Obama’s View

Nakumura, David “Obama on same-sex marriage ruling: ‘We have made our union a little more perfect.”Washington post. 26 June 2015. web. 4 August, 2015

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During this summer there was a huge supreme court ruling that let same sex marriages be legal. With the legalization of same sex marriages there have been many sparked up controversies about the topic. For instance, their are people who don’t believe in gay rights that work in the government and in the marriage court that are still denying same sex couples their marriage license. This sparks an outrage in the LGBT community because for many years they have been fighting for equal rights and after the ruling they are still not being treated equal. Although there are some that are still fighting it, we must hope that they take Obama’s word that America should be proud that we are making our union a little more perfect.

The article starts with a video of Obama and his speech on the ruling of same sex marriage. He starts the speech with telling listeners “Our nation was founded on a bed rock principle, we are all created equal, and that we should bridge the meaning of those founding words with the realities Through out the article the audience can see Obama is for the rights of same sex couples and that it was time for a change. What the audience will also notice is how Obama’s viewpoint from earlier times changed from his viewpoints today. The author says “as a candidate for the White House in 2008. He said that his views as a Christian were that marriage was defined as between a man and a woman.” This shows that at one point Obama did not believe in same sex marriage. As time goes by Obama’s view changed or evolved in the support for gay marriage.

Nakumura I believe is a credible source because he captures Obama’s view on the controversy very well. He goes on saying that Obama said  “he cast the ruling as a historic moment in American history that capped decades of progress for the gay and lesbian community, sometimes driven by “anonymous heroes” who endured taunts and bullying.” The audience he was trying to relate to were the same sex couples that have been through various obstacles through out the legalization of same sex marriage. Some evidence that relates this is that he says it is progress for the gay and lesbian community. Nakumura then explains that Obama said “Sometimes there are days like this when that slow and steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt,” Obama said. Although the progress might have seemed slow to gay rights advocates, he added, the nation’s shift on same-sex marriage has been “so quick.” The audience he is trying to reach is the advocates or supporters of same sex marriage.

Yet there is also an audience that the author talks about when he recites Obama saying “He noted that many Americans still oppose it out of deeply-held religious beliefs and that the nation should be mindful to respect different viewpoints. But he added that the ruling “also gives us hope that on many issues with which we grapple, real change is possible. A shift of hearts and minds is possible.” The author knows that there will be more than just the intended audience, so he tries to relate with them by letting them know that we understand why they don’t believe in same sex marriage. I believe Nakumura does a great job of trying to appeal to both sides of the audience while still addressing the news to the readers.

With the legalization of same sex marriage now we as readers can believe that even though there are different viewpoints we should be able to understand that people have been fighting for these rights for a very long time. Now that the law has passed we should see it as a mile stone for American history, not only that but it also explains and helps readers get the bigger picture of equal rights for all.