Throughout recent years, two major issues have become prevalent in the United States, followed by increasing debate of whether they should be regulated by the federal government or state governments: same-sex marriage and immigration. Although the federal government has attempted to deal with same-sex marriage in the past, it has become evident that the public is not in agreement over this issue, rendering the efforts of the federal government to be ineffective and stagnant. Additionally, with an ever increasing flow of immigrants, the federal government is unable to regulate immigration well, leaving states to deal with many problems themselves. Therefore, it has become apparent to the American public that despite the federal government’s efforts to handle the issues of same-sex marriage and immigration, the effects have not had a major impact, leaving the state governments to control situations presented by these issues. In the past, gay rights were nonexistent and homosexuals faced an overwhelming amount of discrimination. Among all minority groups, “gay activists may face the toughest battle for equality.”(wps.longman.com). Simply on the basis of their sexuality, homosexuals often face discrimination in the workplace, education, housing, and access to public places. (wps.longman.com). Although one would expect the government, of all institutions, to treat all people equally, homosexuality in the military was once met with strong opposition. Prior to it being recently repealed under the Obama administration, the “Don’t ask don’t tell” policy in the United States military banned open homosexuality among its members. This policy that lasted almost twenty years allowed men and women to serve in the armed forces, so long as they... ... middle of paper ... .... Web. 16 Dec. 2011. . "Court to Weigh Arizona Statute on Immigration." New York Times. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. . "Obama Touts Efforts to Advance Gay Rights." Chinadaily US Edition. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. . "Same Sex Marriage." NCSL Home. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. . "Same-Sex Married Couples | California Franchise Tax Board." Franchise Tax Board Homepage. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. . "SB1070 - 492R - Senate Fact Sheet." Arizona State Legislature. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. .
...protest movements throughout America and the world.” Among the gay community Stonewall has become the word for freedom, for fighting, for equality. It became a turning point in Gay history, so much so that most books on the subject refer to “pre-Stonewall” and “post-Stonewall” as the lines of demarcation. Of course the journey is still long and fight has not been won. At the turn of the century there were still 20 states that made homosexual sex illegal , any only a few states would recognize the love and companionship of gays through marriage or civil unions. The military policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is still active and prejudices continue to exist. But, as exemplified by any other civil rights movement, it is through the constant grind of activists and lay-people constantly protesting and educating, that change occurs, even if only one person at a time.
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
Mark Twain stated: “It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either”. Perhaps this is what happened when the new law of Arizona was created. What does law means? Law is a set of rules established by a governing authority to institute and maintain orderly coexistence (Merriam Webster’s). A new law named SB 1070 has been written with hostile points that threats human rights. Thousands of illegal immigrants were force to return back to their countries. I admit that illegal immigration is a Federal Government crime, but SB 1070 is a discriminatory law against Hispanics. I believe Arizona’s Law SB 1070 should be forbidden because it only targets one specific type of illegal aliens, those who are Hispanic, which promotes racism.
In the essay “Why gays shouldn’t serve” by David Horowitz he states that “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell policy is a way of containing the destructive force of sex on a combat capability called Unit Cohesion. (354)” This controversial topic has surfaced more and more recently because Barack Obama wanted to let all people serve in the military, regardless of their sexual orientation. “More than 1,000 retired flag and general officers have joined us in signing an open letter to President Obama and Congress, repeal of this law would prompt many dedicated people to leave the military (James J. Lindsay).” There are multiple points you could focus on when trying to explain your point on why gays or lesbians should not serve in the military. The first point we will be focusing on is: how would military life change if straight men or women knew that there were gays or lesbians sleeping next to them? The second point is: would straight men and women communicate with the gays or lesbians the same way as they would toward other straight men or women? The third and final point is: how would other countries view our military if they knew we had gays or lesbians in the military?
In the past decades, the struggle for gay rights in the Unites States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was viewed as immoral. Many people also viewed it as pathologic because the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained in ‘the closet’ because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in the society. According to David Allyn, though most gays could pass in the heterosexual world, they tended to live in fear and lies because they could not look towards their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often shut down to keep openly gay people under close scrutiny (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves in fighting for
Arizona’s immigration law should be abolished because it creates racial profiling in society. This law is encouraging racism problem to increase because without this law our country already has to face with so many problems about racism. Come back to Arizona’s immigration law, I wonder how officer can stop each individual with the reasonable suspicions exits that someone is illegal immigrants. Will it base on people with color skin or people who cannot speak English? The answer should be yes, because the law allow officer can stop each individual just base on their perceptions. And of course by looking at people with color skin, they can tell who is from America or not. However, people do not have a right to make any judgment and perception
Whitlock, Craig, and Greg Jaffe. "Pentagon supports ending 'don't ask, don't tell' law for gays in military." Washington Post 3 February 2010, Print.
"Senate Joint Resolution No. 232." Legislative Information System. Legislative Information System, 08 Mar. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.
Code 35-50-2-6 Version b (P.L. 158-2013. Available at http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title35/ar50/ch2.html. Accessed on 16 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. 8 Ind. & Exp.
In September 2011, the United States lifted the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (DADT), which restricted gay, lesbian, and bisexuals from openly serving in the military. This was the first time in American history in which people of every sexual orientation could serve openly (“11 Facts About,” n.d.). This was a momentous occasion for some and not so much for others. For those military members that had served in secret and those members that were firmly against gays and lesbians, this repeal had different meaning. Both groups contained members that have served in the military for years and were products of the Former President Bill Clinton’s 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. For many soldiers of this era, communication issues arose due to a pre-existing mentality, learned rules and regulations in services reinforced for two decades and the general cultural within combat related fields.
In the 1940s, homophobia was extremely prevalent in the United States. People who were openly gay were often stigmatized. “Homosexuality was discussed as ‘an aspect of three personality disorders: psychopaths who were sexual perverts, paranoid personalities who suffered from homosexual panic, and schizoid personalities’ who displayed gay symptoms” (Kaiser 29). Many regulations and practices discriminated against gays. The military found homosexuality to be a direct threat to strength and safety of the U.S. government and the American people, in general. In 1941 the Army and the Selective Service banned homosexuals from participation in the war (Kaiser 29). All major religions considered it sinful and throughout the country, more and more people found it to be immoral. Life was hard for homosexuals in the early and mid-twentieth century. They were forced to hide their sexuality in order to escape derision or imprisonment.
...arijuana: Will Most States Head That Way?" The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.
On Earth, the world population has reached over 7 billion people who belong to over 5000 ethnicities. With over 7 billion people, you would think there are some major differences in us all, but the most prominent difference is our skin color. With the difference in skin color has come prejudice towards certain ethnic or racial minorities and from that has stemmed discrimination. Take the civil rights movement of the 1960’s for example. Even after 50 years and with the election of President Barack Obama, African Americans still feel underrepresented and discriminated against. Another example is the Women’s Rights Movement which started in 1840 and is still prominent today. Just over a year ago a ban was finally lifted which kept women from fighting in combat over-seas. And still today, women are oppressed in the workforce due to the glass ceiling, an invisible barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified individual in a work environment because of the individual’s gender, race, or ethnicity. A further example and the one that serves as the basis to this paper is the Stonewall riots, the beginning of the LGBT movement and societies view towards homosexuality since then. “This Gay Liberation movement, initiated by the Stonewall Riots in New York, expressed the twin intentions of discrediting psychiatric and medical models of homosexuality, and of attempting a large-scale transformation of society” (Downing, 2011). By the mid-1970s, the LGBT movement helped to establish gay identity as a legitimate minority group – the gay community.
Savage, Charlie., and Stolberg Sheryl G. “In Shift, U.S. Says Marriage Act Blocks Gay Rights.”
Marquez, Ray Sanchez and Miguel. "Arizona Lawmakers Pass Controversial Anti-gay Bill." CNN. Cable News Network, 21 Feb. 2014. Web.