Boring.
So I wrote an opinion piece for my class... because I had to... and it was on a subject I'm passionate about, Gay Marriage Rights, and it came out boring. Mmm, facts, no passion. Get bored yourself and read it if the only thing you have to do that's more exciting is watching slugs crawl. Yeah, I'm not happy with it. But whatever. Go Gay Marriage! Rah rah rah! ...Or something. I think I need sleep. Lots of it.
Where Are the Basic Rights?
By Alisha Miller
Between February 12 and March 11, 2004, the city of San Francisco issued 4,037 marriage licenses to same sex couples. On March 11, 2004, the California state Supreme Court ordered the marriages stopped. More than a year later, Judge Richard Kramer declared the description of marriage as arbitrary and unfair and he struck down the law on the basis of it being unconstitutional. He cited the 1948 state Supreme Court’s ruling striking down interracial marriage. The passing of Proposition 22 in 2000 effectively bans the right to same sex marriage, and many have said that the next civil rights movement is for Gay Rights and the right to marry.
Marriage is something that can be found in every culture. Love and the desire to start a family drives people to unite themselves in every possible way. Love is indiscriminate. But with the new definition of marriage, many people are being denied the basic right to have a family of their own. This new definition is taken from the church, and that alone is unconstitutional. The separation of church and state is being ignored here. The ideals of a religion are shaping our laws and excluding homosexuals when in fact, the Constitution would clearly support the idea of gay marriage as their right equality and to their pursuit of happiness.
The opposition to same sex marriage talks about the sanctity of marriage, but the truth is, the divorce rate in America is 50 percent, higher than almost every other country in the world. There is very little, if any, evidence that supports the idea that same sex marriage defiles the sanctity of marriage in any way. It is an arbitrary statement that has its roots in religion. If we allow a ban on same sex marriages, what’s next? A ban on Buddhist and Wiccan weddings? A ban on atheist weddings? The possibilities are endless.
The real issue here is discrimination. Just as many minorities have been denied basic rights in the past, now too the homosexuals are having to fight to be considered equal. Everyone is different, but we all have the same basic rights, and no one should be denied these rights. The opposition argues that same sex unions provide the homosexuals with their basic rights, but that is not true. Same sex unions are not as binding as an official marriage and do not give the same rights to the spouse that marriage does. Furthermore, an article published in the journal Sexual Research and Social Policy declares the denial of marriage vows to same sex couples mentally harmful to homosexuals. A union is not viewed in the same light as marriage, and the constant discrimination can danger both partner’s mental health and ultimately, the relationship.
Homosexual couples everywhere want nothing more than to be accepted. They have been labeled as deviants and promiscuous people who are unable to commit to a monogamous relationship, when in reality, the homosexual community has approximately the same percentage of monogamous partnerships as heterosexuals. During the excitement to get married in San Francisco, couples who requested marriage licenses had monogamous relationships ranging from 2 to 37 years. They ranged in age from 18 to 83, but were generally found to be middle-aged, and came from hundreds of different occupations. A majority of them also held a college degree. They are just like everyone else and they represent a sizable chunk of the nation.
Slowly, same sex marriage is fighting to be accepted all over the world, and in our country, it has legally been recognized in Massachusetts. People have argued that the courts are overruling the public vote, but if it weren’t for the Constitutional right of the Courts to protect the minorities from the majority rule, both women and African-Americans would not have the right to vote.
The arguments presented by the opposition are both arbitrary and unconstitutional. Homosexuals, as demanded from the Constitution, should be treated equally and should have the same rights to the pursuit of happiness as their heterosexual counterparts. The campaign against same sex marriage is just plain discrimination, and anyone claiming to uphold the constitution should recognize this basic truth. It’s time people stood up for the rights of their fellow man, as promised to them by the United States Constitution.
And now a meme... ganked from... um... somebody... I forget. Yep, tired as all hell.
Greed:High
Gluttony:Medium
Wrath:Low
Sloth:Medium
Envy:Medium
Lust:Medium
Pride:Medium
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Going to hell! Woooo! But... not for Lust? Wow... I'm not greedy! *Dies* Damn crazy thing trying to convince me I'm evil. >.>; Evil I am not, yo. Well, maybe sometimes. But I blame that on being a Scorpio, yes indeed.
Where Are the Basic Rights?
By Alisha Miller
Between February 12 and March 11, 2004, the city of San Francisco issued 4,037 marriage licenses to same sex couples. On March 11, 2004, the California state Supreme Court ordered the marriages stopped. More than a year later, Judge Richard Kramer declared the description of marriage as arbitrary and unfair and he struck down the law on the basis of it being unconstitutional. He cited the 1948 state Supreme Court’s ruling striking down interracial marriage. The passing of Proposition 22 in 2000 effectively bans the right to same sex marriage, and many have said that the next civil rights movement is for Gay Rights and the right to marry.
Marriage is something that can be found in every culture. Love and the desire to start a family drives people to unite themselves in every possible way. Love is indiscriminate. But with the new definition of marriage, many people are being denied the basic right to have a family of their own. This new definition is taken from the church, and that alone is unconstitutional. The separation of church and state is being ignored here. The ideals of a religion are shaping our laws and excluding homosexuals when in fact, the Constitution would clearly support the idea of gay marriage as their right equality and to their pursuit of happiness.
The opposition to same sex marriage talks about the sanctity of marriage, but the truth is, the divorce rate in America is 50 percent, higher than almost every other country in the world. There is very little, if any, evidence that supports the idea that same sex marriage defiles the sanctity of marriage in any way. It is an arbitrary statement that has its roots in religion. If we allow a ban on same sex marriages, what’s next? A ban on Buddhist and Wiccan weddings? A ban on atheist weddings? The possibilities are endless.
The real issue here is discrimination. Just as many minorities have been denied basic rights in the past, now too the homosexuals are having to fight to be considered equal. Everyone is different, but we all have the same basic rights, and no one should be denied these rights. The opposition argues that same sex unions provide the homosexuals with their basic rights, but that is not true. Same sex unions are not as binding as an official marriage and do not give the same rights to the spouse that marriage does. Furthermore, an article published in the journal Sexual Research and Social Policy declares the denial of marriage vows to same sex couples mentally harmful to homosexuals. A union is not viewed in the same light as marriage, and the constant discrimination can danger both partner’s mental health and ultimately, the relationship.
Homosexual couples everywhere want nothing more than to be accepted. They have been labeled as deviants and promiscuous people who are unable to commit to a monogamous relationship, when in reality, the homosexual community has approximately the same percentage of monogamous partnerships as heterosexuals. During the excitement to get married in San Francisco, couples who requested marriage licenses had monogamous relationships ranging from 2 to 37 years. They ranged in age from 18 to 83, but were generally found to be middle-aged, and came from hundreds of different occupations. A majority of them also held a college degree. They are just like everyone else and they represent a sizable chunk of the nation.
Slowly, same sex marriage is fighting to be accepted all over the world, and in our country, it has legally been recognized in Massachusetts. People have argued that the courts are overruling the public vote, but if it weren’t for the Constitutional right of the Courts to protect the minorities from the majority rule, both women and African-Americans would not have the right to vote.
The arguments presented by the opposition are both arbitrary and unconstitutional. Homosexuals, as demanded from the Constitution, should be treated equally and should have the same rights to the pursuit of happiness as their heterosexual counterparts. The campaign against same sex marriage is just plain discrimination, and anyone claiming to uphold the constitution should recognize this basic truth. It’s time people stood up for the rights of their fellow man, as promised to them by the United States Constitution.
And now a meme... ganked from... um... somebody... I forget. Yep, tired as all hell.
Greed:High
Gluttony:Medium
Wrath:Low
Sloth:Medium
Envy:Medium
Lust:Medium
Pride:Medium
Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz
Going to hell! Woooo! But... not for Lust? Wow... I'm not greedy! *Dies* Damn crazy thing trying to convince me I'm evil. >.>; Evil I am not, yo. Well, maybe sometimes. But I blame that on being a Scorpio, yes indeed.