Same-Sex Marriage

1121 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Symbolic interactionist interpretation of gay marriage rights

Same-Sex Marriage

The United States is known world wide for its civil rights and freedoms. Many Americans are appalled by the idea of same-sex marriages. What?s wrong with the idea of two people who care greatly for one another wanting to spend their lives together? The gay community is misunderstood because many straights are not willing to listen. These individuals would rather just be closed-minded in this situation and reticent to really think about what this means to the gay community and the country. Same sex couples are not asking for any special rights; they are just asking to be treated equal with opposite sex couples. The explanations given by many Americans against gay marriages are based on false assumptions and unsubstantiated arguments. However, the real and unspoken reasons many heterosexuals have against same-sex marriages are based on religious beliefs.

There are a number of false assumptions the straight community has regarding same sex marriages. Marriage is a basic human right and an individual personal choice. The government should not interfere with same-sex couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitment of the institution of marriage. The real nature of marriage is not a relationship between a man and a woman but rather a binding commitment between two adults. Another false assumption regarding same sex marriages is that the institution of marriage is for procreation. If so, why are infertile individuals allowed to marry? Why are childless couples allowed to remain married? The false assumption that the institution of marriage ensures the continuation of the species is hard to visualize with the current population of the world. The notion of institution of marriage being threatened by same-sex marriages is an additional false assumption by the straight community. In the 1950?s miscegenation laws prevented interracial marriages between whites and blacks. A 1967 United States Supreme Court decision finally legalized mixed race marriages. Interracial marriages have not irreparably harmed the institution of marriage. The false assumption of marriage being between a man and a woman, for procreation, continuation of the species, and that the institution of marriage will be threatened by same sex marriages is unfounded.

Opponents of same-sex marriage argue that it is immoral,...

... middle of paper ...

...ntry struggled with whether women should vote. There was fear that our country would decline if women voted for it too was an untried social experiment. However, the country did not decline after women won the right to vote nor did it decline when blacks were given the right to vote. The history of our country is that of expanding civil rights. This fundamental civil right should be afforded to all loving and committed adult couples throughout our country not just opposite-sex couples. Reticence to understand homosexuality causes many straights to not be comfortable with homosexuality and believe same-sex marriage is unnatural. Furthermore, many straights cite religious reasons as just cause for not legalizing same-sex marriages.

Same-sex marriages should be legalized in the United States. This country has steadily opened the minds of Americans to the meaning of equality and freedom evidenced by allowing blacks and women to vote and allowing interracial marriages. The time has come to get past the false assumptions and unsubstantiated arguments. It is time to understand that religious beliefs need to be separated from the state and to legalize gay marriage. It?s a civil right.

Show More
Related

  • Power in Soldier’s Home by Ernest Hemingway

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    When people think of the military, they often think about the time they spend over in another country, hoping they make it back alive. No one has ever considered the possibility that they may have died inside. Soldiers are reborn through war, often seeing through the eyes of someone else. In “Soldier’s home” by Ernest Hemingway, the author illustrates how a person who has been through war can change dramatically if enough time has passed. This story tells of a man named Harold (nick name: Krebs) who joined the marines and has finally come back after two years. Krebs is a lost man who feels it’s too complicated to adjust to the normal way of living and is pressured by his parents.

    Read More

  • Ex-Offender Reentry Process

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Policymakers on the national, state, and local levels are always finding ways to improve the nature of the reentry process. The reentry process starts in correctional facilities and helps inmates prepare themselves for release and proceeds with their transition back into society as law-abiding citizens. In comparison to the average American, ex-offenders tend to be less educated, less likely to gain employment, suffer from substance abuse, or have been diagnosed with a mental illness. All of these aspects discussed are shown to be risk factors for recidivism, which is the tendency that causes criminals to re-offend. Generally, the offender reintegration process needs to be improved by properly monitoring the outcomes for reentry programs in order to return prisoners back to society safely.

    Read More

  • How Does Harold Krebs Change In A Soldier's Home

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Ernest Hemingway's short story, “A Soldier’s Home”, Hemingway uses Harold Krebs’ war experiences and PTSD from the war, his lack of trust in the American Dream and in his family and friends and the anger and hurt he feels in his hometown and even in his own home to reveal the transformation of American that is brought on by the war and how many of the American values have changed. Harold Krebs is the main character in Hemingway’s short story and a war hero. As Krebs arrives back to his hometown from the war in 1919, he notices how none of the people in the town are excited to see him, most likely because he came home a while after the other veterans, and how he cannot get anyone to listen to his stories about the war.Krebs finds it odd how his hometown is acting and, at this point in time, he starts to notice a few of the subtle ways in which his hometown has started to change as a result of the time period.

    Read More

  • Criminal Recidivism: The Rehabilitation Of A Prison?

    1716 Words  | 4 Pages

    For much of society prison is viewed as a facility that segregates and imprisons individuals who commit acts of crimes considered deviant from accepted social behaviors, to ensure the safety and security of the overall community. These individuals are thus handed down a mandated sentence, stripped of their individual freedoms, and are told to reflect on their actions as a means of punishment. However, this method fails to recognize the notion that a majority of these people will one day be allowed back into society, and as a result those who are released tend to fall back into old habits contributing to the rising recidivism rate that currently plagues our prisons. In recent years there has been a gradual push for the implementation of rehabilitation

    Read More

  • Recidivism In The Justice System

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Recidivism is a major problem in the United States, as nearly two-thirds of those released from prison, reoffend. In fact, in many cases those who were initially incarcerated for non-violent crimes, often escalate to violence, after release from prison. A U.S. Department of Justice special report released in 2014, entitled: Recidivism of

    Read More

  • Gay Marriage Persuasive Essay

    1374 Words  | 3 Pages

    As an American citizen, a person should be entitled to marry whoever they choose, regardless of gender or sexual preference. Gay marriage is something that some people consider to be taboo while other people are very supportive of it; I am one of the latter. The ability to marry someone is a basic human right and it should not be taken away from someone because they love a person of the same gender. One of the main reasons that gay marriage is illegal in the United States is because of what the Bible says about it, regardless of the fact that the first Amendment of the US Constitution says that there is to be a separation between church and state. Approximately three point eight percent of the United States population is made up of people

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Music Analysis

    1706 Words  | 4 Pages

    The story unfolds while a church choir sings music that is seemingly immaculate and full of hope. During the subsequent scenes at Capulet’s party, “Kissing You” by Des’ree, a power ballad, plays in the background signifying the love between Romeo and Juliet that is to come. The lyrics “Where are you now?” play as Juliet dances and Romeo looks on, reflecting his love and his longing for her. Although some of these moments do not appear in chronological order, like the wedding scene, they serve to fit the tone of the music more than actually tell the story. This tale of love, along with its music, is quickly cut short by Benvolio screaming, much like how the tale of Romeo and Juliet meets a premature end. The music stops just as Benvolio screams and a more upbeat song takes its

    Read More

  • “Soldier’s Home” by Hemingway

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is an essay on the short story “Soldier’s Home” by Hemingway. Will the life of a soldier ever be the same after returning from war? Many generations of young adults have gone from their homes with tranquil settings to experience war and come home to a different world. Many have witnessed the devastations and atrocities that occur with war. Harold Krebs, a young man from a small town with a loving family is no different from those before him and those to follow. The anguish of what war is however cannot dispel the thoughts and memories of what many young men come home to face in the real world. Many have trouble coping in the new world known as home.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Very Little Helps By Banksy

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    Banksy’s artwork “Very Little Helps” made in 2008 is an artwork using screen printing. The theme of the artwork is that we are a people who worship consumerism and have more respect and appreciation for shopping than we have for our country and what people have done to make the country what it is now. Banksy has depicted the theme of the work by using a Tesco bag on a flagpole in place of the flag and having people standing at attention while it is raised. My first impression of the artwork is that it speaks a truth that so many people can’t see because they are actually involved in consumerism so heavily. A large amount of the context of the artwork has to do with the composition and everything all fits together.

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Rehabilitation Programs for Reducing Recidivism

    2497 Words  | 5 Pages

    Recidivism refers to the tendency of reversion to criminal activities of the released inmates. It is measured by the frequency with which released offenders return to incarceration for new crimes. The rates reflect on the effectiveness of instituted programs that focus on integrating the released offenders into the society (Schmalleger, 2007). When the rates are healthy, it means that the programs in place are doing well in helping the offender restrain from criminal activities. The importance of correctional programs cannot be downplayed for any reason. The programs whether in the prison or out are effective in saving the nation a huge amount in providing public safety and taxes (Pollock, 2004).

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Banksy's The Flower Thrower

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    Activism comes in all shapes and sizes, and when someone does it in an unusual way it cannot go unnoticed. Banksy’s “The Flower Thrower” is a perfect example of this due to the fact that it’s vandalism with a deeper meaning. The man known as Banksy is a graffiti artist and a political activist, and the most intriguing thing about him is that he chooses to remain anonymous. There are many theories about his identity, one even claiming that he is a fictional character. Despite proof of his identity, several countries are on the look out for him. Many have even issued warrants for his arrest because his public works are considered vandalism. His paintings are known for making people question their everyday lives and really

    Read More

  • Same Sex Marriage

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Same sex marriage should be legalized. Gays and lesbians deserve to have the same rights in their unions as heterosexuals have. It is important to legalize same sex marriage because:

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Soldier's Home

    1055 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is never easy for anyone to be away from his or her own family. Certain situations happen in ones life that forces him to leave his family behind. More often than not, one leave home for a better job elsewhere, keeping in mind that in doing so, he will be able to provide for his family and give a better life. Others, like the ones in the military, have no choice but to do his duty to the country and to help keep the country safe for his family to live in. “Soldier’s Home”, written by Pulitzer and Nobel Prize awardee Ernest Hemingway, talks about the adventure of Krebs, a marine soldier and how his life turns out when he comes back from battle. In analyzing “Soldier’s Home”, I would like to talk about the story’s characters, the theme of

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Same Sex Marriage

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    In recent years, same-sex marriage has become a more controversial topic on whether it’s right or wrong. People should not feel coerced to agree with something they believe is wrong; clearly, same-sex marriage is immoral and unnatural. Many complications come with same-sex marriages including financial pressures, social pressures, moral pressures, and health risks.

    Read More

  • Same-Sex Marriage

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marriage is just one way for two people to show their love for another. Whether it is two men, two women, or a man and a woman, love is love. People against gay marriage do not have the right to deny people of showing their love for one another. Everyone deserves the same rights as Americans and also just as people. The United States of America promotes freedom, liberty, and justice for all people. Same-sex couples are many times not included when it comes to marriage rights.

    Read More

More about Same-Sex Marriage

Open Document