cold cold college
it seems that the past 3 years have been leading up to the "applying for college" phase of my life. so far, i have submitted UT and Michigan, and been accepted to UT business. i'm in the process of northwestern, dartmouth and yale(ha!).
this was one of my essays i sent to michigan, if you care to read it.
On November 8, 2005, voters in Texas passed Proposition 2, an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage, by an overwhelming margin of 75 percent. Also known as the “Texas Marriage Amendment,” Proposition 2 exclusively defines marriage as “the union of one man and one woman,” and it declares that the state “may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” While I know the passing of this amendment was inevitable, I strongly disagree with Proposition 2. I support gay rights and believe that any two people should have the right to marry under state and national law, regardless of their sexual preferences.
Many in support of Proposition 2 and similar amendments contend that allowing gays to marry will destroy the sacred bond of marriage. This argument is flawed because the majority of straight men and women in America have already tainted the bond of marriage. People who have had multiple divorces or gotten their marriage annulled after mere months are the ones to blame for making marriage meaningless. Currently, it is not an accomplishment to get married but to stay married. Conversely, homosexuals have been fervently fighting for years against marriage bans. In states where it is allowed, most homosexuals who get married have been together for decades, rather than some heterosexual couples who marry after a few weeks. Marriage is a luxury that many straight men and women take for granted
Our country prides itself on the principle that all citizens are given equal rights and privileges, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion. By denying gays the right to marry, we are going against the fundamental battle cry of the United States--freedom. We claim to be so far ahead of the theocratic Middle Eastern countries that still give no legal status to women. Yet how are we so different, when we also deny an entire sector of our population a basic right? In order for America to continue its legacy of freedom and equality, it is critical that every person be given the same right to marry whomever he or she chooses.
Back in the 1960s, my father’s seventh grade history teacher told him, “you can’t legislate morality,” a statement that has held true for many controversial issues in America’s past and present. Just like prohibition, abortion, and stem-cell research, the marriage between two people of the same sex is a moral issue that should be left to the discretion of each citizen. Unfortunately, the current rise of the “Christian Right” in many states has caused religious values to infiltrate government law. Essentially, the religiously neutral status of the United States is waning as the line between church and state gradually fades. Issues already resolved by the Supreme Court, such as abortion in Roe v. Wade, are once again under fire for their apparent incompatibility with conservative religious doctrine. I do not foresee a change in the dominance of the “Christian Right” in the near future. As defeating as it may sound, the right for gays to marry in the state of Texas is a dream far from realization.
hokay. my feet are freezing.
this was one of my essays i sent to michigan, if you care to read it.
On November 8, 2005, voters in Texas passed Proposition 2, an amendment to the state constitution banning gay marriage, by an overwhelming margin of 75 percent. Also known as the “Texas Marriage Amendment,” Proposition 2 exclusively defines marriage as “the union of one man and one woman,” and it declares that the state “may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” While I know the passing of this amendment was inevitable, I strongly disagree with Proposition 2. I support gay rights and believe that any two people should have the right to marry under state and national law, regardless of their sexual preferences.
Many in support of Proposition 2 and similar amendments contend that allowing gays to marry will destroy the sacred bond of marriage. This argument is flawed because the majority of straight men and women in America have already tainted the bond of marriage. People who have had multiple divorces or gotten their marriage annulled after mere months are the ones to blame for making marriage meaningless. Currently, it is not an accomplishment to get married but to stay married. Conversely, homosexuals have been fervently fighting for years against marriage bans. In states where it is allowed, most homosexuals who get married have been together for decades, rather than some heterosexual couples who marry after a few weeks. Marriage is a luxury that many straight men and women take for granted
Our country prides itself on the principle that all citizens are given equal rights and privileges, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion. By denying gays the right to marry, we are going against the fundamental battle cry of the United States--freedom. We claim to be so far ahead of the theocratic Middle Eastern countries that still give no legal status to women. Yet how are we so different, when we also deny an entire sector of our population a basic right? In order for America to continue its legacy of freedom and equality, it is critical that every person be given the same right to marry whomever he or she chooses.
Back in the 1960s, my father’s seventh grade history teacher told him, “you can’t legislate morality,” a statement that has held true for many controversial issues in America’s past and present. Just like prohibition, abortion, and stem-cell research, the marriage between two people of the same sex is a moral issue that should be left to the discretion of each citizen. Unfortunately, the current rise of the “Christian Right” in many states has caused religious values to infiltrate government law. Essentially, the religiously neutral status of the United States is waning as the line between church and state gradually fades. Issues already resolved by the Supreme Court, such as abortion in Roe v. Wade, are once again under fire for their apparent incompatibility with conservative religious doctrine. I do not foresee a change in the dominance of the “Christian Right” in the near future. As defeating as it may sound, the right for gays to marry in the state of Texas is a dream far from realization.
hokay. my feet are freezing.