Should Same Sex Marriage Be Legalized Essay Example for Free

Should Same Sex Marriage Be Legalized Essay Half of Americans say that homosexuality is something that can be changed or a choice, while the other half say that homosexuality is not a choice but something that they are born with and cannot change. So what is homosexuality, exactly? It is the attraction or behaviors, sexual or otherwise, between members of the same sex or gender (Random House, Inc. 2013). The question at hand is should the parties in these types of relationships be allowed to marry and carry the same rights as that of a heterosexual couple? This is something that has been discussed and debated between many groups for a long time and still continues to be so. The answer is simple. Marriage should be the right of the individual, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. This country is founded on exactly this point. The Constitution of the United States of America says everyone should have equal rights. Freedom to marry is no different than freedom of religion. If an individual can choose who to worship and believe in, then that individual should be able to choose who to love and spend their life with. In 1974, the Supreme Court ruled that in the case of Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur, freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause (ProCon.org 2013)†. Not legalizing same sex marriage only leads people to believe that it is acceptable to discriminate against those who lead this life style. Because of this, laws regarding same sex marriage need to evolve with the times. When laws were created against same sex marriage, it was also not accepted to marry interracially. Since this time these laws have been revised and have allowed for many happy, healthy homes. This goes to show that if laws are not changed to fit the times, the country can never grow. This growth can provide great opportunities in many different ways. Same Sex Marriage is also beneficial to both the same sex partners and the Government. Federal benefits would be available to a legally married same sex couple. These benefits would include, Social Security Benefits, Tax Benefits, as well Veterans and Military Benefits. For the same sex couple, this would mean a better quality of life and more security later in life. They would also qualify for Federal Employment Benefits and Immigration. Many people feel that a same sex couple should not have these rights because they believe it will cost the government more money and damage the economy further. However, these benefits would allow the same sex couple to provide a more stable life for their families. As for the government is concerned, the legally married same sex couple would also be liable for the same Federal fees and expenses as a â€Å"traditional† married couple. They would have to file and pay for marriage licenses. In addition, the legally married couple would be required to file as married on their Federal Taxes. Both of these things can potential boost the economy. Therefore, the government would actually benefit from the legalization as opposed to being damaged. The Comptroller for New York City found that over a period of three years, just legalizing gay marriage would bring approximately $142 million to the city’s economy and approximately $184 million to the state’s economy (William C. Thompson, Jr., Love Counts: The Economic Benefits of Marriage Equality for New York 2007). These benefits have already been implemented in many parts of the world and have proven to be beneficial to both parties. There are currently eighteen nations that have implemented laws for same sex marriage to be allowed, in either the entire area or at least certain jurisdictions. These countries include Argentina (2010), Denmark (2012), The Netherlands (2000), South Africa (2006), Belgium (2003), England/Wales (2013), New Zealand (2013), Spain (2005), Brazil (2013), France (2013), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Canada (2005), Iceland (2010), Portugal (2010), Uruguay (2013), Mexico (2009), and The United States (2003) (Senior Researcher David Masci, Research Analyst Elizabeth Sciupac and Assistant Editor Michael Lipka 2013). Of these eighteen nations the only two restricted to certain jurisdictions The United States and Mexico. In The United States same sex has been legalized in thirteen states. These include Massachusetts (May 17, 2004), Connecticut (Nov. 12, 2008), Iowa (Apr. 24. 2009), Vermont (Sep. 1, 2009), New Hampshire (Jan. 1, 2010), New York (June 24, 2011), Washington (Dec. 9, 2012), Maine (Dec. 29, 2012), Maryland (Jan. 1, 2013), California (June 28, 2013), Delaware (July 1, 2013), Rhode Island (Aug. 1, 2013), and Minnesota (Aug. 1, 2013) (Christian Broadcasting Network, Americans Question Who Makes a Family, 2010). In 2008, Massachusetts, the first state in the country to legalize same sex marriage, had the lowest divorce rate in the country. This has been the case with many other states as well, showing that gay marriage bans correspond with higher divorce rates (Nate Silver, Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans, 2010). It has been shown that lower divorce rates provide for more stable homes. More stable living environments can provide a plethora of opportunities to people that not have otherwise been given them. Among these opportunities lies the known fact that a same sex couple who is legally married would have an easier time adopting a child(ren) than a non-married couple. The reason for this is because, the adoption process is believed to be easier when there is a loving two parent household. It has been shown that when considering adoption, a married couple will be much more likely to be approved than an individual because it is more likely that they would be able to best provide for the child and give them the necessary attention. Single parents are very unlikely to be allowed to adopt unless they have extensive means of support. Many people believe that a child should not be raised in a home with parents of the same sex because it would not be healthy for the child’s growth and development. However, it has been shown that children raised in same sex homes have been proven to thrive just as well as those raised in heterosexual homes. In this country alone there are 100,000 children waiting for adoption (James G. Pawelski 2006). More stable homes would provide to create more productive members of society. Studies conducted in 2010 concluded that children raised by two mothers scored higher than those of heterosexual parents in multiple areas, including social and academic competence (Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forsell, and Charlotte J. Patterson, Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?, Applied Developmental Science 2010). In addition, these children were shown to have fewer social problems. Children of gay fathers in this study were to be just as well-adjusted as those adopted by heterosexual parents† (Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forsell, and Charlotte J. Patterson, Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?, Applied Developmental Science 2010). Allowing more adoptions would also cut down on the need to place unwanted and abused children into the Foster System. In doing this, not only does the same sex married couple get the pleasure of becoming parents, and the children get the chance of a happy normal life, but the government will again benefit by no longer needing to provide the support for these children, as well as providing more foster homes for those children with the possibility of reunification with their families, which there is a great shortage of. All of this information shows that whether or not sexual orientation is a choice or something that one is simply born with is really irrelevant. The fact still remains that everyone should have equal rights, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. It is unconstitutional to deny these rights to anyone based on these discriminating factors, as the Constitution is supportive of equality for all. In the past similar discrimination was imposed upon inter-racial marriages, which has since been altered. By changing those laws and providing balance between the races, the country has grown in ways that could only have been imagined. The same possibilities are true for the legalizations of same sex marriage. Unless something is given the chance, it will never be known what could possibly come from it, and it could quite possibly improve the overall quality of life. This is true not just for the parties directly affected, but for those around them as well. This has already been shown through the positive things that have come from the legalization of same sex marriage in many areas around the world. Regardless of the fears of many that legalizing same sex marriage could compromise the functions of society, in the areas where it is already legal, society is still functioning just as well if not better than before the legalization. References Pew research religion and public life project. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/search/gay+marriage/?site=pewforum Procon.org. (2013). Retrieved from http://gaymarriage.procon.org/ Waters, H. J. (2013). Proquest. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1372302648?accountid=458 Cheiner, E. (2013). The gay and lesbian review. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1322735038?accountid=458 Pearce, C. (2012). Gay marriage. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1223795294?accountid=458

Comparing Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady Essay

Fall from Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Bible, God created man pure and innocent, oblivious to good and evil. The serpent of evil lured them to the tree of knowledge, however, and its fruit proved too much of a temptation. With a bite, their "eyes... were opened," and the course of their lives, and the lives of mankind, were changed (Gen. 6-7, 22). Whether or not one accepts the Christian concept of creation, countless works of art are patterned on this account of the "fall from innocence." The novel Grendel by John Gardner shows us a side of the "beast" the epic Beowulf never considered - the child-like innocence before the brutality. The song "Country Girl" by Neil Young is a subtle commentary on the effect the sexual revolution had upon one woman. In addition, The Portrait of a Lady, a film by Jane Campion, an adaptation of Henry James's novel, shows the downward spiral of a headstrong American girl in the late 1800's. These three distinct pieces cut a swath through the art world, repre senting an established author, a modern musician, and a feminist filmmaker, yet central to their relevance is one theme: the fall from innocence.    Innocence? In Grendel? Grendel is a monster, right? Wrong, in the eyes of John Gardner. Taking the role of the Shaper, Gardner makes us see Grendel as an ostracized person, one so lonely he "relishes the thought of acceptance," even though the idiocy of their society repulses him at times (Milosh 221). He is just a naà ¯ve teenager, searching for his role in life.    In The Portrait of a Lady (POAL), Isabel is searching as well, traveling where her caprice leads her. "You're drifting off to some great mistake," her friend Henriett... ...    Gardner, John. Grendel. Vintage Books, 1989.    Kneubuhl, James P. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Milosh, Joseph. "John Gardner's 'Grendel': Sources and Analogues." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 221-222.    Portrait of a Lady, The. Dir. Jane Campion. Gramercy, 1996.    The portrait of a lady production notes. [Online] Available http://www.hollywood.com/movies/portrait/text/1.html, April 13, 1998.    Strehle, Susan. "John Gardner's Novels: Affirmation and the Alien." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 218 -219.    Travirca, Chet. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Young, Neil. "Country Girl." Perf. Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Dà ©jà   vu. Atlantic, 1970. Comparing Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady Essay Fall from Innocence in Grendel, Neil Young and Portrait of a Lady      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the Bible, God created man pure and innocent, oblivious to good and evil. The serpent of evil lured them to the tree of knowledge, however, and its fruit proved too much of a temptation. With a bite, their "eyes... were opened," and the course of their lives, and the lives of mankind, were changed (Gen. 6-7, 22). Whether or not one accepts the Christian concept of creation, countless works of art are patterned on this account of the "fall from innocence." The novel Grendel by John Gardner shows us a side of the "beast" the epic Beowulf never considered - the child-like innocence before the brutality. The song "Country Girl" by Neil Young is a subtle commentary on the effect the sexual revolution had upon one woman. In addition, The Portrait of a Lady, a film by Jane Campion, an adaptation of Henry James's novel, shows the downward spiral of a headstrong American girl in the late 1800's. These three distinct pieces cut a swath through the art world, repre senting an established author, a modern musician, and a feminist filmmaker, yet central to their relevance is one theme: the fall from innocence.    Innocence? In Grendel? Grendel is a monster, right? Wrong, in the eyes of John Gardner. Taking the role of the Shaper, Gardner makes us see Grendel as an ostracized person, one so lonely he "relishes the thought of acceptance," even though the idiocy of their society repulses him at times (Milosh 221). He is just a naà ¯ve teenager, searching for his role in life.    In The Portrait of a Lady (POAL), Isabel is searching as well, traveling where her caprice leads her. "You're drifting off to some great mistake," her friend Henriett... ...    Gardner, John. Grendel. Vintage Books, 1989.    Kneubuhl, James P. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Milosh, Joseph. "John Gardner's 'Grendel': Sources and Analogues." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 221-222.    Portrait of a Lady, The. Dir. Jane Campion. Gramercy, 1996.    The portrait of a lady production notes. [Online] Available http://www.hollywood.com/movies/portrait/text/1.html, April 13, 1998.    Strehle, Susan. "John Gardner's Novels: Affirmation and the Alien." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Dedria Bryfonski. Vol. 10. Detroit: Gale Research, 1979. 218 -219.    Travirca, Chet. Written interview. 12 April 1998.    Young, Neil. "Country Girl." Perf. Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Dà ©jà   vu. Atlantic, 1970.

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A Winning Process for Launching Your Engineering Career† by Dean C. Millard Course Topics include the Career Planning Process and Task/Project Planning: Understand Yourself Career Development and Choice Theories Interest and/or (Holland) Personality Assessments Understanding your personal values, skills, interests, and traits and their impact on career possibilitiesValues and ethics relating to career choices Your strengths and promoting your strengths (will be used for elevator speech) Explore Options Researching and Exploring Engineering Careers and Employment Options Use of career libraries and other resources for occupational and major choices Databases and other on-line resources Decision making about your career Informational and behavioral interviewing Interacting with Engineering Professional(s)/Faculty at Careers Discussion Take Action Marketing Yourself: â€Å"How can you make yourself stand out? Resume and cover letter design twittering skills Networking Internships Systems Engineering: Understand the systems/team approach to modern engineering design What skills and experiences during your undergraduate career will prepare you best for the reality of today's workforce and its expectations? The role of graduate studies and how to assess the need, and undergraduate course selection implications. Leadership skill development and experiential learning opportunities. Entrepreneurship may be a goal. What strategies should you follow? The importance of excellent communication skills.Team functioning guidelines The course consists of mandatory lectures together with homework and class exercises that will allow you to tailor the material presented in class to make appropriate career choices and enhance your career development. Topics will be presented in a summary fashion during lectures and will be investigated in more detail through outside assignments and subsequent in- class presentations and discussion. Some readings may be at profession websites . The course blackboard website will be the primary method of distributing information, assignments, and class documents.One other note about the rouser website: Please be sure you are registered with your name exactly as you are registered in this course. And only use your official Cornell email as the email address when you sign in and log in each time. Also, send ALL emails only from your official Cornell gamma account, others will not be opened, including if they are a nickname or an alias. Please be sure to keep electronic (backup) copies of ALL the documents you turn in to this course until after you receive your final grade.If anything is lost along the way, you can then easily locate, and resubmit any missing comments for credit. You will also find your assessment results you AC aired in the course may be useful to you later in your career. Please keep these materials for your personal use once you finish our course! Course Grading: On-time class attendance, participation in in-class discussions, and satisfactory, on-time completion of course assignments will determine your final grade in this seminar course. This seminar only helps you make good career plans if you are a serious, motivated, and active participant. Opts. Will be earned for every lecture attended on time and only if attending or the entire class period. 10 Opts. Will be earned for each homework satisfactorily completed, typed, and submitted on time – in class. A 40% penalty will be assessed for all late materials turned in after they are due in class, up to one week late or for turning in an unsatisfactory submission which must be redone. O Opts. Credit will be earned for homework turned in more than one week after the due date – although all assignments still must be completed satisfactorily and turned in to pass the course.Several homework assignments may be given higher weighting particularly he final project and these will be announced in class and on the assignment sh eet posted on Blackboard. In addition, some assignments will be group- oriented. Absences from lecture will only be excused for official university reasons and for communicable diseases such as the flu when you should remain at home and take care of yourself. The official university reasons are illness and absence from campus on official university business, the later must be documented in writing.Proof of any missing work must be submitted prior to the final exam date, ND be of acceptable quality. Remember, any assignment turned in more than 1 week late will receive zero credit towards your grade, but the assignment must still be submitted in satisfactory form to complete the course. Final Letter Grading will be based on the percentage score out of the total possible as follows: AAA – 100 % – 89. 9 % ICC – 79. 9% D 60-69. 9% Below 60 % OR if missing or unsatisfactorily completed any required assignments #1. Tuesday, January 27th In class: Introduction/overview of course and course materials (â€Å"Ready for Takeoff')

Karl Marx And The Communist Manifesto Essay - 1691 Words

Karl Marx (1818-1883), in collaboration with his benefactor and friend, Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), founded the Marxist Theory. Both men were philosophers, however were referred to as revolutionaries. ‘The Communist Manifesto’, was written collaboratively by both Marx and Engels, as they explored the argument that â€Å"history and progress can be seen dialectically as societies shift from one mode of production to another†. This will be argued through a contextual account of Marxism, its development, critiques, and both the dependency theory and critical theory. Marx closely analysed the economic interactions within the capitalist community, arguing that the unfair wages were being distributed to workers due to capitalism being driven by profit. This is known as the ‘Labour Theory of Value’. This theory illustrates how the rich are becoming richer and the poor and being coming poorer. For example, in 2015, at the top end of the spectrum, 34 million people dominate 113 trillion dollars. In comparison, at the bottom end of the spectrum, 34 billion people dominate only 7.4 trillion dollars. However, in 2012 at the top end of the spectrum, 29 million people dominate 87.5 trillion dollars. In comparison, at the bottom end of the spectrum, 29 billion people dominate only 7.3 trillion dollars. Mass media, families, churches, state, courts of law, councils and the education system are examples of both political and social institutions supported by the economic base. ThisShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1044 Words   |  5 Pagesworld was forever changed when Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto, the ideas of a stateless and classless society would inspire many, and forge the path that many nations would follow, and give rise to numerous conflicts throughout the 20th century. Karl Marx was born in Trier, Germany on May 5th 1818. During his early years he studied philosophy and law, in 1834 Marx had moved to Paris and had adopted a radical view of socialism known as communism. Marx met and became friends with aRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx1364 Words   |  6 PagesThe Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, has become one of the world s most significant pieces of political propaganda written to this date. The main contributor to the book was Karl Marx. Marx was born on May 5th, 1818 in Western Germany. When he turned seventeen he enrolled at the University of Bonn to study law. Due to his social misbehavior, his father had him transferred to the University of Berlin, which had a stricter regime. During this time at college, heRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1185 Words   |  5 PagesIn their work called The Communist Manifesto, which was created in 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are exploring their ideas and thoughts on the situation that was taking place in their time : the distinction that was more and more visible between two social classes - proletariat and bourgeoisie. The two authors are explaining how the bourgeoisie is exploiting the working class. They are encouraging the oppressed workers to rise and to confront this injustice in order to make their life betterRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx1094 Words   |  5 Pagesthe rich and the o ppressed would battle the oppressor. During the time â€Å"The Communist Manifesto† was written, we can see two distinct classes battling out as well. These two classes are the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. According to Karl Marx in â€Å"The Communist Manifesto†, the battle will end â€Å"either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes† (Marx 8). Marx argues that in the end the proletariat would remain because the bourgeoisie areRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1112 Words   |  5 PagesFail- Past, Present, and Future Karl Marx was born in Prussia in 1818. Later in his life he became a newspaper editor and his writings ended up getting him expelled by the Prussian authorities for its radicalism and atheism (Perry 195). He then met Fredrich Engels and together they produced The Communist Manifesto in 1848, for the Communist League. This piece of writing basically laid out Marx’s theory of history in short form (Coffin 623). The Communist Manifesto is mainly revolved around how societyRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx is undoubtedly one the the most influential and controversial writers in modern history; Robert Tucker, a noted political scientist at Princeton University, once asserted, â€Å"[Marx] profoundly affected ideas about history, society, economics, ideology, culture, and politics [and] about the nature of social inquiry itself. No other intellectual influence has so powerfully shaped the mind of modern left-wing radicalism in most parts of the world.† (9). Indeed, his innumerable works, in particularRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx Essay1426 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx is undoubtedly one the most influential and controversial writers in modern history; Robert Tucker, a noted political scientist at Princeton University, once asserted, â€Å"[Marx] profoundly affected ideas about history, society, economics, ideology, culture, and politics [and] about the nature of social inquiry itself. No other intellectual influence has so powerfully shaped the mind of modern left-wing radicalism in most parts of the world.† (9). Indeed, his innumerable works, in particularRead MoreThe Communist Manifesto By Karl Marx1678 Words   |  7 PagesThe Communist Manifesto composed by Karl Marx in 1848 is noted as a standout amongst the most powerful political archives on the planet. The distribution of the book earned Marx the notoriety of a conspicuous humanist and political scholar. Regardle ss of his eminence, there are numerous discussions concerning the thoughts and ideas of socialism figured in the papers that are still heatedly faced off regarding even today. Marx (1998) opened the book with, The historical backdrop of all up to thisRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto1453 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Communist Manifesto, a document that first proclaimed the ideology of communism itself, Marx declared that the â€Å"history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles† (Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels). As a man who spurred resentment of governments and inspired revolutionaries, Karl Marx is often regarded as a man who led to the rise of 20th century tyrannical dictators such as Stalin and Mao to take power. His ideas are regarded as failures and, by some, are seen asRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto993 Words   |  4 PagesKarl Marx published The Communist Manifesto in 1848, and with it a public warning to capi talists that the entire economic, social and political systems would soon crumble. His prediction continues by stating where society was headed as a result of bourgeoisie economics: a revolution by the workers and the eventual ushering in of socialism. Soon after Marx publicized the reasons communism would come to conquer capitalism, riots, strikes and general unrest surfaced in France – just as he predicted