Are we defending the “definition of a marriage license” or are we, as some would like to claim, “discriminating,” by denying financial benefits rights married couples have?

Is that what all this is coming down to — money? Because no one is taking away non-married people’s ability to live under one roof.

Discriminating means you cannot infringe upon someone’s right to life and liberties — or someone’s ability to live and do the best you can do in this country. And if you can’t do it on your own, there are organizations that are willing to help.

But within that phrase, no one is guaranteed a certain place to live in a certain upscale neighborhood, no one is guaranteed a $50,000 minimum salary job, no one is guaranteed a retirement package. If you want this, you have to work harder than everyone else, and some people have.

Many people have worked hard for degrees, certifications and licenses. To say that everyone else has the rights to the same benefits these licensed people have worked for is discrimination.

As a student with disabilities, I have also worked hard to graduate from civil engineering and will pursue my professional engineering license. That license will mean a lot to me, because I know what the license will stand for and how hard I had to work for it. The level of standards for a professional engineer is very high and will not be lowered for me, even if I have a disability. The only accommodation I can receive is longer testing time and a quiet place, but I still have to pass the same test.

I also know what it means to have a marriage license. Being married to the opposite sex is not easy. You have to work at it everyday for it to be successful, and I have successfully made my marriage work, to the opposite sex, for 20 years.

Gay people say they tried, but couldn’t do it because they where not sexually attracted to them. Well, let me tell you, 20 years of marriage has not been based on sexual attraction — it’s been hard work to overcome obstacles as they arise between two different people of two different sexes.

And now you want to tell me all my hard work means nothing and that my license should be lowered to not require a man and a woman union.

No one’s going to lower my professional engineering license for my disability, and that’s not considered discrimination, nor should it be.

But it’s discrimination when I don’t want my marriage license lowered?

Nancy Suby-Bohn

Senior

Civil Engineering