A poll from Elon University shows something that many wouldn't expect from North Carolina (especially if you listen to the state's Republican lawmakers and County Commissioner Bill James), more than half of Tar Heel State residents believe same-sex unions should receive legal recognition.

The Elon University survey found that 29 percent of respondents in the state support civil unions or partnerships for same-sex couples but not full marriage rights. About 28 percent of people support full marriage rights.

Meanwhile, only 35 percent of respondents opposed all legal recognition for same-sex partners, down from 44 percent when the question was asked two years ago.

"That's a substantial move," said Elon poll director Hunter Bacot. "We're seeing people becoming more comfortable with the issue."

About two dozen Republican senators in North Carolina have proposed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex unions. Similar measures have previously been filed in the General Assembly but have gone nowhere, but Republicans now control both chambers of the legislature for the first time in more than a century.

It's about time that the country moved its focus from who wants to get married and allow everyone to experience the joy and pain of marriage. According to my married and divorced friends: Divorce, not same-sex marriage, is the biggest threat to matrimony in America.