A Victory for Equality: Same-Sex Marriage Legal in All U.S. States

In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Same-sex marriage is legal in every single U.S. state. It is a historic moment, with LGBT campaigners declaring victory in a long-pursuit of this moment. LGBT – a catch-all term for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transexuals, have all-long struggled to have equal rights. But at long last, it is a victory for LGBT, but more importantly, it is a victory for equality. This comes in a time where good news is rare, with this a moment that is sure to be remembered for a long time.

The reaction to the ruling has been overwhelming. WordPress itself, while I write this post, has a LGBT banner at the top of the page, while Google – arguably the most powerful brand on the Internet – is celebrating the ruling with a prominent LGBT colour display on their various pages. President of the United States, Barack Obama, called the ruling a “victory for America.” Social media has been awash with reaction to the ruling as well.

Before the ruling, fourteen of the U.S. States were yet to enforce the same-sex marriage rule, though this has all changed. The ruling follows the results of legal battles that have lasted well over a decade. There was a large split in opinion over the topic, with many believing that the ruling should have been passed years ago, while others believed that same-sex marriage is fundamentally wrong.

Of course, there has been opposition to the move. Those with fundamentalist views of some religions would suggest that the ruling is not within the grounds of religion, with many believing it isn’t what God would have wanted. Mike Huckabee – former Presidential candidate called the ruling “an out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny.” And for however pro-equality you are, you have to appreciate the religious reasons for the opinions of some.

Love is a special thing. This doesn’t matter if it is male-female love, male-male love, or female-female love. Not everyone can experience such a great thing. Therefore it is something that should be made the most of. With marriage seemingly the ultimate symbol of love, it is surely only right that same-sex marriage is accepted. People are normally happiest when they get to spend time with the people they love, with the people they can share and cherish memories with. There is no reason why people should be punished for this being with someone of the same-sex.

Despite the negative opinions, the reaction following the ruling summed up how much of a landmark moment it was. Loud cheers erupted outside the court, as well as a large show of emotion with tears, hugs, as well as the patriotic “USA, USA, USA” chants. Overall, this is a historic event, one that will be remembered for a long, long time. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to accept same-sex marriage. Eleven years on, and history has been made, as all of the states now accept same-sex marriage. Love is a great thing – this ruling has allowed it to be embraced in the best way possible.

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The Bill: Underappreciated?

Police-procedural “The Bill” finished in 2010 after a mammoth 2400 episodes. Running for more than twenty years, the series handed acting debuts to many well-known actors and provided some of the most memorable hours in TV history. While some TV programs are celebrated and near-immortalised years after they finish, the same can’t be said for The Bill. So is it fair to suggest that the program should be shown more appreciation?

PC: Digital Spy

The Bill first aired in 1986 as “Woodentop”. In the forthcoming years, the show would take place normally on either one, two or three occasions a week, developing a cult following in the process. The Bill was the longest-running police procedural television series in the United Kingdom. The Bill would usually follow the format of Policemen solving crimes in an hour, with credit certainly due to the writers for how they kept the program fresh. In and around the 2002-2003 age of the show, the show switched to a more-soap like format.

The show wasn’t afraid to go to branch out where other dramas wouldn’t go. The personal lives of the characters was heavily explored, with storylines including a homosexual relationship and attitudes towards ethnic minorities, especially the conflict it could potentially cause within the Metropolitan Police. There was also a major overhaul in 2009 which led to more “gritty” storylines, which included the show moving past the 9pm “Watershed” time – allowing more graphic scenes, and perhaps, more realism.

Eventually, in 2010 the show was cancelled by network ITV. The final episode was aired on 31 August 2010, with a high amount of viewers tuning in to see the climax of the show. The show dedicated its finale “Respect” to the “men and women of the Metropolitan Police Service past and present.” The show, throughout its broadcast, catered to an International audience – showing the impact of it.

The Bill was incredibly well-known and became a part of the UK Culture. Without doubt its impact cant be understated, with several successful acting careers being launched because of the show, while many have memories of the time spent watching the show with family and friends – it is highly the vast majority of those who have lived in the UK since the late 1980s have watched the program. There are countless memorable storylines that came from the show – ones that have even been used as inspiration for other programs of a similar nature – but nothing quite compares to The Bill.

Therefore, it could be argued that the show is vastly underappreciated and deserves more recognition. The problem was, that due to the sheer volume of episodes being churned out, that there was so little time to stop and appreciate what a great program it was. However, now that the show has finished, especially five years on, it is certainly easy to appreciate what a good program it was.

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(‘056’)

University Year One: Reviewing the Experience

I have been busy recently completing my exams for the first year of University. Since completing them, I have enjoyed time to rest and re-charge the batteries! As I prepare to leave the University for the best part of three months – it is time for me to reflect on what has been a very interesting year – where I have learned a lot, met new friends and developed skills which should help me as I progress through life.

My first thoughts are just how quick time has gone. I still remember nine months ago leaving home for the first time. I remember being incredibly nervous, but excited at the same time. Saying farewell to my family was a difficult experience, albeit only for three months. And yet, now, after the great experiences I have shared with my flatmates and friends, it was just as hard saying farewell to them for the Summer break – they have become like family. I remember being overwhelmed by the whole experience in the first few days – but in time I adjusted and ended up having a memorable time – I like to think that I made good use of my time.

In terms of the academic side of University – which is of course the most important part – there was certainly a step-up from previous studies. However, focusing on a certain subject, compared to three or four, was very appealing and allowed me to hone my skills. I adjusted well though to the changes, what made me proud were the stories I heard of students at my former school “dropping-out” of University after a few weeks. I always felt eventually the true strength of character of people would be shown in a testing time like this one. I also learned a lot about teamwork – I am not a fan of teamwork at all and prefer to work alone, but having to rely on others should help me in the future as I prepare in a few years to move into the workplace!

I would suggest perhaps what is best about University is the amount of different and exciting people you meet. There are a huge amount of cultures that convene upon one area, the amount you learn in enthralling. I am lucky to be part of a University with an enormous – 300 acre plus campus – when taking a walk around the campus it is hard not to admire the view – young people with bright futures sitting together, laughing – overall having a good time. Education is a wonderful thing – despite the huge costs involved, it is certainly well worth it.

My only real regret is that I perhaps didn’t push myself enough at the beginning of the year. As I mentioned before – I was struggling to come to terms with the mass change involved. But while others embraced the change, I almost hid in a shell, and started thinking too much! I believe the image below is something I should have embraced, but others in a similar position can use to their advantage!

Overall, it was a difficult choice to decide whether to go to University this year or the 2015/16 year, but I am delighted with the choice of going this year. I would certainly recommend it to anyone – it is a character-building exercise more than anything. I am fortunate to have made new friends here – hopefully friends for life, while I am also blessed to have the supportive family I do. Furthermore to also have the loyal followers and viewers of my blog – to give me the platform to express my views. In conclusion, it has been a very good year, I look forward to the summer now, before it all starts again in mid-September, where I hope for another successful year!

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(‘055’)