I do! The marriage of homosexual couples is a hot topic today. It is a reminder of decades past when marriage between people of different ethnicities, race, and religious affiliation was banned (Buffie, 2011). In modern America, the culture is shifting again with more support for same-sex marriages. Many United States (U.S.) politicians are listening to their constituents on this debate and have changed their stance to in favor of same-sex marriage. Along with these politicians changing their stance, many states are overturning their previous bans on same-sex marriage. Federal and state governments need to legalize same-sex marriages to preserve the freedom to marry for all Americans. Legalization of same sex marriages legitimizes the couple’s equality in society, strengthens family health, and is an intrinsic right for all Americans.
Equality, Stability, and Rights
Allowing same-sex marriages provides socio-economic equalization of benefits that traditional couples are granted when they enter into the civil union of marriage. The socio-economic rights of pension benefits, hospital visitation, child support, affordable housing etc... are given freely, and are expected when a couple is married. These basic resources for a healthy marriage are typically absent when same-sex marriages or civil unions are in question (Dinno & Whitney, 2013). Currently in the U.S., 17 states plus the District of Columbia allows same-sex couples to marry and four others allow domestic partnerships or civil unions (Same sex marriage map, 2014). The states that the same-sex couples are married in, are typically, the only states where their marriage rights are guaranteed. It is up to the gaining state’s laws whether the marriage is legal and ca...
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14 Supreme Court Cases. (2012, July 19). 14 Supreme court cases: Marriage is a fundamental right . Retrieved from http://www.afer.org/blog/14-supreme-court-cases-marriage-is-a-fundamental-right/
United States District Court, Northern District of Calfornia. (2010). Perry v. schwarzenneger (C
09-2292 VRW). Retrieved from website: www.uscourts.gov
Wiersema. A. (2013, March 15). High-profile politicians who changed their positions on gay marriage. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/high-profile-politicians-changed-positions-gay-marriage/story?id=18740293
Wilper, A., Woolhandler, S., Lasser, K., McCormick, D., Bor, D., & Himmelstein, D. (2009).
Health insurance and mortality in us adult. US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health Search term Search database Clear input, doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.157685
Within America’s society today, 3.8 percent of the population is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. With only 17 of the 50 states legalizing and recognizing this type of relationship (“History…”), it puts a stronghold on same-sex couples to publicly declare their love with the promise of marriage. Same-sex marriages should be legalized because everyone has equal rights of freedom and liberty.
Abstract On June 26, 2015 a divided Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples could now marry nationwide. At the time of the split ruling there were 9 supreme court justices, 5 of the justices were Republicans, and the remaining 4 were Democrats. In high profile cases it is except that the justices will vote along party lines. When the 5-4 ruling was reveled by the following statement. “It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right (Corn,2015).” written by
On a global scale, the United States is a relatively wealthy country of advanced industrialization. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is among the costliest, spending close to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) towards funding healthcare (2011). No universal healthcare coverage is currently available. United States healthcare is currently funded through private, federal, state, and local sources. Coverage is provided privately and through the government and military. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population is covered to some extent, leaving a population of close to 48 million without any type of health insurance. Cost is the primary reason for lack of insurance and individuals foregoing medical care and use of prescription medications.
Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States is the only one that doesn’t have a universal health care plan (Yamin 1157). The current health care system in the United States relies on employer-sponsored insurance programs or purchase of individual insurance plans. Employer-sponsored coverage has dropped from roughly 80 percent in 1982 to a little over 60 percent in 2006 (Kinney 809). The government does provide...
For some background, this case escalated to the Supreme Court since several groups of same-sex couples from different states, sued state agencies when their marriage was refused to be recognized. As it escalated through appeals, the plaintiffs argued that the states were violating the Equal Protection clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Equal Protection, according to the Constitution refers to the fact that, “any State [shall not] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…” (23). The opposition of this case was that, 1) The Constitution does not address same-sex marriage as a policy, and 2) The sovereignty of states regarding the decision. Ultimately, and according to the Oyez project, the Court held that “[the Amendment] guarantees the right to marry as one of the fundamental liberties it protects, and that analysis applies to same-sex couples,” and therefore, same-sex marriage is a fundamental liberty.
Wilper, A. P., Woolhandler, S., Lasser, K. E., McCormick, D., Bor, D. H. & Himmelstein, D. U. 2009. Health insurance and mortality in US adults. American journal of public health. Vol. 99, Issue-12, Pgs 2289-2295.
The U.S. has recognized marriage as a basic human right by many court cases including Loving v Virginia. Since protecting the marriage of a black-Cherokee woman and a white man, the case has also helped support the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states. This is important because it creates a more united America by knocking down social constraints that disallowed the 5-10% of America identified as homosexual from being married. In the same way as blacks were not allowed to vote, gay couples were not allowed to marry. The legalization of same-sex marriage is helping bridge the split in social order of America by not outlawing same-sex couples for being “immoral” and implying the couples are less-deserving of marriage than a heterosexual relationship. The change of expanding the 14th amendment’s meaning of equal protection of rights for all citizens, in this case for marriage, is helping people treat each other as equivalent and allowing the country to take another step towards liberty and justice for
Health insurance is currently an important issue in the United States. Everyday more and more Americans become uninsured due to job loss and an increase in premiums. These Americans add to the ever growing population of 45.7 million people who are currently uninsured (Bialik). Moreover only 27% of those uninsured are under the age of 65 (NCHC). This is staggering considering most of those who are uninsured have, or soon will, suffer from some sort of illness or injury. As a result they will not be able to afford proper treatment. Insurance premiums can range in cost from fifty dollars per month, to fifteen hundred dollars per month (Kreidler). An individual’s premium is determined by factors they choose as well as other factors looked at by their provider. The cost of health insurance in America varies depending on the controllable factors, like particular insurance policies, and uncontrollable factors, like age.
Wolf, Richard. “Timeline: Same-Sex marriage through the years.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 June 2015,
"The Constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act in the Wake of Romer v. Evans ." New
Today, world’s population is aging at a very fast pace and United States is no exception to this demographic change. According to the U.S Census Bureau, senior citizens will be accounted for 21% of the American population in 2050 (Older Americans, 2012). Although living longer lives may not seem like a negative sign, living longer does not necessarily mean living healthier. Older adults of today are in need of long-term and health care services more than any generation before them (Older Americans, 2012). Because of the growing need for senior care, millions of families are facing critical decisions on how to provide care for their parents. In addition, declining birthrates may cause people to have less familial care and support as they age. To be able to provide the necessary care for senior citizens government funded long term care insurance program is needed.
Health insurance facilitates entry into the health care system. Uninsured people are less likely to receive medical care and more likely to have poor health. Many Americans are foregoing medical care because they cannot afford it, or are struggling to pay their medical bills. “Adults in the US are more likely to go without health care due to cost” (Schoen, Osborn, Squires, Doty, & Pierson, 2010) Many of the currently uninsured or underinsured are forced accept inferior plans with large out-of-pocket costs, or are not be able to afford coverage offered by private health insurers. This lack of adequate coverage makes it difficult for people to get the health care they need and can have a particularly serious impact on a person's health and stability.
Legal marriage is the right of all Americans regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay marriage is certainly a hot button issue. It invokes an emotional dialogue filled with passion, rage, hate and fear. However, at the base of it all, are two people who are in a committed relationship living normal and productive lives and contributing to society in a positive manner. This issue is being debated in every state of the union, and will eventually go to the Supreme Court.
Gay Marriage should be legal nationwide because no matter who you are, you deserve to be happy. In the bible, marrying the same gender is a sin, but whether you shoot up a school or you marry the same sex, a sin is a sin and God forgives all sins. People should not be looked down upon for being gay or wanting to be gay. Straight people treat gay people as if they are lesser, all people are equal. Not a single person is better than another. Gay people have a right to be happy and marry the one they love, same as straight people. Everyone deserves to find their special one, even if that means they are the same gender.
Gay and lesbian unions have been for a long time a subject that no one liked to discuss. For the last few decades, gays and lesbians have come out and expressed their sexuality preferences. Many believe that same sex marriage should not be legalized because it's against the moral. It's against the definition of marriage, which is considered as the union of a man and a woman as a husband and wife. Same sex marriage should be legalized because the way society views the union of lesbian and gays can a change. Another reason why same sex marriage should be legalized is that children that are issued from a gay or lesbian couple will be loved and raised in a family that is legally recognized under the law. Lesbians and gays also deserve to have the same rights as heterosexuals.