Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Crayola Bomb.
"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air, explode softly, and send thousands, millions of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to Earth, boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap either, not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four with the sharpener built right in, with silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination."
~Robert Fulghum
Marriage is Not Equal
Ok, so I just read most of it. :) Excellent job, Kev!!! It looks like you put in so much time and thought to create this piece and the result is very impactful!! Great job!!
~Liz
On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Kevin Mesch wrote:
Hey Guys!
So I just finished typing up my final draft, this is like the 5 time I've re-written it. I just added Liz Mohr's questions, and I think this is great. It is 10 pages long, so don't kill yourself if you are busy.
"Kevin Mesch
Ms. O’Donnell
22nd February 2012
English 12 – 7
Marriage is Not Equal
I am researching gay rights; I do agree that you should be allowed to marry the person you love. I am finding out how gay marriage is unconstitutional, because I think not being allowed to marry the person you love in this country goes against the very word freedom; the very promise of this country. My opinion of Marriage in itself is influenced by people I know. All of my friends & family support gay marriage, and I know others who are affected by this topic.
Over the course of the last month I researched many topics, many stories, other marriage rights in other States, and other countries. I even interviewed some individuals face to face. I think it’s hard to be able to get a story about this topic without it being sugar coated by most people, I luckily found some people who gave me more than their honest opinion, but how they feel unhappy about how Gay Rights are being sorted out.
I conducted multiple interviews via e-mail and got almost immediate responses; the feedback was more than raw, everyone had so much opinion, and I honestly think these people could’ve gone on for day’s expressing their opinions, along the way while I was giving these interviews I got a better hold of my opinion of marriage in general. Are you happy with our current state of Marriage Equality? Everyone I interviewed responded with a No. Crystal Russell owner and head designer at This Visionary Life the 1 of 5 people I interviewed; struck me with a simple statement: “My answer is always simple: marriage is not equal. As long as it remains unequal, I won't be happy.” Ms. Liz Mohr Teacher of Aurora Public School simply said: “Definitely not!” Ms. Sierra Lord-Halvorson a Current Medical School Attendee at Drexel University responded with: As far as I'm concerned... there is nothing equal about it.” Mrs. Andrea Prinzi a Microbiologist at The Children’s Hospital said: “No, I am not. I think it is incredibly unfair that while my husband and I are able to share the joy of being married those closest to me (and even those not close to me), cannot. It is something I believe everyone should be able to experience, and the fact that they cannot is ignorant and has no basis or foundation what so ever.” Crystal Russell also said “What's more, it is increasingly frustrating to see such a divided opinion nationwide. We move from full rights in marriage to a complete ban of even speaking the word 'gay' in classrooms. How can a nation that is built on a unified eventual agreement on nearly all things, be completely dissolve over this issue?” and From Alex Schmidt a Business Major Graduate at University of Colorado stated the following: “No, I believe in the foundations that this republic was founded on, that all men were created equal and that it is an affront to the US constitution that we can treat a portion of our population the way we do the homosexual community.” These statements got me thinking about how we are The United (not divided) States of America, than again not that long ago there was a group was also fighting for equal rights, they were denied equality simply because of their race, something that they had no control over; the group I am referring to are African-American’s of the 1950’s, another example that is thankfully resolved: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Another hot topic, Bill Clinton in 1993 signed with the Department of Defense this bill that you were able to serve this country regardless of your sexual orientation, but as long as you didn’t tell anyone that you were, fearing if you did you would get a dis-honorable discharge and sent home. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, goes against the very word Freedom, there’s nothing free about having to hide how you are, when you are risking your life for this country – Chris Crocker” thankfully President Obama during a State of the Union Address in 2011, announced that you starting this year, nobody will be discharged from the military because they are gay. I also did a poll on Facebook saying this: Do you agree with Marriage Equality?” I got a 100% percent saying “Yes” and “Yes 100 percent” and many more like that.
What changes would you want to occur for marriage equality? Sierra Lord-Halvorson said: “I want the United States, as a country, to legalize same-sex marriage” Andrea felt: “Any couple willing to make the lifelong financial and emotional commitment to marriage should be able to do so, Period.” Liz also felt: “For any 2 people over the age of 18 to be able to marry each other and obtain all of the legal rights/advantages married couples have now.” Crystal Russell surprised me again: “The fundamental thing that I would like to see is equality. Equality across the board; along with that, I'd like a society that universally understands that being gay is not a choice. It's who a person is. It is inherent in their nature. It's as ingrained as race or hair color--it's just what it is. No one actively chooses to become part of a minority group. No one actively seeks to be discriminated against. Further, I would like for the masses of anti-gay protestors to stop bragging about the sanctity of marriage. There hasn't been sanctity in marriage for Years, Decades. Centuries; Hundreds of thousands of straight people are committing adultery every day, divorcing, remarrying, and marrying for only a matter of hours under a drunken 'Oopsie' haze in Las Vegas. Forget sanctity and don't attempt to use it in your argument against my right to marry.” Speaking of anti-gay protesters Alex brought up an interesting thought in his answer: “I would like to see the Constitution of the United States upheld and the rights of the homosexual community restored. Allow all people to get married if they want to, and for these marriages to be recognized as legal in all states. Churches, which are more or less private companies, can choose to marry same sex couples in their church if they want to, but should not be forced… The Founding Fathers created this nation to escape the tyranny of religious based governments in England so that they could worship what they wanted. Failing to allow a marriage (the government based ceremony) for same sexed couples under grounds of religious reasoning is in direct contrast to the founding principles of this republic.” Sierra, Andrea, Crystal, and Alex spelled out what I want to happen.
While I realize that Canada has nothing to do with our country, I also do believe this has very much to do with our general population, because everyone once again agreed that Canada has many models that seem ideal to them, say we elect a future president that agrees whole heartedly with Canada, and decides to re-do the whole country based off of Canada? Than it would be our business. In 2005 when the Country of Canada legalized Gay Marriage; On July 20th 2005 they made the following the new Canada Marriage Act: “An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes. Preamble: WHEREAS the Parliament of Canada is committed to upholding the Constitution of Canada, and section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination; WHEREAS the courts in a majority of the provinces and in one territory have recognized that the right to equality without discrimination requires that couples of the same sex and couples of the opposite sex have equal access to marriage for civil purposes; WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada has recognized that many Canadian couples of the same sex have married in reliance on those court decisions; WHEREAS only equal access to marriage for civil purposes would respect the right of couples of the same sex to equality without discrimination, and civil union, as an institution other than marriage, would not offer them that equal access and would violate their human dignity, in breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada has determined that the Parliament of Canada has legislative jurisdiction over marriage but does not have the jurisdiction to establish an institution other than marriage for couples of the same sex; WHEREAS everyone has the freedom of conscience and religion under section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; WHEREAS nothing in this Act affects the guarantee of freedom of conscience and religion and, in particular, the freedom of members of religious groups to hold and declare their religious beliefs and the freedom of officials of religious groups to refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs; WHEREAS it is not against the public interest to hold and publicly express diverse views on marriage; WHEREAS, in light of those considerations, the Parliament of Canada’s commitment to uphold the right to equality without discrimination precludes the use of section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to deny the right of couples of the same sex to equal access to marriage for civil purposes; WHEREAS marriage is a fundamental institution in Canadian society and the Parliament of Canada has a responsibility to support that institution because it strengthens commitment in relationships and represents the foundation of family life for many Canadians; AND WHEREAS, in order to reflect values of tolerance, respect and equality consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, access to marriage for civil purposes should be extended by legislation to couples of the same sex NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada
” So I asked them all this: Are you aware that Canada has legalized gay marriage? Crystal said: “Heck yes!” Liz was pleasantly surprised to hear that news: “I didn't know that! Awesome!!” Andrea said: “Yes, yay! They have all sorts of models I support and believe in, actually.” Sierra said: “I certainly am! Canada is the place to be!” Alex brought me back down to earth for a second: “I was not aware of this fact, and this should have no bearing on this country’s stance on gay marriage.” Canada has an ideal was of governing it’s country but we have so many things we still have to move past before we become ‘Canada number two’ I am honestly pleased with Canada and their models, imagine some agree that they have an ideal government with free healthcare, and the right to marry the person you love; but all countries have their flaws of course.
Did you know that in Saudi Arabia you can be put to death for being homosexual? How do you feel about that? Everyone was very well aware of this, and had opinion that were all disgusted with the idea of being killed for something that as we’ve learned in the first part of this paper, and will continue to learn that it is simply in ones DNA. Liz agreed to disagree: “I feel everyone should have the right to their own opinions, so if there are people who disagree with homosexuality or don't understand it and don't care to...that's their right to feel that way I suppose. However, it is absolutely criminal and horrific to negatively impact someone else so much (even to the point of murdering them) just because you don't agree with how they live.” Crystal Russell had some educational expertise on this subject: “I did know this. I actually learned a lot about Saudi Arabia and the country's human rights issues during my senior year of college. Not only can you be put to death for being Homosexual, but you may also receive the same sentence if you are a woman and drive a vehicle or admit to being raped. It's so difficult to discuss how I feel about these issues. Saudi Arabia is a critical human rights fail on so many levels. The country is insanely oppressive to women, let alone homosexuals. There are so many resolutions and interventions that need to happen on that end. Honestly these issues are sickening.” Andrea Prinzi gave me this simple answer: “Yes. And it's wrong. However, there are numerous of other pieces to their culture I cannot understand or support as well. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest.” Sierra said: “This is true for a couple countries actually. Homosexuality is a crime in 75 countries around the world, and punishable by death in at least 8. It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. Being homosexual is not a choice. Period. Why would anyone choose to be considered a second or even third class citizen? Being born homosexual is no different than being born African America. I realize that might be a strong statement for some to hear, but that's how I see it. If it is considered immoral to punish someone for being African America, or Jewish, or a woman... it should also be considered immoral to punish someone for being homosexual.” Alex Schmidt shared something that I did not know about this subject: “I was aware of this. Many countries in the Middle East are not open to homosexuality and the leader of Iran has been quoted saying that homosexuality is a problem of the west and that it does not exist in the Middle East. However, this is clearly false and homosexuality is not a choice, yet a genetic wiring. Homosexuality appears in the same prominence in humans as it does in animal species. Furthermore, the fact that people are being put to death for being gay is despicable. This is a human rights issue and should be treated that way on a national scale and sanctions should be taken against these countries.” It’s makes me physically sick to learn about this topic, after reading stories about a women who was burned to death for being gay, and a young boy who was hung for being gay; I had to take a break, and walk around the room for a few minutes. This makes me so angry, that we have living facts that your sexual orientation is not a choice, it’s something in your DNA, and this is what everyone has said: Why would someone seek to be a second class citizen? Why would someone choose to be discriminated against? Do you think all the teens who recently committed suicide wanted to be bullied, do you think they wanted some of their friends to hate them, do you think they wanted to kill themselves, no; on one wants to kill themselves for no reason.
Currently 7 states and by June 2012 8 states legalized gay marriage; amongst those are: Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington D.C., Iowa, and by June 2012 Washington state; when Gov. Chris Gregoire handed gay rights advocates a major victory, singing into law a measure that legalizes same-sex marriage in Washington state on February 13th 2012, making it the seventh in the nation to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. Some of the interviewee’s were slightly unaware of this fact. Did you know 8 states have legalized gay marriage? Crystal knew this fact: “Yes I did know this! I actively follow gay news, especially any reports on new developments of marriage legalization.” Sierra knew as well: “Yes I did! I like to keep an eye on which states I can be friends with.” Andrea didn’t fully know the numbers: “I didn't know it was quite 8, that's great!” Alex sort of knew: “I knew that some states have, but I was unaware of the exact number. As the number of states is growing many other states do not recognize these marriages and thus if these couples move they are no longer considered married and thus do not receive the same benefits as married couples. As stated above, this needs to change.” Liz Mohr: “I didn't! I thought it was only 2!” As for me I am well aware of this, I am glad to see progress, but it’s just not fair. It’s not fair that these rich, religious politicians can’t see that the people of their country they’re running want gay marriage legalized, approximately 53% of this country wants gay marriage legalized.
Is it great how far gay marriage rights have gone in the last almost 18 Years? Everyone isn’t happy about the progress, I am talking about the people who really matter in this equation, these politicians who have no idea what the people of this country want, shouldn’t able allowed to tell us what we want. Crystal dropped a fact on me about who dropped out of the race April 10th 2012: Republican Presidential Nominee: Rick Santorum. “It is decent, but not great. Given how progressive and united our country has been on many issues of this era, we haven't come very far. I mention this with regard to issues such as Proposition 8. Marriage rights were granted, fully, to citizens of California only to have them revoked not long after. Couples who didn't act quickly enough were suddenly jolted back into the realm of inequality. And now, in 2012, we have candidates running for Oval Office who proposed to 'Un-Marry' already married Gay citizens in the U.S. if elected into office (this is a direct reference to Senator Rick Santorum vowing to 'Un-Marry' the more than 100,000 already married gay couples in the United States if elected). So, in a sense, we're moving backward.” Sierra had quite the opinion: “I don't think great is the word I would use. There have been several great strides in the march towards marriage equality, however a few good steps is not enough to dance. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act banning the government from recognizing same-sex unions. That was at least 200 steps backward, and has made things very difficult for same sex couples today. It then took Vermont 4 years to allow civil unions in their state (2001). However it wasn't until May 17th, 2004 that Massachusetts became the 1st state to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States. That was a mere 8 years ago. Since then, 7 other states have followed suit. Which is good, Yes; But not great. That means that only 8 out of 50 states allow same sex marriage. What is great about only being able to get married on 16% of the United States soil? And as far as other countries go... I am not that familiar. I do know that 53% of Americans in 2012 support same-sex marriage. That is great. Considering it was only 25% in 1996. But what I don't understand is how the United States... the "United States," can be so divided on a state level, when the country as a whole supports it. Every other country (though they are few) that supports same-sex marriage, supports it on a country-wide basis; Not a state, or region-based support; the entire country supports it. So why can't the entire country of the United States support same-sex marriage, when it's clear that the majority of the US population supports it? If Britney Spears can get married for 55 hours, and Jerry Lee Lewis can get married 7 different times, why can't I simply get married once? There is no such thing as a "traditional marriage." Legalizing same-sex marriage will in no way harm "heterosexual marriages" or "disrupt family values." And if marriage is about reproduction, then how can infertile couples get married? I mean, here's a cool fact for you... Massachusetts, which became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, had the lowest rate of divorce in 2008. Its divorce rate dropped 21% from 2003 to 2008. Coincidence? I think not. Love is the movement!” Liz was glad to see progress but felt that we still have far to go: “Yes! I think its' wonderful! We still have a lot of work to do though.” Andrea disagreed: “Eh, I don't feel like it has come too far, but I do love to see progress. What makes me MOST angry is that I see so many homosexual couples that are completely in love and willing to be married and make it work. I know MORE of these types of couples than I do straight couples. A lot of the straight couples I know throw marriage around like it's nothing and are divorced in a year. But it must be okay because they are a man and a woman, right?” Alex disagrees as well: “Honestly no, it is not great the progress that has been made. There has been progress over the past 2 decades and the nations attitude toward gay marriage has made a drastic change over the past 4 years, however I find it shameful that there is even still debate about this. The sheer fact that we have not given the homosexual community equality and they still have to fight for the same rights heterosexual couples enjoy is just shameful” For me I’m not that impressed, people keep saying over, and over again that we have made a lot of progress, sure we have legalized Gay Marriage in 8 states but like Sierra stated, that’s 16% of our country, I don’t agree with any of the Republican Nominee’s because they all want to take away this progress, as little as it may be, they will take away that progress that some people have died over. I am proud of our state though, Colorado in 1992 became the first state to nullify existing civil-rights protection for homosexuals by amending its constitution, and Colorado recognizes Civil Unions which is better than the 19 states that have banned gay marriage in itself.
The bottom line is Marriage is not equal; the way most people think how homosexuality occurs in one’s mind set is ignorant. I don’t know how many times I can repeat it: it’s not a choice. Nobody chooses to be hated. I hope in the near future we can move forward with gay marriage, and just legalize it; people are going to love who they love, and those who don’t agree need to step aside, because The ‘Traditional’ America; left a long time ago, the gay community will get their day someday, I can just sense that day it will be in our life time, when people of this generation runs for office, our generation doesn’t care who or frankly what you marry, you could marry a rock, and my generation honestly wouldn’t care. There are far too many things in this country that are too important for these politicians to not pass a bill that will make people happy, because honestly this country can use a little happiness, not out of greed, but true happiness. I’m so ready for Gay Marriage to be legalized in this country. Thank you very much for reading."
Please let me know if you like it or not.
Thanks!
~Liz
On Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Kevin Mesch
Hey Guys!
So I just finished typing up my final draft, this is like the 5 time I've re-written it. I just added Liz Mohr's questions, and I think this is great. It is 10 pages long, so don't kill yourself if you are busy.
"Kevin Mesch
Ms. O’Donnell
22nd February 2012
English 12 – 7
Marriage is Not Equal
I am researching gay rights; I do agree that you should be allowed to marry the person you love. I am finding out how gay marriage is unconstitutional, because I think not being allowed to marry the person you love in this country goes against the very word freedom; the very promise of this country. My opinion of Marriage in itself is influenced by people I know. All of my friends & family support gay marriage, and I know others who are affected by this topic.
Over the course of the last month I researched many topics, many stories, other marriage rights in other States, and other countries. I even interviewed some individuals face to face. I think it’s hard to be able to get a story about this topic without it being sugar coated by most people, I luckily found some people who gave me more than their honest opinion, but how they feel unhappy about how Gay Rights are being sorted out.
I conducted multiple interviews via e-mail and got almost immediate responses; the feedback was more than raw, everyone had so much opinion, and I honestly think these people could’ve gone on for day’s expressing their opinions, along the way while I was giving these interviews I got a better hold of my opinion of marriage in general. Are you happy with our current state of Marriage Equality? Everyone I interviewed responded with a No. Crystal Russell owner and head designer at This Visionary Life the 1 of 5 people I interviewed; struck me with a simple statement: “My answer is always simple: marriage is not equal. As long as it remains unequal, I won't be happy.” Ms. Liz Mohr Teacher of Aurora Public School simply said: “Definitely not!” Ms. Sierra Lord-Halvorson a Current Medical School Attendee at Drexel University responded with: As far as I'm concerned... there is nothing equal about it.” Mrs. Andrea Prinzi a Microbiologist at The Children’s Hospital said: “No, I am not. I think it is incredibly unfair that while my husband and I are able to share the joy of being married those closest to me (and even those not close to me), cannot. It is something I believe everyone should be able to experience, and the fact that they cannot is ignorant and has no basis or foundation what so ever.” Crystal Russell also said “What's more, it is increasingly frustrating to see such a divided opinion nationwide. We move from full rights in marriage to a complete ban of even speaking the word 'gay' in classrooms. How can a nation that is built on a unified eventual agreement on nearly all things, be completely dissolve over this issue?” and From Alex Schmidt a Business Major Graduate at University of Colorado stated the following: “No, I believe in the foundations that this republic was founded on, that all men were created equal and that it is an affront to the US constitution that we can treat a portion of our population the way we do the homosexual community.” These statements got me thinking about how we are The United (not divided) States of America, than again not that long ago there was a group was also fighting for equal rights, they were denied equality simply because of their race, something that they had no control over; the group I am referring to are African-American’s of the 1950’s, another example that is thankfully resolved: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Another hot topic, Bill Clinton in 1993 signed with the Department of Defense this bill that you were able to serve this country regardless of your sexual orientation, but as long as you didn’t tell anyone that you were, fearing if you did you would get a dis-honorable discharge and sent home. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, goes against the very word Freedom, there’s nothing free about having to hide how you are, when you are risking your life for this country – Chris Crocker” thankfully President Obama during a State of the Union Address in 2011, announced that you starting this year, nobody will be discharged from the military because they are gay. I also did a poll on Facebook saying this: Do you agree with Marriage Equality?” I got a 100% percent saying “Yes” and “Yes 100 percent” and many more like that.
What changes would you want to occur for marriage equality? Sierra Lord-Halvorson said: “I want the United States, as a country, to legalize same-sex marriage” Andrea felt: “Any couple willing to make the lifelong financial and emotional commitment to marriage should be able to do so, Period.” Liz also felt: “For any 2 people over the age of 18 to be able to marry each other and obtain all of the legal rights/advantages married couples have now.” Crystal Russell surprised me again: “The fundamental thing that I would like to see is equality. Equality across the board; along with that, I'd like a society that universally understands that being gay is not a choice. It's who a person is. It is inherent in their nature. It's as ingrained as race or hair color--it's just what it is. No one actively chooses to become part of a minority group. No one actively seeks to be discriminated against. Further, I would like for the masses of anti-gay protestors to stop bragging about the sanctity of marriage. There hasn't been sanctity in marriage for Years, Decades. Centuries; Hundreds of thousands of straight people are committing adultery every day, divorcing, remarrying, and marrying for only a matter of hours under a drunken 'Oopsie' haze in Las Vegas. Forget sanctity and don't attempt to use it in your argument against my right to marry.” Speaking of anti-gay protesters Alex brought up an interesting thought in his answer: “I would like to see the Constitution of the United States upheld and the rights of the homosexual community restored. Allow all people to get married if they want to, and for these marriages to be recognized as legal in all states. Churches, which are more or less private companies, can choose to marry same sex couples in their church if they want to, but should not be forced… The Founding Fathers created this nation to escape the tyranny of religious based governments in England so that they could worship what they wanted. Failing to allow a marriage (the government based ceremony) for same sexed couples under grounds of religious reasoning is in direct contrast to the founding principles of this republic.” Sierra, Andrea, Crystal, and Alex spelled out what I want to happen.
While I realize that Canada has nothing to do with our country, I also do believe this has very much to do with our general population, because everyone once again agreed that Canada has many models that seem ideal to them, say we elect a future president that agrees whole heartedly with Canada, and decides to re-do the whole country based off of Canada? Than it would be our business. In 2005 when the Country of Canada legalized Gay Marriage; On July 20th 2005 they made the following the new Canada Marriage Act: “An Act respecting certain aspects of legal capacity for marriage for civil purposes. Preamble: WHEREAS the Parliament of Canada is committed to upholding the Constitution of Canada, and section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees that every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination; WHEREAS the courts in a majority of the provinces and in one territory have recognized that the right to equality without discrimination requires that couples of the same sex and couples of the opposite sex have equal access to marriage for civil purposes; WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada has recognized that many Canadian couples of the same sex have married in reliance on those court decisions; WHEREAS only equal access to marriage for civil purposes would respect the right of couples of the same sex to equality without discrimination, and civil union, as an institution other than marriage, would not offer them that equal access and would violate their human dignity, in breach of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; WHEREAS the Supreme Court of Canada has determined that the Parliament of Canada has legislative jurisdiction over marriage but does not have the jurisdiction to establish an institution other than marriage for couples of the same sex; WHEREAS everyone has the freedom of conscience and religion under section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; WHEREAS nothing in this Act affects the guarantee of freedom of conscience and religion and, in particular, the freedom of members of religious groups to hold and declare their religious beliefs and the freedom of officials of religious groups to refuse to perform marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs; WHEREAS it is not against the public interest to hold and publicly express diverse views on marriage; WHEREAS, in light of those considerations, the Parliament of Canada’s commitment to uphold the right to equality without discrimination precludes the use of section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to deny the right of couples of the same sex to equal access to marriage for civil purposes; WHEREAS marriage is a fundamental institution in Canadian society and the Parliament of Canada has a responsibility to support that institution because it strengthens commitment in relationships and represents the foundation of family life for many Canadians; AND WHEREAS, in order to reflect values of tolerance, respect and equality consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, access to marriage for civil purposes should be extended by legislation to couples of the same sex NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada
” So I asked them all this: Are you aware that Canada has legalized gay marriage? Crystal said: “Heck yes!” Liz was pleasantly surprised to hear that news: “I didn't know that! Awesome!!” Andrea said: “Yes, yay! They have all sorts of models I support and believe in, actually.” Sierra said: “I certainly am! Canada is the place to be!” Alex brought me back down to earth for a second: “I was not aware of this fact, and this should have no bearing on this country’s stance on gay marriage.” Canada has an ideal was of governing it’s country but we have so many things we still have to move past before we become ‘Canada number two’ I am honestly pleased with Canada and their models, imagine some agree that they have an ideal government with free healthcare, and the right to marry the person you love; but all countries have their flaws of course.
Did you know that in Saudi Arabia you can be put to death for being homosexual? How do you feel about that? Everyone was very well aware of this, and had opinion that were all disgusted with the idea of being killed for something that as we’ve learned in the first part of this paper, and will continue to learn that it is simply in ones DNA. Liz agreed to disagree: “I feel everyone should have the right to their own opinions, so if there are people who disagree with homosexuality or don't understand it and don't care to...that's their right to feel that way I suppose. However, it is absolutely criminal and horrific to negatively impact someone else so much (even to the point of murdering them) just because you don't agree with how they live.” Crystal Russell had some educational expertise on this subject: “I did know this. I actually learned a lot about Saudi Arabia and the country's human rights issues during my senior year of college. Not only can you be put to death for being Homosexual, but you may also receive the same sentence if you are a woman and drive a vehicle or admit to being raped. It's so difficult to discuss how I feel about these issues. Saudi Arabia is a critical human rights fail on so many levels. The country is insanely oppressive to women, let alone homosexuals. There are so many resolutions and interventions that need to happen on that end. Honestly these issues are sickening.” Andrea Prinzi gave me this simple answer: “Yes. And it's wrong. However, there are numerous of other pieces to their culture I cannot understand or support as well. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest.” Sierra said: “This is true for a couple countries actually. Homosexuality is a crime in 75 countries around the world, and punishable by death in at least 8. It makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. Being homosexual is not a choice. Period. Why would anyone choose to be considered a second or even third class citizen? Being born homosexual is no different than being born African America. I realize that might be a strong statement for some to hear, but that's how I see it. If it is considered immoral to punish someone for being African America, or Jewish, or a woman... it should also be considered immoral to punish someone for being homosexual.” Alex Schmidt shared something that I did not know about this subject: “I was aware of this. Many countries in the Middle East are not open to homosexuality and the leader of Iran has been quoted saying that homosexuality is a problem of the west and that it does not exist in the Middle East. However, this is clearly false and homosexuality is not a choice, yet a genetic wiring. Homosexuality appears in the same prominence in humans as it does in animal species. Furthermore, the fact that people are being put to death for being gay is despicable. This is a human rights issue and should be treated that way on a national scale and sanctions should be taken against these countries.” It’s makes me physically sick to learn about this topic, after reading stories about a women who was burned to death for being gay, and a young boy who was hung for being gay; I had to take a break, and walk around the room for a few minutes. This makes me so angry, that we have living facts that your sexual orientation is not a choice, it’s something in your DNA, and this is what everyone has said: Why would someone seek to be a second class citizen? Why would someone choose to be discriminated against? Do you think all the teens who recently committed suicide wanted to be bullied, do you think they wanted some of their friends to hate them, do you think they wanted to kill themselves, no; on one wants to kill themselves for no reason.
Currently 7 states and by June 2012 8 states legalized gay marriage; amongst those are: Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Washington D.C., Iowa, and by June 2012 Washington state; when Gov. Chris Gregoire handed gay rights advocates a major victory, singing into law a measure that legalizes same-sex marriage in Washington state on February 13th 2012, making it the seventh in the nation to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. Some of the interviewee’s were slightly unaware of this fact. Did you know 8 states have legalized gay marriage? Crystal knew this fact: “Yes I did know this! I actively follow gay news, especially any reports on new developments of marriage legalization.” Sierra knew as well: “Yes I did! I like to keep an eye on which states I can be friends with.” Andrea didn’t fully know the numbers: “I didn't know it was quite 8, that's great!” Alex sort of knew: “I knew that some states have, but I was unaware of the exact number. As the number of states is growing many other states do not recognize these marriages and thus if these couples move they are no longer considered married and thus do not receive the same benefits as married couples. As stated above, this needs to change.” Liz Mohr: “I didn't! I thought it was only 2!” As for me I am well aware of this, I am glad to see progress, but it’s just not fair. It’s not fair that these rich, religious politicians can’t see that the people of their country they’re running want gay marriage legalized, approximately 53% of this country wants gay marriage legalized.
Is it great how far gay marriage rights have gone in the last almost 18 Years? Everyone isn’t happy about the progress, I am talking about the people who really matter in this equation, these politicians who have no idea what the people of this country want, shouldn’t able allowed to tell us what we want. Crystal dropped a fact on me about who dropped out of the race April 10th 2012: Republican Presidential Nominee: Rick Santorum. “It is decent, but not great. Given how progressive and united our country has been on many issues of this era, we haven't come very far. I mention this with regard to issues such as Proposition 8. Marriage rights were granted, fully, to citizens of California only to have them revoked not long after. Couples who didn't act quickly enough were suddenly jolted back into the realm of inequality. And now, in 2012, we have candidates running for Oval Office who proposed to 'Un-Marry' already married Gay citizens in the U.S. if elected into office (this is a direct reference to Senator Rick Santorum vowing to 'Un-Marry' the more than 100,000 already married gay couples in the United States if elected). So, in a sense, we're moving backward.” Sierra had quite the opinion: “I don't think great is the word I would use. There have been several great strides in the march towards marriage equality, however a few good steps is not enough to dance. In 1996, Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act banning the government from recognizing same-sex unions. That was at least 200 steps backward, and has made things very difficult for same sex couples today. It then took Vermont 4 years to allow civil unions in their state (2001). However it wasn't until May 17th, 2004 that Massachusetts became the 1st state to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States. That was a mere 8 years ago. Since then, 7 other states have followed suit. Which is good, Yes; But not great. That means that only 8 out of 50 states allow same sex marriage. What is great about only being able to get married on 16% of the United States soil? And as far as other countries go... I am not that familiar. I do know that 53% of Americans in 2012 support same-sex marriage. That is great. Considering it was only 25% in 1996. But what I don't understand is how the United States... the "United States," can be so divided on a state level, when the country as a whole supports it. Every other country (though they are few) that supports same-sex marriage, supports it on a country-wide basis; Not a state, or region-based support; the entire country supports it. So why can't the entire country of the United States support same-sex marriage, when it's clear that the majority of the US population supports it? If Britney Spears can get married for 55 hours, and Jerry Lee Lewis can get married 7 different times, why can't I simply get married once? There is no such thing as a "traditional marriage." Legalizing same-sex marriage will in no way harm "heterosexual marriages" or "disrupt family values." And if marriage is about reproduction, then how can infertile couples get married? I mean, here's a cool fact for you... Massachusetts, which became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004, had the lowest rate of divorce in 2008. Its divorce rate dropped 21% from 2003 to 2008. Coincidence? I think not. Love is the movement!” Liz was glad to see progress but felt that we still have far to go: “Yes! I think its' wonderful! We still have a lot of work to do though.” Andrea disagreed: “Eh, I don't feel like it has come too far, but I do love to see progress. What makes me MOST angry is that I see so many homosexual couples that are completely in love and willing to be married and make it work. I know MORE of these types of couples than I do straight couples. A lot of the straight couples I know throw marriage around like it's nothing and are divorced in a year. But it must be okay because they are a man and a woman, right?” Alex disagrees as well: “Honestly no, it is not great the progress that has been made. There has been progress over the past 2 decades and the nations attitude toward gay marriage has made a drastic change over the past 4 years, however I find it shameful that there is even still debate about this. The sheer fact that we have not given the homosexual community equality and they still have to fight for the same rights heterosexual couples enjoy is just shameful” For me I’m not that impressed, people keep saying over, and over again that we have made a lot of progress, sure we have legalized Gay Marriage in 8 states but like Sierra stated, that’s 16% of our country, I don’t agree with any of the Republican Nominee’s because they all want to take away this progress, as little as it may be, they will take away that progress that some people have died over. I am proud of our state though, Colorado in 1992 became the first state to nullify existing civil-rights protection for homosexuals by amending its constitution, and Colorado recognizes Civil Unions which is better than the 19 states that have banned gay marriage in itself.
The bottom line is Marriage is not equal; the way most people think how homosexuality occurs in one’s mind set is ignorant. I don’t know how many times I can repeat it: it’s not a choice. Nobody chooses to be hated. I hope in the near future we can move forward with gay marriage, and just legalize it; people are going to love who they love, and those who don’t agree need to step aside, because The ‘Traditional’ America; left a long time ago, the gay community will get their day someday, I can just sense that day it will be in our life time, when people of this generation runs for office, our generation doesn’t care who or frankly what you marry, you could marry a rock, and my generation honestly wouldn’t care. There are far too many things in this country that are too important for these politicians to not pass a bill that will make people happy, because honestly this country can use a little happiness, not out of greed, but true happiness. I’m so ready for Gay Marriage to be legalized in this country. Thank you very much for reading."
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