Constitutional rights not a voting matter

Proving that the “new” South is not a whole lot different from the old, North Carolina became the last former Confederate state to approve a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage as well as civil unions for both gay and straight couples.

Emboldened by their majority status in their neck of the woods, those who would discriminate against gays no longer feel compelled to hide their identity behind white sheets and pointy hats. In fact, they add legitimacy to their anti-gay actions by lining up behind leading evangelist Rev. Billy Graham, who at age 93 blames gay marriage for the “moral decline” of our country, ignoring the sexual dalliances of the powerful white men who were at the helm over the decades.

Our basic constitutional rights were never intended to be put up for a vote and taken away from us by our neighbors. Those who are opposed to same-sex marriage or civil unions are free not to enter into one. They do not have the right to deny others from entering into one, however.

Sheryl Jedlinski

Palatine