Monday three Iowa judges (Marsha Thurness pictured left, David Baker and Michael Streit)  received the prestigious Profile In Courage Award from Caroline Kennedy for their part in the Varnum v. Brien decision legalizing marriage equality in Iowa. Wednesday President Obama comments that he can see no reason that same sex couples can’t marry. Yet two more small steps in the on-going drama as another group inches toward human equality in a nation which touts equality of all citizens in many of its founding documents.

One of the greatest struggles in the United States is the struggle between what we as a nation profess to believe and what we actually practice. The stated equality for all citizens is sadly still an unachieved goal in many areas nearly 240 years after the Declaration of Independence and almost 225 years after the adoption of our Constitution.

One can safely say that African Americans are still not treated the same before the law as caucasians. Latinos have recently had laws passed in several states that are drafted specifically to treat them differently. Women as a group continue to be treated by many state legislatures as second class citizens. The poor have their rights trampled on daily. And the rich not only are treated differently, but they do not hide their open attempts to buy legislative votes for their interests.

I applaud and thank President Obama for his statement supporting marriage equality. But as noted above, true equality will be a long time coming yet.

And a question for those who are fighting so hard to keep so many groups in less than first class status. Do you really want to live in the society that you are working so hard to create? Remember, those who take away the rights of others can easily take yours away also.