Last modified: Sunday, March 4, 2007 11:38 PM EST EDITORIAL: Ocean State takes a step forward on gay marriage issue Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch's advisory opinion for the state to recognize gay marriages performed in Massachusetts and, further, to allow gay marriage there, is a step in the right direction for the Ocean State. Because of the proximity to Massachusetts, and Attleboro in particular, many gay couples in Little Rhody have been jumping over the border, visiting Attleboro City Hall and Seekonk Town Hall to obtain what should rightfully be available to any man or women in the United States no matter their sexual preference - a marriage license. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams on the idea of freedom - religious freedom then, but nonetheless a freedom to practice what you want as long as it brings no harm to others. When Massachusetts enacted the right for homosexuals to marry, the world did not end. The sky did not catch fire, the streets did not split open, the banks did not shut down. In short, for the majority of people in the state - the heterosexuals - life went on as usual. But what joy it brought to the minority of gays who rightfully felt like second-class citizens because they were unable to enjoy one of the strongest bonds two humans can have - marriage. Why anyone would want to deny people such joy and happiness is beyond us. To steal from The Beatles: Love is, after all, all you really need. And it is through the legal bond of marriage that homosexuals, too, can reap the rewards of that love, whether it be shared benefits or the right to make end-of-life decisions for their loved ones. Studies have shown that married couples, gay or straight, make for a stronger community simply because of the economics. Two salaries obviously make home ownership and educational opportunities easier to come by. Attleboro's connection to Rhode Island is a strong one. Many of us here identify more with Providence politics, for example, than the goings-on on Beacon Hill. We all know someone in Rhode Island, whether they be friends or family. You can bet some of those people are gay. Wouldn't it be nice if they, too, could have the opportunity to marry, like their brothers and sisters to the north? Hopefully, with Lynch's statement, the General Assembly gets the message that anything less than marriage rights is simply wrong, unequal and unfair. And, it is our hope that this latest movement spreads beyond Rhode Island. Only then will the United States be able to stand proudly up to its name as the land of the free, where every man and woman - no matter race, color, creed, or sexual preference - is equal.