Meet the Winners of TFC 2008 Essay Contest
5th prize Julie West
"Hi, my name is Julie West. I’ve lived in Idaho all my life. During high school I played in the band and took many AP and honor courses. I enjoy learning new things. I feel that my greatest achievement is my gpa of 4.0. It took a lot of work to maintain this gpa. I love to express myself through music. After high school my current plans are to go to college to become a music therapist. This career appeals to me because I feel that I can influence people the best though music. I hope as I move forward with my life that I can influence others in a quiet but profound way."
My essay:
“The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins” (Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes).In a democracy, a person is free to do as they please as long as other citizens are allowed the right to choose (Smith). One of these unallowable freedoms is gay marriage, because it infringes upon the freedoms of society. Also, it trespasses against societies’ fundamental foundation, the family. America’s tolerance of gay marriage would cause a progressive decline of the traditional family and would infringe upon the rights of citizens, especially children.
Homosexual marriage would lead to obstructions of the traditional family. “That which society sanctions, it gets more of ” (Hansen, “Love isn’t enough”). If a society gives allowance for gay marriage it will also have to give allowance for other forms of martial unions. It will also begin to tolerate other sexual deviation. This is evident in Europe where gay marriage has been accepted. In Holland polygamy, prostitution and drugs became legal; children as young as 12 can legally have sex. In Sweden 50% of babies are born into single parent homes. The most disturbing instance, however, happened in Portugal. In 2002, prominent homosexual Government officials and celebrities molested many young boys of a children home. These criminals were not charged for their horrific crime (1man1women). This horrible instance illustrates the possible drastic and far reaching consequences of sanctioning homosexual marriages on the innocent. The victims of the tragic crime mentioned above will always live with those ugly thoughts and feelings. This event will affect their development and their ability to have healthy, happy relationships with others in the future.
Homosexual marriage trespasses upon the freedoms of other citizens. For instance, parents will not be able to influence whether their child is being taught about gay marriage in school. In Massachusetts, a father was arrested because he complained to the school when his six year old son was taught about gay marriage (1man1woman). In San Francisco 1st graders went on a field trip to see their teacher’s wedding to her lesbian partner (Protect Marriage). Parents should have the right to decide what they want to teach their children. Gay marriage shouldn’t be forced on the children through the public school system. Santa Ana Unified school district board member, Rosemerie Avila said, “[Gay marriage] is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It shouldn’t be forced on us against our will” (Protect Marriage). In addition, gay marriage violates voters’ representation in congress. For instance, in 2000, 4.6 million Californians voted against homosexual marriage. In 2008, four judges repealed this vote and made gay marriage legal (1man1women). This judgment forces gay marriage upon non-willing Californians.
However, homosexual activists argue that it is their civil right to get married and that we should accommodate for their “inborn” desires. Research has not proven that homosexuality is genetic. What is evident is that homosexuality is affected by other factors such as peer influence, family environment or sexual abuse (Byrd). A study done on twins shows that homosexuality isn’t hereditary. For homosexuals to be genetic both twins would have to be homosexual 100% of the time, since twins share 100% of their genes. The study found that “…when one identical twin was homosexual the other twin was homosexual only 10% or 11% of the time.” It also found that environment played a bigger role in effecting homosexuality when compared with genetics (Hansen, “Legalizing Gay Mariage”).
Setting these development factors aside, homosexuals can still make changes in their lives. Jeffrey Satinover, M.D., a former Fellow at Yale University and a graduate of MIT and Harvard, concludes:” The fact that not all methods of treating those who struggle with homosexual attraction are successful, and that no method is successful for everyone, has been distorted by activists into the claim that no method is helpful for anyone. … The simple truth is that, like most methods in psychiatry and psychotherapy, the treatment of homosexuality has evolved out of eighty years of clinical experience, demonstrating approximately the same degree of success as, for example, the psychotherapy of depression” (Byrd).
Gay marriage infringes upon the rights of children. Children who are raised by gay couples are deprived of their rights. The environment affects their sexual desires, hindering their right to choose to be homosexual or not. Children of homosexuals are 4 to 10 times more likely to be homosexual themselves than other children (Hansen, “Pro-Homosexual researchers”). Dawn, author of the book, Out from Under, The Impact of Homosexual Parenting, and a child of a homosexual father reports that growing up in this kind of environment caused her insecurity, depression, suicidal thoughts, dread, anxiousness, low self-esteem, sleeplessness, nightmares, and sexual confusion(“When homosexuality hits home”). The type of environment created by homosexuality is harmful to children.
In addition, gay marriage denies children the right to a father and a mother. Men and women are necessary for the family and shouldn’t be deliberately denied to fulfill adult desires (Glen). Both men and women make different and necessary contributions to the rearing of the children. They both play a different role. Two men can be good fathers but neither can be a good mother. Also, the relationship between a child and their heterosexual parents is very important. The child has the opportunity to develop relationships with parents of both sexes in a safe, non threatening environment. This relationship makes it easier for the child to know how to react to both sexes later in life (Hansen, “Love isn’t Enough”).
Tolerance of gay marriage has far reaching consequences that infrige upon the rights of others and their posterity. In countries where it has been condoned it has led to acceptance of other sexual deviations. If gay marriage is tolerated it will effect all of society. This is illustrated well in a quote from the Talmud, “In a boat at sea one of the men began to bore a hole in the bottom of the boat. On being remonstrating with, he answered, ‘I am only boring under my own seat.’ ‘Yes,’ said his companions, ‘but when the sea rushes in we shall all be drowned with you’” (“society”).
Works Cited
1 man 1 woman.October 2008. “Resesons for restoring traditional marriage”.
<http://1man1woman.net/e1.html >.
Byrd, Dean. “When a Loved one deals with same sex attraction”. Sept 1999. LDS. 31
October 2008.
Hansen, Trayce. “Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Will Increase Prevalence of
Homosexuality:Research Provides Significant Evidence”. Dr. Trayce Hansen. 12 Oct 2008. <http://www.drtraycehansen.com/Pages/writings_legalizing.html>.
Hansen, Trayce. “Love Isn’t Enough: 5 Reasons Why Same-Sex Marriage Will Harm
Children”. Dr. Trayce Hansen. 13 Oct 2008. <http://www.drtraycehansen.com/
/Pages/writings_samesex.html>.
Hansen, Trayce. “Pro-Homosexual Researchers Conceal Findings: Children Raised by
Openly Homosexual Parents More Likely to Engage in Homosexuality”. Dr.
Trayce Hansen. 13 Oct 2008. < http://www.drtraycehansen.com/Pages/writings
_prohomo.html>.
Protect Marriage.11 Oct 2008. 13 Oct 2008.<http://www.protectmarriage.com/article.
/first-graders-taken-to-san-francisco-city-hall-for-gay-wedding>.
Smith, Mary. American Government. United States of America: 2008
“Society”. 28 Oct 2008. <http://www.tk421.net/quotes>.
Stanton, Glen. “The Public Purpose of Marriage.” 20 Oct 2008. < http://www.family.org
socialissues/A000000627.cfm#>.
“When Homosexuality Hits Home…”. 20 Oct 2008. <http://dawnstefanowicz.com>.
