Welcome! I know, I know...it's a new year; but I thought I'd keep the posts from last year up so that you might get a sense of what your predecessors thought when they encountered much of the same material with which you'll be presented this year. Keep in mind, though, blog first (read and comment on other posts only after you've formed your own ideas. I look forward to reading your thoughts!

For Same Sex Marriage

The world is full of people, 311,591,917 to be exact, and out of those millions of people walking this earth, someone somewhere is going to be different from you. What if the person sitting across from you was gay, what would you do? Form a hate group against them, discriminate, judge, stare, look at them differently because they go against what society tells them, what the bible tells them? Why cause there different? Why is it that the person across from you isn’t allowed to marry the same sex, who says that if you love someone your not allowed to be with them? Love is love, when somebody is in love the world shouldn’t discriminate.

This one's from SONJA

Obviously I'm not the person to be writing about same-sex marriage. Although my opinion isn't set in stone that I'm against gay marriage, I definitely have grown up to believe that marriage is a holy matrimony between a man and a woman. Another thing that comes into play when I think about this topic is my religion. I've been raised as a devout christian and homosexuals aren't necessarily a great thing in the christian community. I accept people for who they were and would never discriminate someone just because they think and live differently than me but that doesn't mean that I have to agree with their decisions. Whether it is legal or illegal for someone to marry another person of the same sex doesn't affect me in any way in all honesty. I believe homosexuality is something people bring upon themselves and is, for lack of a better word, taught. Reading Santorum's interview about the subject, I agreed with many points he brought up. The gay community hasn't tried very hard to get their case across. I mean marriage is supposed to looked upon as joining a man and woman together in the strongest relationship possible. If anyone can just get married it might dieter the importance of marriage and significance of it. BUT I have been assigned to be for same-sex marriage so here we go...The laws of our country should be valid for any citizen of the United States. Whether they be black, red, blue, rich, poor, old, or young, everyone should have equal opportunity. Who is to say that a homosexuals' love isn't real unless they themselves are experiencing it? Everyone should be allowed to show and make their relationships legal under our laws because of obviously emotional reasons, but also fairness in financial situations and getting ahead in life. People get tax breaks for being married and it's unfair for someone who wants to be and can't, can't also get those breaks in life. I will also go into articles like The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage and quote other people's opinions who are all for it.

Love is just love.

Same sex marriage arguments have been around for as long as I can remember. Today, same-sex relationships are all around, in the media, on the streets, in schools, and at work. It is becoming more socially acceptable as the years go on. So why should same-sex marriage be a problem? Did you know gay marriage has been legalized in the following eight states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, Maryland and the District of Columbia. 30 states have constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. That's more than 50%, in fact thats 60%. The world is beginning to be more understanding, more open about people, why not just accept it. Men and women don't choose to be gay to hurt people or disrespect them. Growing up we are told to be who we are, and to follow a dream then, if gay, told you are not to marry. Seems unfair. We all eat, breath, walk run, love, hate, talk. Why can't people love whom they want? Marry who they want. Be who they want.

Mitch's discussion of gay marriage

One of the strong arguments against gay marriage is that it doesn’t benefit the state. Santorum says that there have been no arguments that say that gay marriage benefits the state. This is irrelevant. A state cannot discriminate against people because it may not benefit the state financially. It might be financially beneficial to stop people from speaking in a certain way, but that does not mean it is justified to do so. Marriage is the ultimate form of an expression of love, and if the state does not allow gay couples to do this, it is infringing on their rights. The expression is not the same if the marriage is not equally recognized by the state. Even though marriage is about procreation, there are always many orphan children who need a home. It would be in the state’s best interest to allow the homosexual couples to marry, and give these children a stable home. Another argument against same sex marriage is that the bible clearly opposes it, and it is non-traditional. Just because the bible does not support same-sex marriage does not mean that it should be banned. The First Amendment requires the state to remain neutral amongst religions, as well as between religion and non-religion. If the state shows preference for Christianity, then it is violating the First Amendment. The state must be accepting of other views on marriage, not just that of Christianity. In order to ensure equal protection to all people, the state must either allow gay marriage, or eliminate marriage altogether. Since heterosexual marriage will never go away, the state’s only real option is to legalize gay marriage to ensure that no one is discriminated against because of their sexuality. I’m also going to take on the arguments that homosexuality is unnatural.

Against Gay Marriage

For as long as we can go back, marriage has always been remembered as between a man and a woman. With that said, peoples' "need" to be nonconformist and have relationships with people of the same sex should not be allowed by law. How can we just go against the face of history to satisfy a few peoples' feelings? Marriage is also definitely about procreation; reproduction, and homosexuals, well, cannot reproduce. We need to create children, continue our gene pool. By allowing people to have same-sex relationships, we will not accomplish that. The fact of the matter is, homosexual marriage is immoral. It goes against all values of humanity that have been taught by our ancestors, and to our children. We cannot allow gay marriage to be accepted by law.


Mine didn't post yesterday, so hopefully this one does....

Marriage and why it should be gay

Marriage should be a universal right available to all people, primarily because it is an emotional bond, not a religious or legal one. We are supposed to leave God out of our laws, it says so in the Constitution. You can't constrict an aspect of someone's personal right just because it might benefit the state either, that's just wrong. The only argument I could see being justified against gay marriage is that it might cause ridicule to the adopted children of those couples, but it's already legal for gay couples to adopt so that really isn't an issue either. Honestly I don't think this should even be an issue, since we claim to love freedom so much why can't we just let people be free, it doesn't affect anyone but themselves and the people that choose to be around them.

gay people shall skip across the world peacefully

In this world there are around 7 billion people that walk this Earth. Having 7 billion people on a planet makes it so that not everybody is the same. There has to be some difference that entangle everybody. One of those things that seems to be popping up a lot is gay marriage. There is nothing wrong with the thought of a guy and a guy coming together in a very passionate relationship between two men. This world is all stuck with trying to have the perfect life, and look as good as possible, but in reality what this world needs is a little bit of difference and i think legalizing gay marriage is something that can really help make this world a better place. 14% of the world is non- religious which mean that 14% of the world population could possible be gay. In this world today there could be 98 million people could be openly gay. The bible has kind of screwed with a lot of people because there is a passage in it that says on men and women should be married. A book that was widely published is the mastermind behind these anti gay movements  that are happening all around the world.

against same sex marriage

    The Debate over same sex marriage has been going on for years now. But why? Why do people want to go through all of this trouble just to marry someone of the same sex? We live in a free country so you can date and do whatever with whoever you choose. So how could putting a label on it change anything? But yet again marriage is a big deal. It has been extremely easy for couple of opposite sex to marry each other and extremely difficult to marry someone of the same sex. This is because the states are regulating and denying the marriage. But the states do it for a good reason. Mostly because they marry for the benefits. When everything is fine now why would we change things?

     Most couples that get married want to start a family, and it is hard for someone of the same sex to do that. But more than that it is hard for the child to grow up with two moms or two dads. The kids get teased at school and live a different life at home. 
     This is just a faze the country is going through but once it is over and gay marriage is not allowed then they will get over it and live the life they have always done for years.

Same Sex Marriage Is a NoNo

In this disscussion I am taking the libertarian side of this argument. I believe that the state and country should not be involved in marriage at all. Marriage is a religious ceremony to certify a life long partnership. So marriage should not be involved in this religious ceremony at all. To keep church and state separated the government should have nothing to do with the whole celebration. Also, since marriage is a religious action, then according to the bible it should only between a man and a woman. Under god, this event is only supposed to be about two members of the opposite sex.

Same Sex Marriage.

I don’t know quite what I will be saying, but I know where I will be coming from. Being gay is not something that comes over someone suddenly. It is not a disease. A person is born being gay, much the same way as the color of someone’s skin or hair, where they are from, or what type of family they are born into. I cannot understand why people are unwilling to accept gays for who they truly are, especially when gay people have nothing to do with their own lives or well being. All people, fat, skinny, black, white, Latino, diseased or healthy, should be able to live out their lives as they wish. Everyone deserves to have the same rights as every other person, and that includes marriage. For those who say it is wrong, why? Is every United States citizen not entitled life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Yes, people may say that if our nation were to grant the right to gay marriage under the “pursuit of happiness,” people could do practically anything that they wanted to do claiming that it was in their own “pursuit of happiness.” But many of these things are not in the same category as gay marriage. Killing or torturing others and marrying another person from the same sex are not anywhere close to being related.

I’ll develop it more, but this is what I’m thinking for now.

Against gay marriage

I am for gay marriage, I have been exposed to a lot homosexuality through my last job with three gay co workers, two of my moms best friends are gay and I have a very close friend that is gay. This is a real. After really seeing both sides of the argument the two points that could potentially convince me focused on the celebration of a man and a woman, two beings that are different in ways that complete each other, ways that benefit both individuals and most of all the children that may come after marriage. Children growing up in a household with a mother and a father. The binding of two individuals, one man and woman with a goal to live a lifetime together, have children, and be in a loving family is something that is very special. Marriage, the union of one man and one woman is sacred and a tradition that should be protected and not corrupted by an unnatural way such as homosexuality. So for my essay I plan on really stressing the benefits of growing up with a mother and a father, and also how natural and fitting one man and one woman sharing a life together verses the unnatural alternative of two men or two women sharing a life together.

Against Gay Marriage...

While I originally blogged for gay marriage, I now find myself defending the opposing side. I see a few strong arguments. One, the Bible explicitly forbids the marriage of two men or two women, or anyone other than a male and female. For those who take religion seriously, it is a serious sin to engage in same-sex marriage. In the article “The Best Argument against Gay Marriage,” they claim that the biggest reason why it is illegal is because of the definition of marriage and the impossibility two men have to form a “comprehensive union.” Also important in this article was the statement “because same-sex couples cannot create this child-producing combination by themselves, their relationship is a recreational activity more like tennis than like marriage”. Another huge opposition comes from those concerned about the children of married gays. Although these children would not be biological (they would be adopted), people are worried that a child growing up in a home with two same-sex parents will have an absent parent figure in their lives. They are also subjected to ridicule and harassment and other bullying in their daily lives because of a family they were adopted into. Rick Santorum also has an influential case against homosexuality. The law has been in place for hundreds of years, so why should we change it now? Santorum worries about the children – about our future – and what will happen if we legalize marriage in all forms. He argues the opposing side has “no information whatsoever about what it would do to the moral ecology of the country, what it would do to religious liberty, what it would do to the mental and physical health of children.” If gay marriage becomes legal, what will that mean for the country as a whole and for the evolving definition of marriage? Being gay is unnatural. By allowing gays to marry openly in society, we are teaching the youth lessons that have been illegal for the past 200 years and openly go against the Bible. Family values are so important and strong in our society and gay marriage would undermine all of them. The gay lifestyle is not something to be encouraged, as a lot of research shows it leads to a much lower life expectancy, psychological disorders, and other problems. People should not have to use their tax dollars for something they believe is wrong. There is no proof that homosexuality comes from genetics, just as race and gender do, and therefore it is not automatically protected. You cannot glance at someone and know their sexual preference the way you can with their race and gender… I would love some more strong arguments against, it’s hard sounding passionate about something you do not believe in.

Gay Marriage: Let's make it legal

In my argument for same-sex marriage, I will be first setting up my position and then defending it.  I want my introduction to be more attention-grabbing, rather than a dry, lack-luster jumble of words, so I took time to set up a small narrative.  My dad, a thoroughly conservative guy, likes to constantly argue with me about his opinion on same-sex marriage.  It always ends with one of us getting super flustered, speaking in tones that would be better saved for a dramatic television show. 

I, unlike a lot of you, feel like this is a subject that is of importance and always have for some reason.  I believe that marriage is about more than just procreation and is a union between two people to share an emotional connection, not just a connection that is needed to severely overpopulate the planet.  This is an argument that Mr. Rick Santorum set up, which makes honestly no sense to me because we see heterosexual couples who are sterile or who choose not to have children and they aren’t being punished and not allowed to marry one another.  If marriage really is, as Santorum says, for the sole purpose of creating life, then heterosexual couples that choose not to have babies or can’t have babies shouldn’t be allowed to marry either. 

In my attempt to undermine the arguments against same-sex marriage, I will be ripping apart parts of the Bible that say how same-sex marriage is heinous and wrong.  My other arguments will consist of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that the country is so thoroughly based on and how this can be applied to homosexual matrimony.  We’ll just have to see how it goes.  I’d love opinions or suggestions.  Thanks!

Against Same Sex Marriage

Dating back as old as the book of Genesis, marriage has been defined as a union between a man and a woman and in the seventies it was defined by the United States Supreme Court that way. The union of marriage is a sacred tradition that should not be altered. Giving the "okay" to gay marriage would lead to public controversy and give people the idea that other types of nontraditional relationships should be given the right to marriage such as polygamous, incestuous, or bestial ones. Also, gay marriage goes against many sacred beliefs, traditions and texts of various religions that people do not want to alter, especially if it could lead to them having to perform same sex marriages in their places of worship which could cause major conflicts.

Marriage is a union that is meant for procreation; a man and a woman coming together to create a new life. People of the same sex can't procreate so there is no sense in them being married to one another. In a family, children need both a nurturing mother and a supportive father to create a wholesome atmosphere. Without both, the child lacks the advice and parenting traditions that would later help them succeed in life. If a child has same sex parents, they are also more likely to engage in homosexual behavior because that is how they were raised.

^This is a rough idea of some of the points that I will hit in my essay against gay marriage, even though everyone should love whoever they want and have the right to a legal union and committed relationship :)

Against Gay Marrige

Coming from a household that is primarily democratic, I have been raised with some very liberal ideals, and in regards to gay marriage I have been exposed to the consistent stance that gay marriage should be allowed. Both my parents are fundamentally and morally opposed to restricting gay marriage, and this opinion has grown in me as well. Looking at this prompt from the side for gay marriage, I would have to say that some of the most convincing arguments for homosexual marriage are:
1) More love and more marrige are a good thing, it would promote more consistent and committed relationships.
2) How can the government and the constitution approve of discrimination
3) Looking at the bible it condones gay marriage as well as divorce, however divorce is allowed. Why should gay marriage be banned because of the bible if we can completely disregard what it says about divorce.?
4) Many homosexual relationships involve two people who are already acting like they are married, what would change if they were legally allowed to marry.

So far the counters to these arguments are that if homosexuals were allowed to get married it could de sanctify and hurt the institution marriage even more than what has already happened. I dont really know what else I can use to argue against gay marriage except using biblical references, and maybe arguing that heterosexual parents are better for raising children. I could try and use the argument that heterosexual relationships benifit the state whereas homosexual relationships don't.

Any ideas or comments????

NO SAME SEX MARRIAGE

I am on the side that is against same sex marriage. I'm not really sure where I am gonna start, cause this totally is not my view but I guess I will just kinda start off with the Bible, religious beliefs, and Republican ideals for reasons on why marriage is a union that should be between a man and a woman. Then I will probably talk about tradition and wonder why there is suddenly a need for it to be legal. Why do they need a label as married? What's wrong with being in a civil union, living together, and doing everything the same as a married couple? I can talk about how what their relationship is is much more important than what the state will call them.

Gay Marriage

I always believed Gay Marriage should of been legal, simply because it's a gay couples right to take the benefits of "marriage" as defined by the government. The government doesn't have the power to say that a marriage is defined as the relationship between a man and a women, because doing so is a direct violation of the establishment clause of the 1st amendment. Gay people still are almost the exact same as heterosexual people, and should not be denied the benefits of marriage because they don't have the same connection to the opposite sex as the straight population. What authority does the government have to deny the rights of its people. People may say that legalizing gay marriage would destroy the sanctity if marriage as is was back in the bible days, but it would do no such thing. Is marriage really the same as it was 2000 years ago, when nowadays around 50% of married couples get divorced? Is it the same when the legal benefits are reaped for the good of the women, making men pay absurd amounts of money to avoid getting sued for more? The point of marriage back in the day was to make a relationship, where a child could be nurtured, and have a decent chance of succeeding in the world. Are parents really different if they are comprised of a man and a man, as opposed to a man and a women if they care for their child. Marriage has become about money, so why should gay couples be stifled on the legal aspect of marriage, if they care for a child equally to a straight couple.

Same-Sexy Marriage

In my opinion, same sex marriage should not be as big of a deal as many people tend to make it. It allows people in this world to be diverse, have their own personal opinions, and to be free from the social norm of society, which is how we all believe the United States should be. But yet, because two men or two women are in love, people believe it is against the bible or satanic, or some other form of bologna excuse as to why it is so wrong. People can't help who they fall in love with. And for loving or even liking the same sex, they are ridiculed and even hated or killed for something that they are not in control of. It makes no sense to me. Although our goal in life is to re-produce and continue the species of humanity,we are all human beings. There is nothing wrong with same sex marriage. It can even be beneficial because it controls the population more by not allowing them to produce offspring with each other. People make such a big deal about it when it doesn't even affect their lives, which is why i believe in same sex marriage. Seeing a gay couple doesn't affect me at all, and it probably doesn't affect most of the people arguing against it. They aren't hurting anyone or calling us weird for marrying an opposite sex, so why do we make such a big deal about it?

Emily's opinion

My opinion on same sex marriage is that it should be allowed. I think that if people are in love and want to get married then they should be allowed to. If two people of the same sex are totally in love and have been together as partners for years wouldn’t you much rather have them get married then two 18 year olds who are on drugs and have been together for a week and decide to have a shot gun wedding. (And im not saying that all gay couples are in love.)Many people say that it goes against the definition of marriage, but I think people who don’t marry for love and the people that don’t understand what it means to be married that are destroying it. Rick Santorum says, “The institution of marriage is already under assault. So why should we do more to discredit it and harm it?” We are harming it by having stupid people like Kim Kardashian get married for a week before divorcing. Why don’t we put laws on those people instead of people that truly love each other. In the bible it says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”. So why don’t we just let people who love each other be together and stop insulting them and belittling them.

same-sex marriage

Marriage is an intimate or close union with another person, so why can't this be between two people of the same sex? Same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Why should it only be legal in these states? if it is legal in these states it should be legal anywhere in the US. Some may say that it is against certain people's religion, and it changes the "classic" thought of a man and a woman being married, but should those reasons keep people from being together? Some believe that if two people of the same sex cannot get married, they can have civil union with one another. Civil Union is a civil partnership, and is legally recognized as a form of partnership similar to marriage. If gay citizens are fine with civil union instead of marriage, then maybe that is the road same-sex couples should go down. In this case one could argue if they can have civil union with one another, why not have the ability to get married? I believe that anyone should be able to get married, regardless of their sexual preferences.

Argument against same sex marriage

I have no problem with gay marriage as long as they are not super obvious about it. I also don't think that people should be able to tell other people who to marry or not. Its up to that individual, and i think people are to nosy about this subject. Unfortunately i have been assigned to argue against it. I guess from a homophobes point of view they would say that its against their traditions, against their religion, and just not right because you can not create a life form with the same sex. I guess i will go from their and see what i end up with

Now I'm Against Gay Marriage!

For this assignment, I am to write against same sex marriage. Because I am actually for gay marriage, it will be a challenge to sound genuine fighting against it. But here it goes..

Marriage provides stability for our country, as C.J. Marshall says. Traditionally, marriage is a legal committed relationship between a man and a woman. The reasons why traditions stay alive is because they are valuable and beneficial to society. Marriage needs to stay a tradition, and not transform into something between two men or two woman. Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, so, by allowing more people to marry, this country is allowing more people to divorce. What is best for society is for the children of our nation to be raised efficiently. To be raised correctly, a child needs a mother and a father. Children need to know the masculine and female aspects. They need a father to take them out to play soccer, and a mother to teach them how to cook. It has been that way for over 200 years, and it shall stay that way. Like Santorum stated in his interview, if anyone is allowed to get married, it looses it's special meaning. If everyone had a Ferrari, the sports car wouldn't be such a luxury, but because not everyone can own a Ferrari, it is special when you do. A child's beliefs are created by what goes on in the household. If there are two women raising the child, the child will not have a stable relationship with men. Interacting with the opposite gender is a big part of life, and if a child doesn't learn that at home, he won't learn it at all. Sanotrum even says, "There are volumes of evidence showing that if little girls don't have a father, it impacts their ability as adults to bond with men in healthy relationships." In the Bible, it says God created Adam and Eve. He created one man and one woman, not two men or two women. God created Adam and Eve so they would marry and reproduce. Marriage is the longest standing social institution; it was created for man and woman. Same sex marriage would ruin marriage for everyone and it cannot be legalized.

Same Sex Marriage- FOR!!

I'm going to be writing for gay marriage. I'm going to start off with the argument, we cant say that marriage is only for having children because there are couples that don't have children. It's everyones choice if they want to have kids, let alone can have kids. The government shouldn't be allowed to say that gays cant get married because they can't have kids, some heterosexual married couples can't have kids either. Im also going to talk about the bible, and how it has some crazy things it says. I will also go into how the government really shouldn't have this much control and say into this. If you have any other ideas let me know!

SAME SEX marriage is wrong

Our nation seems to cynically have these routine hurdles nearly every decade. While for so long it was the progression of civil rights for colored people, it has continuously been the push for the right for same sex marriage in the modern scene. What it comes down to, is that the government should have no say in who and how you spend your life with however it is our job to make it apparent that for our kids and our society to continue to profit in a feasible manner we need marriage to be the bind between a man and a woman.

Same sex marriage does nothing for anyone. Basically it is a sin creator for the rest of society, making us all think that we can prance gayly around doing whatever we want at any given time. Is that how we should bring up our kids? In an environment where everything is a free for all and suddenly our working status is diminished? Same sex marriage is against nature, against the cycle of life and against the word of the lord.

However the biggest argument I will use to defend my argument being against gay marriage is that simply it has nothing to do with the state anyways. Although their are benefits coming from it in each state why is that state having to do with it. I will use the libertarian case against gay marriage to logically back it up however will also use santorum's case to talk about how it is not okay for a family and society.

this is weird considering its against. please give ideas.

i believe " honestly"in limited government: so the fact that it should not be monitored

freedom of choice

love

help me deconstruct bitte bitte bitte

Against same-sex marriage

I'm not sure where I am going to start with this because it is a very different view for me but here it goes. Same-sex marriage should continue to be illegal for many different reasons. In every culture throughout history, marriage has been between a man and a woman, and is essentially oriented to, the generation of children. Not only is it completely against tradition and marriage is a traditional ceremony, but it is it is also sacred. The Bible, a book that many people follow, forbids same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage has never been allowed and should not be allowed in the future.

Blink

Blink, by: Malcolm Galdwell
The unconscious mind is something we can all relate to, because we all have one and with that we all have first impressions. Malcolm Galdwell author of Blink does an incredible job of explaining through examples and intriguing stories just how powerful our unconscious mind and split second decision-making can be. We as humans think we need so much time to make wise decisions so we know we are to be right, but are we fooled? Does this time really just distract us from what is right in front of us and take us away from the correct decision we are able to make in the blink of an eye? “The power of thinking without thinking” Galdwell says over and over. Malcolm takes psychology to a different level in this book while using prime examples and stories from the past and present to back up his ideas. One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that is never gets old or boring; There is always something that will captivate you in every section.
Intuition is a funny thing, I mean where does it come from and how do we just know? Intuition can be very powerful, Galdwell in the beginning of the book gives an example of this, he talks about Greek sculpture and judging whether on not certain statues are real, and not forges so teams of experts on statues and analysts spent months researching the statue and concluding is was legit, while a handful of art historians followed there intuition or gut feeling and just knew that it was a forge, the art historians were correct. Throughout the entire book “thin slicing” is discussed, what this means is that our unconscious takes in a lot of information and is able to find patterns in behaviors or situations in a very shorth amount of time. Galdwell towards the end of the book say that this book in not a plan for action, for people wanting to change or apply his theories into their lives. It’s written Like a guidebook. Blink is not a guidebook but more exploring the unconscious mind, taking a different approach from Freud. He explored the wonders of the unconscious mind piecing it together and giving examples of phenomena’s of the unconscious mind.
I really enjoyed this book because I really enjoy psychology, human behavior interests me, and I always want to learn more. This book did exactly that, it teaches you a lot about what we think we know, and what we really know. As I would read, I had a lot of ah haa moments, where something Galdwell would say would just click, and I could relate instantly. Its reads fast, and never gets old, there are delightful stories throughout the book showing a range of thin slicing, from speed dating, to food experts. If you are interested in psychology you will enjoy this read, it keeps you engaged from start to finish, leaving you with lots to ponder!

gay people are great.

My opinion on Gay Marriage... It’s hard to feel strongly about an issue when it does not affect your everyday life. That’s how I feel about gay marriage. So many people have extreme opinions, from one side of the spectrum to the other, about why or why not gay marriage should be legal, but I think that if the issue does not directly affect a person, they should not have such an opinion. The same is true for opinionate men on abortions (but I won’t get into that). However, although I do not feel strongly about gay marriage, I feel strongly about intolerance and discrimination, and that is the main issue here. I am going to write my paper basically supporting gay marriage, because I do not see why people have a problem with it. As of March 1^st, 2012, gay marriage has already been legalized in eight states. Yet 30 states ban gay marriage. I feel that this violates the 10^th amendment protection from state to state clause because if a couple were to get married in say Connecticut, would they be considered criminals in another state? It makes no sense. Also, we have banned discrimination in nearly all forms, from slavery to sexism, yet homosexuals still face intolerance in their daily lives. Who are we to violate the rights of human beings just like ourselves, because of something as miniscule as sexual preference? As for the argument that claims allowing gay marriage will open a door to marriages between species, that is pure absurdity. They could define marriage as a bond between two people and not have to worry about that strange concern. Another strong belief I have is that homosexuality is not a matter of choice. This is similar to racism- why should blacks be discriminated against when they were born into their race? Lots of gay people know they are gay from a very early age, and many try to fight it or hide it for as long as they can. This is not their fault, yet society teaches that these people are wrong and weird and must conform to the majority. On a more positive note, gay marriage can help the economy. More couples will want to adopt children, receive marital benefits, and even live longer (studies show that married couples have lengthened life spans). Many are against gay marriage because of the impossible reproductive aspect. Well, first of all the Earth already has too many people living on it so people should not be worried about that, and second doesn’t that mean that infertile couples should not be allowed to marry? Also, I found this cool fact online: Massachusetts, which became the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, had the lowest divorce rate in the country in 2008. I mean until 1967 interracial marriage was illegal, and now doesn’t that sound completely ridiculous? It’s only a matter of time until the leaders of our nation are forced to legalize gay marriage, but I say the sooner the better – we are treating these people unconstitutionally!

Go Gay Marriage!

To me, gay marriage is not a big deal. What IS a big deal is that fact that people are against it. When a child is born, love comes naturally. We are all given the right to love and to be loved. In "An Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Rick Santorum", he believes that gay marriage does not benefit society at all; but does heterosexual marriage contribute to society? The divorce rate is approximately 50%, causing families to split up. Professor Robert George thinks that sexual activity is not a reason to marry. For many lovers, sex is not just an activity, it creates intimacy. He also believes that homosexual couples should not have the right to marry because they cannot produce a child. Obviously, there are two of the same sex organs, but creating a child is only a part of marriage. There are many heterosexual couples who choose not to have children. A homosexual couple is just as capable of raising a child than a "traditional" couple. George also compared gay relationships to tennis. I honestly don't know what he was thinking, but that is a huge insult to gay people and people who support gay marriage. Anyone can love, and just because they cannot produce a child does not mean they aren't serious. Being a homosexual is not a mental illness, it is something a persona is born with. According to Charles Roselli of the University of Medicine in Portland, Oregon, there has been some evidence of genes that can contribute to homosexuality. Legalizing gay marriage is not just about everyone having equal marriage rights. Once a person is married, they can share health care benefits, and they have a more stable income. The article, "The Libertarian Case Against Gay Marriage," provides statistics showing that gay couples are more likely to be educated, and twice as likely to have a higher individual/household income. Gay marriage won't corrupt society, as it doesn't really affect heterosexuals. Being gay is something a person can't control, therefore, it needs to be legalized.

Princess Book Review

The title Princess, though seemingly enticing and safe, is rather the opposite and tells a tale of brutal oppression that females of the Muslim faith endure on a daily basis.  Sultana, a feisty Princess of the Royal Family in Saudi Arabia whose life this biography revolves around, secretly indulges her audience in the truth of what it is like to grow up and live in the walls of a beautiful palace that more closely resembles a jail of discouragement and sacrifice.  Through Sultana’s gripping story one can begin to see clearly what the Muslim traditions of Saudi Arabia represent and how the women are cruelly controlled in a world where male dominance is the strictly followed word of Allah (God).

Princess is written by Jean P. Sasson (Sultana’s American friend) to keep the real identity of Sultana a secret so she is not punished by the males in her family or society.  The book starts in childhood and follows Sultana through motherhood.  Although this book mainly focuses on her Royal Family, the book also strips away the cloak of secrecy shrouding the truths of some of the most frightening stories ever to be revealed from women in the midst of it all.

While remaining informative and compelling, this novel also manages to be an incredibly easy read because of the fact that the author does not waste her words and tells things as they are.  The story was so crushing and I was flabbergasted at the way the women were treated having grown up with our revered freedom given to every American citizen (male or female).  The author bluntly states by the seventh page, “And so it comes to be that women in my land are ignored by their father, scorned by their brothers, and abused by their husbands” (7).  The audience of this book sees this sad fact to be true as Sultana shares her story of life as a slave to men starting with a story about her only brother, Ali.  Ali, because he is a male, gets everything he could ever possibly want. Even if he does something awful, his sisters are most always the scapegoats for his wrongdoings.  This proves to be the case as a kind Pakistani cook grants a young Sultana with a shiny apple and after refusing to hand it over to her brother, he unthinkingly slaps her to the ground.  Even after Sultana explains that it was her apple to begin with, her father lashes out with harsh punishments by taking away all her toys and allowing Ali to control what she eats.  By appealing to the readers through her use of pathos by telling stories such as these, Sasson is undeniably triggering emotions and therefore, hoping to stick in the minds of her audience long after she is finished saying what she has to say.  She wants to make her point very clear, and with such heart wrenching matter, she is easily able to do so. 

This book also ignites and uncovers the inner woman’s rights activist in any reader with a compassionate heart.  As is the Muslim tradition, after menstruation begins, the new woman is forced to veil so that she is seen as one who is worthy and ready to be a wife.  Sultana states, “Life changed quickly.  I entered the souq area as an individual bursting with life, my face expressing my emotions to the world.  I left the shopping area covered from head to toe, a faceless creature in black” (79).  The fact that women must cover their faces seems demeaning especially when they are forced to go out into the burning sun with a black veil that is absorbing every ray of heat.  Their male counterparts, on the other hand, breeze through life in whatever garments they feel will be most comfortable for them while forcing their women to drown in a sea of black.  The mistreatment doesn’t stop there, but is rather never-ending and involves polygamy, abuse (mentally, emotionally, physically, and sexually), and webs of complex lies and hatred.  As Sultana’s philosophic side comes out, she has Sasson reveal that, “By treating women as slaves, as property, men have made themselves as unhappy as the women they rule, and have made love and true companionship unattainable to both sexes” (7).

There is nothing that is too shameful for Sasson to write about and through this blunt narrative we begin to see Sultana as one who longs to be free, but never will.  Her luckless story is one that can only be described as a tragedy.  This book is an absolute must-read because it is fast-moving, raw, and crafted to perfection.  It sheds light on the true fault of men is their need for dominion over women and only when the cycle of gender slavery ends can the world truly succeed.  Women, as we see in countries such as America, are just as good as men.  They are smart, brilliant human beings and in my thoughts, God (if there is such a force or being) would never subject the females of the world to be subservient to males.  This kind of hatred needs to end, but Sultana says that we, as free women, make it worse, so the question really is: if this can be fixed, how?       

The Dark Side of Eminem

"The Dark Side of Eminem" contains Eminem's life during his beginning, his collapse, his re-birth, and his fulfillment of his prophecy of being a rap king. This book describes all of Eminem's significant life events that occurred and how these life long memories shaped him to be the talented musician he is. As the reader, you realize the amount of racial violence and descrimination, verbal and physical abuse, and hardships that Marshall Mathers had to suffer through. All of the these awful experiences is what fuels and creates Marshall to be the type of angry white trash superstar he is. The terrible occurrences is known as "The Dark Side Of Eminem". Born into an unstable, constantly moving home Eminem grew up with only his mother and as a child, he was always moving homes to stay with family members, Debbie's (Marshall's mom) boyfriends, or any other friends that would take the single mother and her baby under their roof. This book, in detail, explains to it's audience how Eminem's childhood contributed to the creation of his forever angry rhyming mind. The first chapter "Ground Zero", talks about how the area where he grew up was extremely racist, violent, crime-filled, and eighty percent African American. The book says how his hometown Detroit was a perfect location to raise a fatherless, angry, bullied, abused, poor, white trash honkey rap superstar."Since 1950, its population has shrunk my a million. Over 10,000 houses and 60,000 lots stand empty. A third of its citizens are beneath the poverty line. Many live in zones of hardcore unemployment, prospectless. In the Seventies and the Eighties, when the race lines of other American cities blurred, Detroit's hardened. It was de-industrialized, dead-beat. 8 Mile Road was the scar that showed its character." This book shows Eminem's experiences of being a toddler and adolescent in this dangerous and destroyed city is what had a contribution to his corrupted mind. With countless interviews and song-lyrics by Eminem, "The Dark Side Of Eminem" explains how each life-event helped fuel Eminem's want for revenge and constant search for a way out. This is a biography on the painful, the tough, and the battered and bruised side of Marshall Mathers, the dark side. It's a giant explanation on how this man built up enough drive and fuel to conquer all the struggles and challenges that have faced him through out his life. I recommend this book to anyone how enjoys to read about an underdog and his climb to the top of the mountain of success. This is all the evil, negative occurrences that Marshall Mathers took part in or had to suffer through, the road to his dream of success.

The Hot Zone Book Review-Davis

The Hot Zone

Book Review

Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone tells one of the most horrifying stories known to the world as of 1976.  Richard Preston’s depiction of the real world events set The Hot Zone aside from any other non-fiction work.  Through his own second-hand accounts, Preston creates a seemingly fake horror that grows as the story carries along in his four part work.  Preston opens the journey with the life and travels of a man by the pseudonym of Charles Monet, a Frenchman residing in Uganda who is presented to be the original contractee of Ebolavirus, the hot virus that is known now as one of the most deadly and infectious still to this day.  Post contraction of the virus in what is thought to be from the deep rainforest of central Africa, Charles Monet is followed by plane and taxi only to reveal that this unknown illness kills him within days, as well as other doctors and nurses that study and tend to his gross illness.

The opening events of the virus’s disgustingly depicted engulfment of the Frenchman plant the groundwork for the evolving suspense and mystery of the virus unknown to the world at the time.  Richard Preston builds off of the virus’s epicenter in the microcosm of central Africa to reveal the world’s newest medical research phenomenon.  As this account is set in the era of the catastrophic AIDS breakout, it portrays the reality of the little medical knowledge the world had about viruses that are born within the rain forests of  central Africa.  This background sets so much suspense and curiosity in the reader’s mind, it almost pushes the reader to learn more.  Preston uses his accounts with the characters behind the story to map the scientific and medical advancements that bring this book to life.  As the virus multiplies, so does the setting.  Preston takes the reader across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, where samples of the virus infected blood of Doctor Shem Musoke (Monet’s doctor) were sent for testing.

Preston leads the remainder of the story through more micro outbreaks of the virus in Africa alongside the fatally dangerous research and testing of the hot virus on monkeys in the United States, which leads a team of scientists to travel to the virus infested rain forest of Uganda to find where the virus comes from.  Through each and every page, Preston continues to hold the reader by sheer horror and suspense, not knowing what will happen at the turn of the next page.  Although The Hot Zone is a non-fictional read, the way in which Preston exemplifies the real life terrifying events makes it seem far more made up than anything that could actually occur in real life.

Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone is a must read thriller that will not only tell the shockingly gruesome story of the filovirus Ebola Zaire, but it will leave your mind questioning the significance of human existence in a world exposed to the very unknown dangers of mother nature.

I believe in Plants.

I believe plants nourish, heal, grow, blossom, make people happy. Plants promote good vibes. I believe plants humble, the take only sunlight and water for energy and give so much more. I rely on and consume plants everyday to make me healthy therefore make me happy. Plants are a life form at its purest, with spiritual effects upon people as well as calming and stress-reducing. I believe in the power of plants.

Blink!

Blink

Malcolm Gladwell started off as a journalist and published his first book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, in the year 2000. It was a hit and made Gladwell a popular lecturer. In 2005, he published his second book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. This book really caught my eye and from cover to cover, it was a really easy, informational read.

The title says it all. This is a book about a collection of studies done over a period of two years and is basically about first impressions, intuition, and underlying keys that can all be decoded with amazing accuracy. The key is deciding what information to hold on to, and what information to get rid of. Gladwell discusses “thin-slicing”, or rapid cognition, which is the focus of his book. Thin-slicing is the ability to decide what is really important on the spot, and how decisions that are made in the blink of an eye can be just as good as well thought out ones. He tells many stories about his experiences, other people’s experiences, and studies done about “thin-slicing”.

The way Gladwell writes is intriguing. He tells stories in pieces, so that the reader has to keep reading to find out what happens. At the end of each story he comes to a conclusion as to why thin-slicing did or didn’t work and the accuracy of the method used or the study done. I learned so much about the power of decision-making and what you can tell about a person or situation in the blink of an eye. In this book, Gladwell describes how a coach can tell if an athlete will double-fault before they even walk on the court, how artists can pick out an identical fake without any information about the piece, and how long a relationship will last with only three minutes of observations and amazing accuracy.

There is an explanation for why everything in the corporate world is the way it is, or why military personnel can discover where in the world certain hidden bases are, or what to signs to realize in something as serious as an intimate relationship, or as common as a business relation with your local car dealership. Facial expressions, speech recognition and even our unknown unconscious bias play a part in every decision we make, whether it’s hasty or not. This book was a quick and informational read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in psychology or just a curiosity about understanding how the world works a little better. Right or wrong, there is a key to why things are the way they are, and in Blink, Malcolm Gladwell reveals all the secrets. I look forward to reading more of his books.

Davis Believes This...So YOU shall as well also too believe this

Why are we lead to believe that we need to WORK in an office, and fill a career that is found only to be lucrative in terms of tangible income?  This makes absolutely no sense to me.  These people who are living from the surroundings of the stacks of paper, staplers, and manilla folders of their cubicles are not happy.  I  do think it is completely necessary to have these jobs in our world, but I do not believe that these life-sucking careers have any positive impact on our true inner selves.  I am in the midst of building a future for myself full of happiness, fun, adventures, and experiences that will define who I, Davis Beveridge is as an individual in this world.  I believe we were born in this world to establish ourselves as unique individuals.  

I don't believe in a lot of things, but i do believe in Duct Tape.

For years now, duct tape has been binding the world together.

One Life at a Time, Please

One Life at a Time, Please is Edward Abbey’s provocative attack on issues like immigration, feminism, and overpopulation. Abbey has compiled essays that critique society, as well as travel stories with underlying themes that tie them all together. The main theme of every essay is Abbey’s concern for the environment and man’s relationship with it.

In his essays on controversial issues, Abbey usually proposes suggestions that are wildly impractical and shocking. As a means of regulating population, Abbey suggests that we “offer a brand new Mustang convertible to every girl who consents to having her fallopian tubes tied in a Gordian knot.” Abbey then moves on to suggest less outlandish solutions, as well as offer up evidence to support his views.

Abbey also writes travel essays about his experiences in the southwest. Many of these essays are similar to those in another Abbey book, Desert Solitaire. Abbey again demonstrates his ability to make otherwise “ordinary” adventures spectacular. He employs his usual style, with lots of description and humor, which really brings the stories to life.

While One Life at a Time, Please is an interesting book, I would suggest reading Desert Solitaire first. Get a feel for Abbey and his views before reading One Life at a Time, Please; otherwise, Abbeys extreme views might alienate the average reader. Most of the essays are good, but a few just seem like rehashed rants where Abbeys is trying to hard to be funny and angry at the same time. I would heartily recommend this book to anybody who already enjoys Abbey’s style.