Right To Love

Saint Valentine believed it, and we should today...Government has no right telling people who they can love and whether or not they're allowed to show it.

Today sbould be more than chocolates, candy message hearts, flowers, balloons, kisses and sex. It should be about the underlying message left to us by the patron saint of lovers who lived 1800 years ago.

In 269AD, Emperor Claudius II found his military population dwindling. Roman men were not staying in the military longer than they had to. The emperor believed this to be because men cared more about marrying and raising a family then defending the empire in the far off borders in the military. Claudius therefore cancelled all marriages and refused to allow any.

Saint Valentine wouldn't allow it. He continued to marry Roman men and women, even though the emperor had banned it. Saint Valentine did not care if those he was marrying were Christian, Jew or pagan, her married them. Love doesn't come with labels. The emperor, seeing Saint Valentine as a threat to his power had him beatened and beheaded for conducting illegal marriages. Claudius II made a martyr out of Saint Valentine and since he was a Christian priest, Claudius added fuel to the alredy existing fires of persecution against the Christian minority. Neverthless, Saint Valentine died leaving behind the message that love trumps all and everybody has the right to commit to those they love...publicly.

Here in New York, we are lucky to live in a state where a majority of the population aren't bigots. We don't believe our government, like Emperor Claudius II, has any right dictating who can get married, to whom and when. More than half of all New Yorkers support marriage rights for LGBT Americans. Governor Spitzer also supports legalization of gay marriage.

While this is not an issue that may be taken up right away, as the new Governor has bigger fish to fry, but with the Governor's 69% mandate, the Democratic super majority in the State Assembly, and the slim two seat majority for the liberal Republicans in the Senate (thanks to the victory just last week of Democrat Craig Johnson, a gay rights support in a Long Island State Senate race against anti-gay rights Republican Maureen O'Connell,) we may soon see the Empire State become the first state to legalize gay marriage through legislative action...and no one can argue legislative action.

The bigots will argue New York has "activist" politicians. The religious zealots will argue New York will be damned to hell and the sky will fall upon Manhattan...but we here in New York understand what is right.

We here in New York understand love cannot be restricted.

Happy Valentine's Day