Before this month is over, the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on marriage laws for all 50 states. The questions the Supreme Court must answer are:
- Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?
- Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out of state?
Given the history behind the actions of the Supreme Court concerning marriage, the majority of people agree that the Supreme Court will rule that:
- The 14th Amendment requires states to license marriages for any two people, and that
- The 14th Amendment requires same sex marriages in other states must be recognized by all states.
While the Supreme Court Justices are supposed to remain impartial, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not feel like that was necessary with this case. In May, she presided at a same sex marriage, and used words to make it apparent to the audience that she thinks that same sex marriage is a right granted by the Constitution of the United State. The New York Times reported that:
“The most glittering moment for the crowd came during the ceremony. With a sly look and special emphasis on the word ‘Constitution,’ Justice Ginsburg said that she was pronouncing the two men married by the powers vested in her by the Constitution of the United States.”
While we may know what one justice believes, no one can say for sure what the ruling the 9 justices will come up with. But one thing is for certain: children do best when raised by their mother and father. In the past the state recognized marriages because marriage is the best place for children to grow up healthy, and healthy children make societies prosper. In another two weeks, the nation may disregard the needs of children by redefining marriage into a union that prioritizes romantic love and sexual companionship above the needs of children. But the fight will not end there. Many people will stand strong on the side of children and their needs for a mother and father.