Same Sex Marriage Ruling Presidential Response
President Obama had a very solemn and emotional response to the same sex marriage ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States.
“Our nation was founded on a bedrock principle,” President Obama said. “That we are all created equal. The project of each generation is to bridge the meaning of those founding words with the realities of changing times. A never ending quest to ensure that those words ring true for every single American.”
And that is the genius of the elasticity of the constitution when well interpreted. That is why progress is possible irrespective of many of the initial failures of our founding document.
The President went on state the reality that sometimes progress is too slow. Sometimes progress is two steps forward, one step backward.
“This ruling is a victory for Jim Obergefell and the other plaintiffs in the case,” President Obama said. “It is a victory for gay and lesbian couples who fought so long for their basic civil rights. It is a victory for their children whose families will now be recognized as equal to any other. It is a victory for the allies, friends, and supporters who spent years even decades working and praying for change to come. And this ruling is a victory for America.
Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins — President Obama (@POTUS) June 26, 2015
President Obama reminded Americans that there is still a lot of work to do. The Supreme Court of the United States proved that at times it can actually do the right thing. One hopes that going forward they will revisit their ill-advised rulings that have been playing havoc with our democracy, from money in politics to corporate personhood, from striking down voter rights to women’s rights.
All in all, this has been a good week for those seeking progress.