I Now Know Everything There Is (Not) To Know About Gay Rights.
Even as the numbers of gay rights advocates climb, it seems as though not everyone is a fan. The majority of America is still not amused by the display of liberalism, and continues to oppose the unfathomable shift from the conventional.
In a recent Fox News poll, it was shown that Americans oppose same-sex marriage by an overwhelming 66 to 25 percent margin. The results also showed that a majority of Americans also supported an amendment to the Constitution that would virtually ban gay marriage altogether (foxnews.com). In a similar Zogby poll, an internationally trusted strategic information database, it was found that by a 51 to 43 percent margin, voters agreed that a constitutional amendment was in order that would limit marriage to the union of a man and a woman (zogby.com) Clearly, the idea that Americans prefer that homosexuals be allowed to marry is a fallacy.
It is possible that such strong opposition exists because same-sex marriage threatens the traditional marriage and family. The change is so potentially harmful because the current conventional marriage between heterosexuals is the standard of measurement for society. If this standard is discarded, the entire definition of our society could fall into a chasm of confusion and chaos. According to the Family Research Council (FRC), “homosexual marriage is an empty pretense that lacks the fundamental sexual complementariness of male and female (FRC).” The effects of altering the basic concepts of sexuality within our civilization could be detrimental.
The Family Research Council eloquently states, “Homosexual marriage is a potent political issue with opponents ever more dedicated to preserving the traditional marriage.” Clearly, this fact continues to hold true. The opposition to the potentially disastrous plea for same-sex rights perserveres, and as long as this continues, America can feel safe and secure.
this is how i feel about same-sex marriage.
There Are Two Sides To Every Moral Collapse….
As the “War on Civil Rights” rages on, homosexuals are gathering support and ammunition, rallying their troops and charging into the heat of the battle. Brandished with swords of…political correctness and canons loaded with…equality, this growing force is beginning to batter the doors of the White House with its cries. However, the US government continues to turn a deaf ear to the cacophony. After suffering long and fighting hard, the homosexuals should no longer be denied their basic human rights.
According to Lambda Legal, “marriage provides protections for couples who have made a lifelong commitment to take care of and be responsible for each other (LL).” Same-sex couples are denied the rights that heterosexual couples enjoy based on their gender alone, and have no way to obtain these rights outside of marriage. For example, same-sex couples cannot visit a dying partner in the hospital, because said partner is not considered “family.” A homosexual life-partner also cannot make medical decisions for a partner in a coma, get family medical leave to care for an ill partner, or save the home or any possessions that that partner might leave behind in the event of death. These rights should not be considered “priveleges” exclusive to the heterosexual population.
Dignity USA reiterates, “These families deserve the same level of protection as heterosexual couples (DUSA).” Variations of domestic partnerships and recognitions of commitment are offered in some states and municipalities. However, the majority of these are disregarded as worthless if the state line is crossed, and they fail to offer any of the protections or benefits that a heterosexual marriage license would offer. These acknowledgements of support and commitment are also unhealthy for the psyche of homosexual couples, because they generally are perceived as less than a full marriage. According to Bell and Weinburg, the self-esteem of a homosexual is exponentially lowered by the lack of acceptance he or she receives (Bell/Weisenburg, Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality, pg.58), and the virtually useless certificate a same-sex couple may obtain as an effort to recognize its commitment has a detrimental effect on the participants.
The sweat, blood, and tears continue to pour out on our nation as same-sex couples persist in battling for their rights. These rights undeniably should be free for any citizen of our country to enjoy, and not simply reserved priveleges for heterosexual couples. We can all hope that the battalions of troops will perservere in making our country a more open-minded arena, that our bull-headed and previously morally bound government will eventually wise-up, and that our very well-dressed soldiers will soon come home victorious.
:p
Be Careful What You Wish For….
In present-day America, more and more people are whole-heartedly supporting gay marriage. Rallies, protests, and the general media are throwing themselves in front of the homosexual bullet. Defensively shouting that “marriage is about love,” and that “gay rights are civil rights,” the vast majority of America’s citizens are blindly waving their picket signs without considering the havoc that legalizing gay marriage would bring. Contrary to obscenely popular belief, gay marriage is not a civil right, and would permanently damage this country if allowed.
Gay rights supporters frequently make the claim that America is denying the homosexual population its civil rights. True, the Constitution does state that it is illegal to “discriminate based on age, race, or gender.” True, homosexuals, like the rest of Americans, are completely entitled to the right to marry. However, according to the Family Research Council (FRC), “no citizen has the unrestricted right to marry whoever they want.” A parent cannot marry their child, a brother cannot marry his sister, two or more spouses cannot marry, and a one cannot marry the spouse of another. If homosexuality is allowed, what stops any of these groups to begin vying for its “civil rights” as well? These restrictions exist to protect society on the whole, and the consequences of eliminating them are much more vast than proclaiming that “love is love” can negate.
Not only would society be permanently damaged by legalizing gay marriage, but the children caught in the crossfire of these exchanges would be as well. Reported in a 2004 study (ADF), male couples will be 50% more likely to divorce than opposite-sex couples. The divorce rates of opposite sex couples are already crippling, and the children adopted into the clearly more transitory and volatile same-sex relationships would have a very slim chance at stability.
Unfortunately, the push for gay rights only strengthens, and the picket signs are becoming even more vivid and rainbow-coloured. What Americans must realize is that the consequences of legalizing such a catastrophic change would damage our country in multiple aspects. This controversial issue spans beyond the demands of “love,” and into the standards of our country.
Toulmin’s Argument (Gay Marriage)
Personally, I believe that homosexuality is both a physically and emotionally harmful practice to the persons who engage in it and society at large, if left to spread.
Although Hollywood is consistently advertizing images of the happy, healthy, well-adjusted homosexual, the media is not depicting the instability, promiscuity, and unhealthy and risky sex practices, factors that greatly increase the incidence of serious and incurable sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including hepatitis, HPV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS. Although heterosexuals are by no means immune to these risks, statistics show that homosexuals are most likely to engage in loose, promiscuous relationships that are precarious to their health.
Not only are homosexual relationships and marriages harmful to the physical health of those involved, but they are also harmful to the emotional psyche of homosexuals and those around them. Studies show that homosexual men are two times as likely to beat their partners as heterosexual men (VirtueOnline). In many cases, this abuse is more damaging emotionally than physically. Studies also show that homosexuals are more likely to have mental illnesses. There are many speculations as to why this occurs, but the most conclusive answer is that “widespread prejudice against homosexual people causes them to be unhappy or worse, mentally ill” (D. Bailey).
Physically and emotionally, homosexuality has proven itself to be dangerous. This practice cannot be allowed to legalize itself and make its way into the “conventional” American lifestyle. Homosexual relationships will always occur and are not a new concept. However, American government would be legalizing a major threat if it legalized the marriage of homosexuals.
Finding the Rhetoric in the Rough
With diligence, determination, and vigor, amateur and professional miners alike have been known to purge the rough and rocky landscape around them in an effort to uncover a single shining gem. When it’s sparkle first catches the wary eye, an unmistakeable thrill slices the air and it is immediately captured and put away for safest keeping. Like the most beautiful and valuable gem, an example of rhetoric to an intelligent and analytical reader is priceless. He or she may find rhetoric in the most unexpected or unusual places, or maybe right under his or her nose. In this way, discovering rhetoric could be much like finding “a diamond in the rough!”
Examples of Rhetoric (all from A Night Without Armor by Jewel Kilcher)
Hyperbole: I could wander the continent of your golden valleys without ceasing and delight each day in discovering a new dawn rising from the depths of your mysterious being. (pg 24)
Rhetorical Question: Can you imagine how silent a plane crash would be if you were deaf? How unbearably loud a rape? (pg 74)
Anaphora/Repetition: I guess what I wanted was to hear you’d stay with me always. I guess what I wanted was to see those hands vowing to never leave my own. I guess what I wanted was to know I am not loving in vain. (pg 102)
Parallelism: The truth is, I tried, but never found your adoration anything other than arduous, your niceties cliched, your praise thoughtless…(pg 108)
Epistrophe: For hours I would lay flat upon the meadows, stare at the endless field of blue sky and revel in the divine placement of all things. I would walk alond in the woods and let my mind wander freely, stumble across theories on the origins of myself and all things. (pg 134)
A carefully placed metaphor can be as lovely and priceless as a rare gem. Although examples of rhetoric are not quite as rare as “a diamond in the rough,” they are every bit as valuable and precious to an analytical reader.
Summer Assignment 1 and 2
Summer Assignment 1 Carisa Hutchison
With a keyboard at my fingertips and the World Wide Web in the palm of my hand, I daringly stepped into the blogging universe for this summer assignment. After having the somewhat unexpected pleasure of evaluating several very interesting student blogs, I chose three of the most personally memorable. All are very different and have their own distinct characteristics and idiosyncrasies. The three blogs I chose to assess were Clare Brown’s “Nobody Left to Hate,” Aaron Wilkes’s “Article for Creation,” and Landon Miller’s “Rough Draft 2.”
Clare Brown’s blog “Nobody Left to Hate” was extremely intriguing. With a lovely color scheme and the eye-catching title Chasing My Thoughts, her page was very visually appealing and attractive. Her site was also exceptionally easy to navigate with clear-cut posts and pages. I found her “Nobody Left to Hate” blog immediately and was excited to see what she had written about. Her article was fascinating and packed with information. She chose the recent and controversial topic of the Columbine High School shooting and summarized all her data in an easy to read, genuine manner. All of her information was very fact-based, but she still kept her readers interested with her dynamic style. She demonstrated a very large vocabulary and even chose to use literary devices such as alliteration and assonance throughout. Clare also pulled information directly from the book Nothing Left to Hate by Elliot Aronson, making good use of both direct and indirect quotes. Clearly stating her theme and dramatically making her point, Clare Brown made her blog “Nothing Left to Hate” a personal favorite of mine.
“Article for Creation” by Aaron Wilkes was slightly disappointing, to put it nicely. While I was drawn to his title Mt. Dew, Memories, and Too Much Fun, I found that not only did the three topics in his title not really relate to each other, but they also did not relate to anything on his page in the least. After clicking on his link and directing myself to his page, I also found that his previous title did not transfer onto the page at all, and the first thing I saw was the gigantic sentence, “I Lived Through the End of the World and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt . . . It’s Not Even the Right Size.” While possibly humorous to some, this was also extremely irrelevant to anything he had to say, and immediately deterred me from wanting to pursue his thoughts further. The black and white background and setup, although drab and dull to me, were not outlandishly unattractive. However, his header overlapped onto his first sentence of his article, making it hard to follow. Even with this flaw, it was fortunate that I did choose his first blog, “Article for Creation,” because his others were very difficult to locate. There were no headers to speak of, so I could not scroll through his page and easily find any of his other items. He did have links to his other entries directly to the right, but they also repelled me due to their lack of professionalism in their titles. For example, one in particular was titled, “Case Clusters . . . woo.” The topic Aaron chose for “Article for Creation” was somewhat controversial and interesting, but the way he chose to present it was not. He simply listed facts and stats, all of which are from an anonymous author. I was not intrigued or impressed by “Article for Creation.”
The last blog that I chose to evaluate was “Rough Draft 2″ by Landon Miller. His title for his page, Life of A Band Geek, was quaint and helped reveal his personality. His articles and pages were very easy to find, and his homepage was attractive and welcoming, decked out in bright colors and a vivacious ocean theme. I did have a slight difficulty following his thoughts in “Rough Draft 2,” (possibly because he did not have a real title to his blog) and I never really understood what his topic was, or what his opinion on his topic was, although it did seem to be negative. These issues, some misspelled words, and a few grammatical errors did put a damper on my opinion of his blog, but I loved his page and ocean theme.
To conclude, I actually enjoyed this assignment. I took a bold step into the vast blogging universe this week, and learned a great deal from what I saw. The good, the bad, and the ugly alike were all exposed and at my fingertips, and that was both intimidating and exciting. This essay will now also be lovingly placed into the blogging world, where it will have the same privileges, and where readers just like me will be able to either admire my work or rip me to shreds. What an honor!
Summer Assignmnent 2
Sandy Banks is a lovely black lady who would not catch my attention if she were to walk by me on the street. I came across her body of work on the LA Times RSS Feeds, at the bottom of the list of opinions columnists. Her name even seemed unassuming, and so I looked through every other columnist’s work before I begrudgingly clicked on hers. While all of the other columnist’s opinions seemed to be dull and negative ones having to do with the failing economy, I was pleasantly surprised to find that her articles were different. I began by skimming the headings of the articles, and was interested in the majority of them. As I began reading I discovered that she seemed to have a great interest in teens in general, and generally wrote about their opinions on very controversial topics. I began to learn about her personal life through her work, and learned that she has a teenage daughter herself, and has very liberal views that I strongly disagree with and love reading about. Ms. Banks didn’t really pose arguments or try to persuade her readers. Her articles were more like narratives, with subtle opinions laced into the plot. She didn’t use a large amount of literary devices, but her word choice was very descriptive and hooked the reader. I would love to continue my subscription to her feed.
I am a music lover…a music breather. So I was thrilled when I subscribed to the Music Reviews feed of the LA Times. I was disappointed, however, upon further inspection. I skimmed through all of the headings itching to find something of interest. I found many articles on classical music and philharmonic developments, which unfortunately did not interest me at all. The headings themselves did not help; they were all very dull and would not grab anyone’s attention. I was also let down when I discovered that none of the few “reviews” on recent albums were actual reviews, but rather short memos declaring that there was, in fact, a recent album by so-and-so band and it was fairly pleasant. Also, each time I made an effort to click on an article that did interest me, the page told me that the article was no longer available. Ironically, each time I clicked on a Philharmonic or smooth jazz related page, I was able to read until my heart’s content. In those articles, the words themselves were dull, factual, emotionless, and ultimately mind-numbing, with no traces of a single literary device. Needless to say, I am not interested in keeping this feed around.
Oddly enough, I found a great deal of pleasure in reading through the Fashion and Style feed of the LA Times. I did not expect to be so captivated by the articles, as I am not really a fashion connoisseur like some. However, all of the headings that I came across were attention-grabbers, and the articles themselves did not disappoint. The content was shallow and smacked of black and white couture, caught between fashion’s constant urge to be different and unique and the bad habit of ridiculing those who are. Idolizing the actresses and the rock stars and the no-talent celebutantes, the fashion and style feed was inexplicably addictive. Each article was different, some with a very small amount of content that left you wanting more, others with a little too much information and fluff. I consistently enjoyed the writer’s style and word choice, and was often pleasured by a simile here or a metaphor there. Each article was factual and opinionated, with a select few that could have been portrayed as argumentative. I greatly enjoyed my hours of devotion to the Fashion and Style feed, and plan to continue regular readings.
Do Tattoos Signify Mental Disorders?
In a recent study, children were interviewed about their personal knowledge and opinions of tattoos (Houghton, S. & others, 1995). A five year old was asked the question, “If you were out shopping with your mom, what would she say if she saw someone with a tattoo?” He reportedly answered, “…only people like bikies or gangsters get tattoos.” When an even younger child was asked his opinion, he said, “That’s what some people do [have a tattoo] if they think they are really tough.”
Tattooed individuals are much more likely to have school problems compared to their nontattooed peers. Those with amateur tattoos are even more likely to struggle, reporting much lower academic grades. Surprisingly, recent studies have shown that gender, ethnicity, and neighborhood type are not necessarily associated with tattooing (Roberts, T.A., Ryan, S.A., 2002). However, adolescents whose parents had a highschool education or less were more likely to be tattooed, and adolescents whose parents had a college education or more were much less likely to be tattooed. Tattooed individuals are much more likely to attend juvenile detention centers, and inversely, those adolescents in juvenile detention centers are much more likely to walk out with an amateur tattoo that they did not walk in with.
Tattooed adolescents are also much more likely to engage in personally harmful forms of rebellion as compared to their unmarked peers. Sexual promiscuity has a very high correlation with tattooing. A whopping 83% of young people with tattoos report a history of sexual intercourse compared with a measly 36% of nontattooed adolescents. Tattooed adolescents are four times as likely to have lost their virginity than nontattooed adolescents.
