Loving Day

Today, June 12th, is Loving Day.  Sounds like a sweet, Hallmark card kind of holiday.  But I doubt as if many people have heard of it or that anyone makes a card.

While Loving Day has a lot to do with love, it's so named because it actually marks the anniversary (50 years today) that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiff the case of Loving vs Virginia.  The Lovings were Richard and Mildred and their "crime" was marriage, as Richard was “white" and Mildred was "non-white."  They were married in Washington, DC (where their marriage was not a "crime"), but lived in Virginia where it was.  (It was also where they both grew up, had family and lived most of their lives.) 

I'm amazed that "interracial" marriage was still prohibited in some states in my lifetime. I just want to shake my head and say:  "Seriously?  This was an issue?  We've faced two world wars and countless horrors but we were arresting people for being with someone of a different race?  You're kidding me, right?" 

I'm ashamed that I didn't know about this landmark case (and couple) until I happened to catch a documentary on their lives on HBO (http://lovingfilm.com/).  I haven't yet seen the film made of their lives (http://www.focusfeatures.com/loving) so I can't comment on that, but I can HIGHLY recommend the documentary.  It's one of those hidden parts of history that needs to be unveiled to the general populace.  And it's a sweet story to boot.

The fact that people were not allowed to marry because of their race astounds me.  The same can be said of people who were not allowed to marry because of their sexual orientation.  What difference does it really make?  When two people truly LOVE each other and want to share the rest of their lives together, what else really matters?  Who we are has nothing to do with the external.  It has to do with the INTERNAL.  What we believe and stand for.  What we care for and how we aid our fellow humans.  That is what is important.

It has been argued that it is not "natural" for people of different races or religions to marry.  Or for people of the same sex to marry.  How is it not "natural" for people who love each other NOT to be allowed to legally declare that love and marry?  Personally, what I find not natural is people spending too much time fussing over all this.  Weren't there and AREN'T there bigger problems in our world that need addressing?  As for me, I'm more concerned about people who don't have enough food to eat or clean water to drink than I am about who someone chooses to spend the rest of their life with.  Why should we be concerned with one facet of someone else's life (that really doesn't have all that much to do with us) when there are so many other issues facing our world today?

Who am I to judge?  It is my belief that we should allow consenting adults to marry.  Period.  Doesn't matter what color skin.  Doesn't matter what sex.  Doesn't matter what religion.  What DOES matter to me is that they are committed to each other.  That they love and respect each other. That they support each other and if they have a family together that they support them as well.  If that is wrong, well, then one day perhaps I will be judged by God (or whatever you want to call the deity).  And if I am, I am not afraid of that judgement.  I stand by what I believe is right and that is that. Period.  I wish we would all do the same.

To learn more about Loving Day you can visit:  http://www.lovingday.org/