Where freedom ends

By Hilbert Haar

I have written this more than once but this seems an opportune moment to repeat it: freedom ends where it intrudes upon the freedom of others. Unfortunately, the prime ministers of St. Maarten, Curacao and Aruba seem to have made it their business to intrude upon the freedom of their citizens by refusing to make marriage between partners of the same sex possible.

St. Maarten and Curacao don’t even abide by a ruling of the European Human Rights Court that says that countries that prohibit same sex marriages have to offer an alternative like a legally regulated registered partnership. As far as all this is concerned, we are living pretty much in the Dark Ages. The question is of course: why? What is the problem?

I understand that not everybody approves of same sex marriages. That is simply an undeniable reality with a simple solution. If you oppose same sex marriage, do not marry someone of the same sex. Get a life.

I figure that opponents to same sex marriage have only one thing on their mind and that is what same sex partners do in their bedrooms. Funny enough, you never hear them apply the same way of retarded thinking to heterosexual couples. I could very well be wrong. Maybe opponents base their objections on some obscure Bible-verse. Maybe they believe in fairy tales. Who knows?

Marriage is, or at least it ought to be, a basic human right. One key component of that right is the freedom to choose whomever you wish to marry.

Prime Minister Jacobs is free not to marry someone of her own sex. I have no argument with such decisions.

But who is the prime minister to think that she can decide that some of their citizens cannot marry a partner of the same sex? It is ridiculous and, as the court in Willemstad has established, also violation of the constitutional ban on discrimination.

And there you have it: members of the government and members of the parliament swear allegiance to the Constitution, but when push comes to shove they do whatever the hell they want.

I really have no sympathy for politicians who take the liberty to screw up the lives of citizens they are supposed to serve.

Fortunately, there are enough places in the world where same sex marriage is legal. You want some examples, other than the Netherlands? Here are some of the 34 countries that have no problem with it: Argentina, Canada, Unites States, Ecuador, Finland, South Africa and Uruguay.

Oh, and let’s not forget France and the French side of St. Maarten.

The opponents of same sex marriage are fighting a lost battle that causes a lot of emotional damage to citizens who have done nothing to deserve this. It is about time to acknowledge this reality and to give up the fight.