and equal rights for same-sex couples, then the common belief should be that he will be for legalizing it. WRONG! He is a politician and apparently opposes legalizing same-sex marriage. Sounds kind of funny right? For votes or for votes? Personally, I think it is solely or voting purposes and  always his main motive. 

However, I don't think that President Obama is trying to take away from people's rights. I think that he probably believes in equal rights and opportunity, no matter the sexual orientation. But, because of the nature of politics, sometimes ideas don't match up with their actions. 

Nava and Dawidoff's argument that "prohibiting same-sex marriage is a denial of the basic rights of gays and lesbians who wish to marry," is exactly what I think Obama would feel. Whether you agree with calling same-sex civil unions marriage or not, taking away the right for people to do what all other couples can do in marriage, would by nature, being taking away their right. So, just because Obama opposes legalizing same-sex marriage on a federal level, it does not necessarily mean that he really feels that way. I think that all of the technicalities of the government have limited him to be able to legalize it, therefore limiting him to act upon his ideas.