I wish I could say that I agreed with my peer that the United States was ready for gay marriage, but I think that we have a long way to go for true equality in this nation. In her article, "Same Sex Marriage," she makes great points about the sanctity of marriage - or the lack of it for those in the public eye, but leaves out so much more on the challenges we face to get to where we need to be. I agree that it is fear that prevents us from moving forward to a more equal nation, but that fear is deep in the hearts of many, especially in the south. However, the biggest problem that we face, is that the definition of marriage is a reserved power in the Constitution. This means that the states will individually have to decide to alter their definition of marriage, and that the US Government does not have the power to make this change.  These are the same states that invented Jim Crowe laws, and that were integrated by threat of force only 50 years ago. I want to say that equality will win out, but I am far too much of a realist to think that forcing someone to question their narrow-minded or religious beliefs will be easy or painless. I support gay marriage, but I also see the long road ahead that we must walk to get there.