Research Paper on Proposition 8

Heres the finished result of the info I collected for the Proposition 8 Research Paper! Please enjoy and feel free to comment/criticize in any way.


The Issue of Proposition 8 is another layer upon the concrete battle of homosexual rights. It is despicable to see that our America has become so torn over this issue of simple equality. We need to allow the Gay community to marry; Not because any of religious disagreements, but because our country needs to stand for civil liberty. If we deny this group of people their rights as citizens of the United States, how different is it from the century-long struggle over woman's rights, or the fight for Black freedom? The first amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Yet California has passed a law called Proposition 8, which outlaws Gay marriage in the boundaries of its state. We seem to have forgotten the entirety of the reason we came to America in the first place; Freedom. We must protect every citizen’s civil rights, whether or not the community as a whole agrees with the citizen’s views.
There are many who agree with me in this argument; Silicon Valley leaders, for example, formed a group and released a page filling ad in the San Jose Mercury newspaper; an attempt to convince voters to reject Proposition 8, which is titled “Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry” (Swisher). Silicon Valley leaders such as Google, Yahoo, Myspace, Facebook, and other well-known online companies have united to campaign against Proposition 8. Recently, Apple has donated $100,000 against Proposition 8, while Google Co Founder Sergey Brin made a strong statement opposing it (Swisher). There are also many people who would disagree with me, such as the Mormon community, currently known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When the leaders of the religious community called out for it’s patrons to speak out in support of Proposition 8, Mormons responded to church leader’s request for assistance in passing Proposition 8 by actively campaigning for ads and website such as Protectmarriage.com, and Yeson8.com (Mormons). There are 770,000 members of the Latter-Day Saints church campaigning against same-sex marriage; a number that seems quiet monstrous. Other people who support Proposition 8 include many right wing conservatives, such as conservative Ruth Malhotra. Malhotra says her Christian faith impels her to speak out against homosexual marriage, But the Georgia Institute of Technology where she is a senior, bans speech putting down those who support same-sex marriage. She therefore has joined a major group that fights for the right to speak against the laws that protect homosexuals (Simon). Groups such as this have greatly impacted California’s civil votes on proposition 8 by releasing television, radio, and newspaper ads. An example of this is the group Schubert Flint Public Affairs; The group, which includes Schubert, Frank and Jeff Flint fielded over 300 media calls from reporters around the globe, produced campaign material in over 40 languages, brought together almost 30,000 Californians in a single precinct walk, and all together brought the pro-Proposition 8 voters population from a measly 38 percent to a booming 55 percent. Frank Schubert commented that the argument was not with gays getting married, but with the flawed reasoning of a narrow majority of the California Supreme Court. (Schubert).
Another argument one might have supporting Proposition 8 is whether or not we should allow gay marriage because of family stress. Many people think that because their will be two fathers, the family of the gay couple would not be a happy family due to an unusual upbringing. This is wrong. There are currently 126,000 children nationwide, that do not have parents and/or live in orphanages; This number would be greatly decreased if gay marriage was allowed, because a majority of gay couples wish to adopt a child, so that they may experience the joy of a happy family. An example is partners Steven Lofton and Roger Croteau, who took in two HIV-positive infants in 1988. As foster parents, they raised the children as if they were their own. In fact, the two men, who have been together for almost 20 years now, were given an award by the state of Florida for their model efforts as foster parents. Neither of the men had ever had a history of drug abuse, or child molestation, or criminal violence. The state of Florida allows people with such backgrounds to become adoptive parents, yet it won’t allow Lofton and Croteau to adopt the children in their care, who have never known any other home, simply because the two men are a gay couple. The same goes for Wayne LaRue Smith and Daniel Skahen, a happy couple who have been together for 11 years. The two wanted to adopt children of their own, but were disallowed by the state of Florida due to their sexual orientation (Dahir).
Along with those who stand on an ethical viewpoint in this concrete battle, there are those who join the anti-Proposition 8 campaign as opponents to the religious communities’ decision to outlaw recognition of same-sex marriage in a state review. The Episcopal Church, as an example, has refused to accede to the demands of right-wing conservatives to renounce Reverend V. Gene Robinson, the gay man whose 2003 consecration as bishop of New Hampshire set off a fierce debate among church members worldwide, and the blessing of same-sex marriage by clergy (Martin). One opponent to the decision, Duncan Riley, owner of Duncanrily.com, says “If marriage is a sacred religious institution, then surely we should outlaw civil marriages as well. Why aren’t the very same people calling for a ban on gay marriage calling for a ban on the state marrying anyone. After all, if marriage is the exclusive domain of religion, and defined exclusively by religious teaching, then the state has no role in marrying people” (Duncan).
The fact that Americans have become more accepting and knowing of Homosexuality is a statement upon itself. As sociologists and scientists alike study the effects of homosexuality in humanity and in species of animals, we learn more and more about the benefits of homosexuality, as well as the bonding effect it has on social groups and trust-building partners. It has no effect on the fitness of the individual, and in fact helps the survival rate in times of war. As Joan Roughgarden exclaims, “There is little evidence that people who feel homoerotic attraction have, as a group, any less Darwinian fitness than those who don't. After all, many exclusively heterosexual people do not have offspring either. Even if those with homoerotic attraction did have marginally fewer children, they might make up for it by a better chance of survival—during wars, for example, when homoerotic bonds might lead soldiers to protect one another more vigorously” (Roughgarden). I agree with Roughgarden in the statement that homosexual bonds, as well as heterosexual bonds, might cause people, and animals to fight harder for each other’s survival. It has been represented in the wild in a multitude of instances.
Due to the nature of those who support Proposition 8, and to those who oppose same-sex marriage in general, the concrete battle of gay rights will seemingly go on forever; The conservative community will oppose the nonconformist and liberal communities, and the religious community will be stay torn for unknown ages to follow. Unless we allow the Gay community the same rights as the average citizens of America, which includes the religious advocates who oppose it, America will be eternally torn over this issue, and the civil rights of the people who share as much in common with this strife as Woman, African Americans, and Asian Americans do, will cease to exist.


Love, David!

 

Junior in HSchool, its a opposing viewpoints research paper

 

To Alex: This essay is about 5 pages long, double spaced, trust me, I have counted =D