New St. Valentine
I know I am a couple of weeks late... I was thinking about this, and it occurred to me that I could have really gotten something moving if I had posted it a month or so ago. But I've been a bit busy, and now that I am finally catching up, I've spent the last couple of days catching up with many of the Valentine's Day themed broadcasts, of television shows and so on. And it's really gotten the gears grinding about this holiday.
Every year, in every show or story or themed production of any kind, and in real life as well, there's that "Valentine Scrooge," the one who wrinkles up his or her nose at all of the red and pink and fluffy heart-things everywhere. Sometimes this person is single, and bitter for being alone - sometimes not. Whether in a relationship, happy or otherwise, or not, this person sings the same tune: "Valentine's Day is just another over-commercialized holiday, an excuse for candy companies to take us for all we're worth."
Well, listen up: the candy companies didn't invent Valentine's Day (that's Sweetest Day you're thinking of). Who did? A bunch of people back in the Roman Empire, during the reign of some guy who got too big for his britches and ultimately decided that to achieve his political goals, he needed the biggest military he could get. Since married men were exempted from the draft, he forbade his people from marrying. One man, known (whether now or then) as Valentine, defied this law, marrying people secretly until he was eventually caught, imprisoned, and killed for it. He died a martyr, and we celebrate every year for what he did.
Valentine's Day isn't about couples and romance. It's not "single's awareness day," it's not reserved only for people in love or in relationships. It's about love - the kind of love only the Greeks have a word for, unless you want to count Biblical English and call it "charity." The love of one's fellow being, greater than the concern for one's own well-being. The love that Valentine had for his neighbors, followers, fellow Romans in a hard time. Valentine wasn't just standing up for marriage, or supporting romance - his courage was for a real cause: the freedom from government oppression.
How many of those that sing their sad, bitter songs about the uselessness of Valentine's Day would enjoy being told that, whether they have someone now or not, they'd have no hope of ever marrying that special person someday? (Not to mention the whole "army draft" thing - don't fall in love, boy, fall in line! Hup hup!)
...How many United States Citizens have been told by their government that they cannot marry?
Our government may not be plotting world domination and using the unmarried populace to fuel its military power, but that doesn't make the fundamental joys and benefits of marriage any less integral to our basic promised right of freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Yet in many states, same-sex marriages are banned regardless of a significant population of same-sex couples.
Marriage isn't just a declaration of love, or a religious institution - it has meaning to our government, outside of religion or emotion. It conveys legal rights and facilitates the working as a team of two consenting, cooperating individuals. And it means something - something different to everyone, something that the government has no right to deny.
So for Valentine's Day... it may be too late for this year, but there is always next year, and every year after... I propose we celebrate a little differently. Let's celebrate by honoring our own modern St. Valentines - the people fighting for marriage equality, the people loving who they will love regardless of the government or the derision of their peers. Let's be Valentines, and have the courage to speak up for what is right - let's tell our government that we will not be denied. Let's honor the victories of this ongoing battle, and create new ones. And never lose hope that someday, we can celebrate a New St. Valentine's day, in honor of all those who stood up for and finally accomplished equality in marriage for all.
Every year, in every show or story or themed production of any kind, and in real life as well, there's that "Valentine Scrooge," the one who wrinkles up his or her nose at all of the red and pink and fluffy heart-things everywhere. Sometimes this person is single, and bitter for being alone - sometimes not. Whether in a relationship, happy or otherwise, or not, this person sings the same tune: "Valentine's Day is just another over-commercialized holiday, an excuse for candy companies to take us for all we're worth."
Well, listen up: the candy companies didn't invent Valentine's Day (that's Sweetest Day you're thinking of). Who did? A bunch of people back in the Roman Empire, during the reign of some guy who got too big for his britches and ultimately decided that to achieve his political goals, he needed the biggest military he could get. Since married men were exempted from the draft, he forbade his people from marrying. One man, known (whether now or then) as Valentine, defied this law, marrying people secretly until he was eventually caught, imprisoned, and killed for it. He died a martyr, and we celebrate every year for what he did.
Valentine's Day isn't about couples and romance. It's not "single's awareness day," it's not reserved only for people in love or in relationships. It's about love - the kind of love only the Greeks have a word for, unless you want to count Biblical English and call it "charity." The love of one's fellow being, greater than the concern for one's own well-being. The love that Valentine had for his neighbors, followers, fellow Romans in a hard time. Valentine wasn't just standing up for marriage, or supporting romance - his courage was for a real cause: the freedom from government oppression.
How many of those that sing their sad, bitter songs about the uselessness of Valentine's Day would enjoy being told that, whether they have someone now or not, they'd have no hope of ever marrying that special person someday? (Not to mention the whole "army draft" thing - don't fall in love, boy, fall in line! Hup hup!)
...How many United States Citizens have been told by their government that they cannot marry?
Our government may not be plotting world domination and using the unmarried populace to fuel its military power, but that doesn't make the fundamental joys and benefits of marriage any less integral to our basic promised right of freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Yet in many states, same-sex marriages are banned regardless of a significant population of same-sex couples.
Marriage isn't just a declaration of love, or a religious institution - it has meaning to our government, outside of religion or emotion. It conveys legal rights and facilitates the working as a team of two consenting, cooperating individuals. And it means something - something different to everyone, something that the government has no right to deny.
So for Valentine's Day... it may be too late for this year, but there is always next year, and every year after... I propose we celebrate a little differently. Let's celebrate by honoring our own modern St. Valentines - the people fighting for marriage equality, the people loving who they will love regardless of the government or the derision of their peers. Let's be Valentines, and have the courage to speak up for what is right - let's tell our government that we will not be denied. Let's honor the victories of this ongoing battle, and create new ones. And never lose hope that someday, we can celebrate a New St. Valentine's day, in honor of all those who stood up for and finally accomplished equality in marriage for all.