By Ryon Riddle
MSA students are asked to do a lot of work, without many breaks. At times the workload can be almost unbearable--with double periods of math and science every day, no gym class, and homework in every class almost every day. And that’s before I even mention the quizzes, the papers due every week, and the back-to-back tests.
What we need is a break. We need a free period.
Not a study hall, but a free period.
The difference between the two is important. In a study hall, students must work quietly and individually and try gain their own understanding of the work that they might be struggling with. A free period would allow students to interact with their peers--to talk to each other--and these conversations can help students better understand their assignments, including the assignments they are struggling with.
A free period is better than a study hall because, in my experience, students can often explain ideas and concepts better than teachers. A free period, where students are allowed to share ideas and explanations, would improve the learning environment at MSA: Students would become tutors, and teachers.
In my opinion, though, I think the school’s administrators won’t allow a free period. They might feel as if it’s a bad thing because a free period might take away from student instruction time, and that students could lose their focus on homework or classroom assignments in a free period.
But I think a free period would improve instructional time, and it would force students to take responsibility for their actions and to use their time wisely during the free period. Whatever gets done--or doesn’t get done--during the free period would be the student’s responsibility. MSA scholars who take responsibility during the free period would have time to prepare for upcoming classes, reflect on previous classes, and also allow for feedback to be given to students of previous projects and assignments.
Junior Andre Veasley said he supports the idea of a free period.
“I feel as if advisory is pointless, only because it is not used as advisory,” Andre said. “My teacher uses advisory as extra classroom time. So I have a 105-minute class instead of a regular 90-minute class.”
“I feel that a free period is needed in order to prepare our minds for the rest of the school day that is ahead of us, and to do homework,” Andre said.
Junior Dymond Taylor suggested making advisory into a 45-minute free period.
“I think advisory should be used as a free period instead of eating breakfast, so it should be longer,” she said.
Ninth grader Kamaria Rasul said a free period during the school day would help her stay on top of her school work.
“I think that a free period is a very much needed thing within the Perspectives IIT Math & Science campus. I know I need it because I am behind on my work, so with this free period I can use this time to catch a lot of grounds on my studies,” Kamaria said. “It will also give me a chance to properly gather my thoughts on how I am going to prepare myself for my next period class.”
Offering a free period would provide more study time, it would help students prepare for their classes, and it could help place the school’s top students as tutors to those students who need help the most.
A free period would also require more student responsibility, which will help us build the kind of skills we’ll need at college.
And aren’t we all here to go to college?
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Where do we go from here? Seniors weigh the future of high school relationships as they head to college
By Joshua Joseph
MSA seniors are preparing for many different changes in the coming year--college, independence, managing their time as young adults. But for some of us involved in relationships, we’re facing another big change: Separation. What will life be like without our significant others? How will we manage those relationships, or how will we end them? Will we remain friends?
Those are difficult questions to answer and the fact is none of us really know what to expect. But we’re definitely thinking about it. Unfortunately, seniors will have to answer this question sooner then they would have liked.
Perspectives Senior Davion Lindsey is in a relationship and said he and his significant other have discussed what they’ll do when they both head to college this fall. Davion said he thinks the bond between the two of them is strong enough to maintain their relationship despite the distance between their two colleges. Davion is headed to Alabama A&M; his girlfriend will be attending college in Illinois.
“Were together now and I don’t see any reason to change that. We’re good together,” Davion said. “We both know what we have when we come back home [from college].”
Not every student has made the decision to stay together. One senior couple from MSA has decided to end their relationship, or at least halt it because of the distance between their colleges. One of them is attending college in Illinois, while the other is going to school out of state.
The male member of the couple, who asked not to be identified because of privacy concerns, said the decision to break up, or at least take a break, was a difficult one.
“It’s hard when you care for someone for what feels like a very long time, and then turn around and have to leave that person. It’s tough, very tough,” he said.
While others will make the same decision--either before summer is over or, as often happens in college, by Christmas break--some high school sweethearts manage to stay together for the long term.
MSA English teacher Steve Iammartino is married to his high school girlfriend. The relationship began during their junior year at Oak Park and River Forest High School but ended in their senior year because they were attending different colleges. Iammartino went to Marquette in Milwaukee while his high school girlfriend attended Ball State in Muncie, Indiana.
Iammartino said they considered attending the same college but decided against it. “We thought about going to college together and realized it was stupid because what happens if you break up with them and you hate that college, then you’re stuck,” he said.
Though apart, the two stayed in contact and eventually renewed their relationship during their senior year of college, Iammartino said. While maintaining a relationship at separate colleges can be difficult, Iammartino found it easier than people imply. It was a lot of work but worth it, Iammartino said. He and his wife have now been married for nine years and have two small children.
That is a happy ending to a story that began in high school but who’s to say you’re going to stay with one person your entire life, and that you’ll meet that person in high school? College is a time for growth that could not only change you but your relationship as well.
The main thing to realize is that the person you are with now may not be the person you’re with years from now. You have to think logically about the future of your relationship. But there’s also a much more difficult factor to weigh, one that is often the opposite of logic.
As Iammartino put it, “There's no decision. Your heart tells you what's right.”
MSA seniors are preparing for many different changes in the coming year--college, independence, managing their time as young adults. But for some of us involved in relationships, we’re facing another big change: Separation. What will life be like without our significant others? How will we manage those relationships, or how will we end them? Will we remain friends?
Those are difficult questions to answer and the fact is none of us really know what to expect. But we’re definitely thinking about it. Unfortunately, seniors will have to answer this question sooner then they would have liked.
Perspectives Senior Davion Lindsey is in a relationship and said he and his significant other have discussed what they’ll do when they both head to college this fall. Davion said he thinks the bond between the two of them is strong enough to maintain their relationship despite the distance between their two colleges. Davion is headed to Alabama A&M; his girlfriend will be attending college in Illinois.
“Were together now and I don’t see any reason to change that. We’re good together,” Davion said. “We both know what we have when we come back home [from college].”
Not every student has made the decision to stay together. One senior couple from MSA has decided to end their relationship, or at least halt it because of the distance between their colleges. One of them is attending college in Illinois, while the other is going to school out of state.
The male member of the couple, who asked not to be identified because of privacy concerns, said the decision to break up, or at least take a break, was a difficult one.
“It’s hard when you care for someone for what feels like a very long time, and then turn around and have to leave that person. It’s tough, very tough,” he said.
While others will make the same decision--either before summer is over or, as often happens in college, by Christmas break--some high school sweethearts manage to stay together for the long term.
MSA English teacher Steve Iammartino is married to his high school girlfriend. The relationship began during their junior year at Oak Park and River Forest High School but ended in their senior year because they were attending different colleges. Iammartino went to Marquette in Milwaukee while his high school girlfriend attended Ball State in Muncie, Indiana.
Iammartino said they considered attending the same college but decided against it. “We thought about going to college together and realized it was stupid because what happens if you break up with them and you hate that college, then you’re stuck,” he said.
Though apart, the two stayed in contact and eventually renewed their relationship during their senior year of college, Iammartino said. While maintaining a relationship at separate colleges can be difficult, Iammartino found it easier than people imply. It was a lot of work but worth it, Iammartino said. He and his wife have now been married for nine years and have two small children.
That is a happy ending to a story that began in high school but who’s to say you’re going to stay with one person your entire life, and that you’ll meet that person in high school? College is a time for growth that could not only change you but your relationship as well.
The main thing to realize is that the person you are with now may not be the person you’re with years from now. You have to think logically about the future of your relationship. But there’s also a much more difficult factor to weigh, one that is often the opposite of logic.
As Iammartino put it, “There's no decision. Your heart tells you what's right.”
Your cartoon is you: Our childhood TV memories say a lot about us
By Joshua Marcus and Ariya Taylor
The Smurfs. Animaniacs. Tiny Toons. Rugrats. Kim Possible.
Do these names bring back any memories? Most people, whom we call “90’s babies” should have various feelings come to mind. These are just a few names of some amazing childhood TV shows. A childhood wasn’t really much fun unless you stayed up for hours just to see the new episode of Doug or, on Saturdays, Toonami. Sometimes you’d even be late to school if you knew your favorite TV show was coming on.
Childhood TV shows aren’t just a pleasure to watch. These shows have emotional effects on people. Just saying names like A Pup Named Scooby Doo or Courage the Cowardly Dog brings back many emotions of happiness, sadness, and nostalgia. People’s opinions on cartoons vary. We asked MSA students to think about their own favorite cartoons and characters, and to tell us how they feel about them.
Q: What was your favorite/least favorite childhood TV show, and why?
Christen Hill: My favorite show was Ed Edd and Eddy. My least favorite was Spongebob because it was annoying to me.
Justice Peoples: Recess was my favorite show because that's how recess was at my old school. I don't know if I had a least favorite show. I liked them all.
Waverly Symone: My favorite show was Courage The Cowardly Dog. My least favorite is Ninjago.
 |
| Christen Hill loved watching Ed Edd and Eddy. |
Q: Who was your favorite cartoon character?
Christen: Bugs Bunny. That’s what I grew up on.
Waverly: Courage and Goofy because they were so funny and Courage was always getting hurt by something it was just too funny”.
 |
| Waverly Jennings said cartoons were way better than reality shows. |
Q: What effects did these shows have on you? How did they make you feel when watching them?
Christen: When I watched cartoons, it makes me happy. Made me feel good. Sometimes it could be
suspenseful in a way.
Justice: They made me feel happy like going to my special place. Every time I watched them I wanted to do something fun.
Waverly: It caught my eye the most and it was kind of a mystery. Especially because of my age. I was interested by a lot of things, like Powerpuff Girls.
 |
| As a boy, cartoons taught Justice Peoples not to burp out loud in public. Or to try running through walls. |
Q: Why did you gravitate to this show? What made you watch this program?
Christen: As a kid, it was enjoyable and popular. As a kid, my parents would show me things like Sesame Street [or] Arthur when I got older, I turned to the Cartoon Network and just watched the shows.
Justice: I had nothing else to watch and they were funny.
Waverly: Most reality shows really suck and the cartoons had more of an imagination and teach you better life principles than reality shows.
Q: Did these shows teach any life lessons to you?
Christen: They have hidden messages in them.
Justice: Yes they did actually. I can’t name them but they did affect me. Some lessons I learned were not to burp out loud in public and I can’t fly or run through walls. Basic things that are now common sense.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
School fees really add up; Unpaid bills could halt graduation, withhold your future
By Tamera Reed
School fees are the last thing that a lot of parents think about when it comes to their child's education. Some parents actually wait until the last minute to pay their child's fees, or they let the fees add up over the entire time their child is in school. This is the case for students at MSA.
But that could be a big problem.
Student fees are what the school asks parents to pay to cover things like field studies, buses, and extracurricular activities. The fees are charged to student accounts by the front office. The fees include a annual fee for every year that a student attends the school, lunch fees for those students who pay for lunch, and other miscellaneous fees like damaged or lost books or buying a new lanyard or ID. Annual fees at MSA are about $245 per year. Lunch fees can be up to $2.50 per day, and lost or damaged books can cost more than $80. A new lanyard costs $2, a new ID costs $3, and a temporary ID costs $1 per day. All of these things can really add up.
There are many MSA students who have not paid all their school fees. MSA Office Manager Neil Cosman said 512 students at MSA have outstanding school fees. The total value of those fees, Cosman said, is $187,318.
That is enough to buy a house!
"Imagine what we could do with that money," Cosman said.
I interviewed everyone in my 5th period media class and asked if they owed student fees.
“Yes, [I owe] $75 for a book I didn’t rip,” said 11th grader Jovan Goolsby.
"I owe roughly $400 to $550 in lunch fees and I owe my institutional fee," Junior Andre Veasley said. That bill is for lunch fees as far back as freshman year, Veasley said.
There were also students who said they didn't owe fees. But of the 19 people I interviewed, only six said they definitely didn't owe any money.
“ I don’t owe fees because I pay whenever they tell me I owe money,” said 11th grader Cydne Curd.
Mr. Cosman said students and their parents have the option of payment plans for outstanding fees. And getting those bills paid is important--especially for 8th and 12th graders. Neither group can graduate without paying their fees first. While school fees are technically due on Oct. 15, Mr. Cosman said parents can make payment arrangements to spread costs across the school year. One student told me he pays $88 a month to pay off his fees.
I know I myself have a substantial amount that I need to pay off. Altogether, I owe $978. I owe $745 for school fees and $233 for lunch. The lunch added up because I started off paying $2.50, then I was told that my lunch had been reduced, then it went back to $2.50 without me even knowing. I think I have free lunch now, but I’m not really sure.
I plan to do like other students and pay a monthly amount until my debt is paid off. But we do need to take this seriously. Not paying our fees could hurt our future.
Who really wants to spend an extra year in school just because they didn't pay their fees? I know I don't!
School fees are the last thing that a lot of parents think about when it comes to their child's education. Some parents actually wait until the last minute to pay their child's fees, or they let the fees add up over the entire time their child is in school. This is the case for students at MSA.
But that could be a big problem.
Student fees are what the school asks parents to pay to cover things like field studies, buses, and extracurricular activities. The fees are charged to student accounts by the front office. The fees include a annual fee for every year that a student attends the school, lunch fees for those students who pay for lunch, and other miscellaneous fees like damaged or lost books or buying a new lanyard or ID. Annual fees at MSA are about $245 per year. Lunch fees can be up to $2.50 per day, and lost or damaged books can cost more than $80. A new lanyard costs $2, a new ID costs $3, and a temporary ID costs $1 per day. All of these things can really add up.
There are many MSA students who have not paid all their school fees. MSA Office Manager Neil Cosman said 512 students at MSA have outstanding school fees. The total value of those fees, Cosman said, is $187,318.
That is enough to buy a house!
"Imagine what we could do with that money," Cosman said.
I interviewed everyone in my 5th period media class and asked if they owed student fees.
“Yes, [I owe] $75 for a book I didn’t rip,” said 11th grader Jovan Goolsby.
"I owe roughly $400 to $550 in lunch fees and I owe my institutional fee," Junior Andre Veasley said. That bill is for lunch fees as far back as freshman year, Veasley said.
There were also students who said they didn't owe fees. But of the 19 people I interviewed, only six said they definitely didn't owe any money.
“ I don’t owe fees because I pay whenever they tell me I owe money,” said 11th grader Cydne Curd.
Mr. Cosman said students and their parents have the option of payment plans for outstanding fees. And getting those bills paid is important--especially for 8th and 12th graders. Neither group can graduate without paying their fees first. While school fees are technically due on Oct. 15, Mr. Cosman said parents can make payment arrangements to spread costs across the school year. One student told me he pays $88 a month to pay off his fees.
I know I myself have a substantial amount that I need to pay off. Altogether, I owe $978. I owe $745 for school fees and $233 for lunch. The lunch added up because I started off paying $2.50, then I was told that my lunch had been reduced, then it went back to $2.50 without me even knowing. I think I have free lunch now, but I’m not really sure.
I plan to do like other students and pay a monthly amount until my debt is paid off. But we do need to take this seriously. Not paying our fees could hurt our future.
Who really wants to spend an extra year in school just because they didn't pay their fees? I know I don't!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
College (debt), here we come! Seniors begin grappling with true costs of higher ed
By Craig Carter
With most of MSA’s first graduating class set to enter college next fall, seniors are beginning to think past graduation and are starting to consider an issue that will affect us for years after we’re done with college: Debt. As in student loans. Even those of us with scholarships and attractive financial aid offers are likely to borrow some kind of money to make ends meet in school. And at some point, we’ll have to pay that money back.
The issue of student loans and student loan debt is a big one, and it’s growing. According to recently published reports, student loan debt is now second only to mortgage debt in the United States. That means Americans now pay more each month toward their student loans than they do for their cars or for anything they might buy with a credit card.
I’ll be attending DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana on a scholarship that will cover my full tuition and partial room-and-board. That’s a great deal, and it will save me $44,000 per year. But I am still going to be responsible for paying $6,720 to cover housing, food and other expenses each year. Over four years of undergraduate schooling, that’s a total of $26,880.
MSA College Counselor Antoine Finner said, “The average loan students in our 2012 class is around $13,000 a year.” That means students will have to borrow about $52,000 to pay for four years of college. The national average for student debt ranges from $30,000 to $70,000.
Mr. Finner warned about borrowing that money from private lenders.
“I’m not an expert of loans or anything but I can say never, ever take from private lenders! Always borrow from the government,” Finner said. “I think students and their parents should sit down and talk about a proper plan of action, then consult someone.”
Senior Davion Lindsey, who will be attending Alabama A&M in the fall, said he is not worried about student loan debt. “I don’t have much to take out in loans but one of my family members works for a bank and i think they would be a good source for me to talk to,” Lindsey said.
Senior David Brown is still undecided about his college choice but said cost is a big factor in making his final decision.
“The cost completely determines where I go, unless it was like Harvard or Yale. But most likely I’m going to go to Neveda-Reno because Purdue wanted $30,000 a year,” Brown said.
MSA Senior Jazimeon Sumner has decided to attend Southern Illionois University in Carbondale and she will have to earn or borrow about $6,000 a year to cover her needs. Asked about student loans, Sumner said, “I honestly have no idea.”
This honesty is what many students find themselves embarrassed to speak up and talk about. Most of the 12th graders I spoke with feel somewhat like Jazimeon, and several suggested that MSA host a student loan expo or assembly for all network 12th graders and their family members. Student loan experts could help explain the ins and outs of student loans, and how our 12th graders can be better prepared for the financial realities of college.
President Obama has made student loan debt an important part of his re-election campaign, and I felt it was an important topic to touch upon. If you have not seen the story in the news in the last few weeks, the federal government is attempting to raise interest rate on federal student loans from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, which will directly affect MSA’s class of 2012. Doubling the interest rate in our student loans means our college educations will be more expensive than they already are, and will take longer to pay off.
In this economy, that seems like a bad combination.
With most of MSA’s first graduating class set to enter college next fall, seniors are beginning to think past graduation and are starting to consider an issue that will affect us for years after we’re done with college: Debt. As in student loans. Even those of us with scholarships and attractive financial aid offers are likely to borrow some kind of money to make ends meet in school. And at some point, we’ll have to pay that money back.
The issue of student loans and student loan debt is a big one, and it’s growing. According to recently published reports, student loan debt is now second only to mortgage debt in the United States. That means Americans now pay more each month toward their student loans than they do for their cars or for anything they might buy with a credit card.
I’ll be attending DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana on a scholarship that will cover my full tuition and partial room-and-board. That’s a great deal, and it will save me $44,000 per year. But I am still going to be responsible for paying $6,720 to cover housing, food and other expenses each year. Over four years of undergraduate schooling, that’s a total of $26,880.
MSA College Counselor Antoine Finner said, “The average loan students in our 2012 class is around $13,000 a year.” That means students will have to borrow about $52,000 to pay for four years of college. The national average for student debt ranges from $30,000 to $70,000.
Mr. Finner warned about borrowing that money from private lenders.
“I’m not an expert of loans or anything but I can say never, ever take from private lenders! Always borrow from the government,” Finner said. “I think students and their parents should sit down and talk about a proper plan of action, then consult someone.”
Senior Davion Lindsey, who will be attending Alabama A&M in the fall, said he is not worried about student loan debt. “I don’t have much to take out in loans but one of my family members works for a bank and i think they would be a good source for me to talk to,” Lindsey said.
Senior David Brown is still undecided about his college choice but said cost is a big factor in making his final decision.
“The cost completely determines where I go, unless it was like Harvard or Yale. But most likely I’m going to go to Neveda-Reno because Purdue wanted $30,000 a year,” Brown said.
MSA Senior Jazimeon Sumner has decided to attend Southern Illionois University in Carbondale and she will have to earn or borrow about $6,000 a year to cover her needs. Asked about student loans, Sumner said, “I honestly have no idea.”
This honesty is what many students find themselves embarrassed to speak up and talk about. Most of the 12th graders I spoke with feel somewhat like Jazimeon, and several suggested that MSA host a student loan expo or assembly for all network 12th graders and their family members. Student loan experts could help explain the ins and outs of student loans, and how our 12th graders can be better prepared for the financial realities of college.
President Obama has made student loan debt an important part of his re-election campaign, and I felt it was an important topic to touch upon. If you have not seen the story in the news in the last few weeks, the federal government is attempting to raise interest rate on federal student loans from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, which will directly affect MSA’s class of 2012. Doubling the interest rate in our student loans means our college educations will be more expensive than they already are, and will take longer to pay off.
In this economy, that seems like a bad combination.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Conference champs! For Wolves baseball team, a first-ever Fisk Conference title
By Andre Veasley
The Perspectives Wolves baseball team dominated the Carlton Fisk conference and became conference champions after an undefeated 10-0 season. The conference championship is the first in MSA baseball history.
After a rough preseason, the Wolves strung together a perfect regular season that ended last Friday with a 14-6 win over Carver.
The team now moves into the state and city playoffs and will face Simeon Monday, May 14 in the first round of the city playoffs at Simeon’s home field. In the state playoffs, the Wolves on Wednesday will face the winner of a play-in game between UIC College Prep and Marshall.
The May 14 game against Simeon will be played at 4:30 p.m. at 8147 S. Vincennes. Wednesday’s state playoff game will be played at Altgeld Park at 515 S. Washtenaw Ave. The gametime is not yet set.
The Perspectives Wolves baseball team dominated the Carlton Fisk conference and became conference champions after an undefeated 10-0 season. The conference championship is the first in MSA baseball history.
After a rough preseason, the Wolves strung together a perfect regular season that ended last Friday with a 14-6 win over Carver.
The team now moves into the state and city playoffs and will face Simeon Monday, May 14 in the first round of the city playoffs at Simeon’s home field. In the state playoffs, the Wolves on Wednesday will face the winner of a play-in game between UIC College Prep and Marshall.
The May 14 game against Simeon will be played at 4:30 p.m. at 8147 S. Vincennes. Wednesday’s state playoff game will be played at Altgeld Park at 515 S. Washtenaw Ave. The gametime is not yet set.
Love is patient and kind, not angry and discriminatory; It’s time for America to get in tune with gay marriage
By Hillary Horton Joyce Kelley
For a long time the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities have been picked on because of their sexual orientation, and their decisions about the partners they choose to be with forever. In most states of the country, gay marriage is illegal. For too long, gay and transgendered Americans have been denied the right to marry--and that needs to change.
In 1971, Jack Baker and Mike McConnell attempted to marry in Minnesota under the theory that since the state had no specific prohibition against same-sex marriage, Minnesota law implied they had the right to marry. In a ruling against them, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected that argument, saying only opposite-sex couples could marry.“The institution of marriage [is] a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of children within a family,” the Minnesota court wrote.
By that definition, the main reason for marriage--between a man and a woman--is to raise children. Maybe that made sense in Minnesota in 1971, but is that definition still relevant today?
For at least 43 years LGBT couples have been unable to marry in most of the United States. That’s unfair. Why can’t homosexual people express their love for one another in marriage--just like heterosexual couples?
People have different viewpoints about what marriage is. Many people are always mentioning the viewpoints of the Bible, and they shove the phrase, “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” into other people’s minds. However, people are brought together by LOVE for LOVE. People don’t just choose to fall in love; they are driven by emotions.
In the Book of Genesis, God is quoted as saying,”It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” According to Genesis, this suitable partner is a woman who is made from one of the man’s ribs. Many conservative Christians use this Biblical quote to say man’s suitable partner is a woman. But is that true?
Does anyone really believe women come from a man’s rib? Or that men are only suited for women, and women for men?
Today, you can make your own decision about who you want to be with because God gave you the gift of feeling, of emotion. You should be free to feel the way you feel about a person, no matter who the person is or whether that person is male or female.
But state governments all over the United States forbid gay marriage. Just last week, North Carolina voters overwhelmingly voted against allowing gay people to marry in their state. (The day after that vote, President Obama became the first American president to publicly support gay marriage.) Even if you think God can forbid gays to marry, where do state governments get that power? Who are they to tell people whom they can and cannot marry? They are trying to discriminate on people’s happiness because of their religious belief, but what about the people who are not religious?
To borrow from the Bible and First Corinthians, “Love never fails but where there are tongues they will be still.” This means that judgmental people, and state governments, should be quiet in the face of love.
Isn’t the purpose of marriage to love your perfect to imperfect match of a person, the person you are bonded with forever? Why does it matter who that person is?
For a long time the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities have been picked on because of their sexual orientation, and their decisions about the partners they choose to be with forever. In most states of the country, gay marriage is illegal. For too long, gay and transgendered Americans have been denied the right to marry--and that needs to change.
In 1971, Jack Baker and Mike McConnell attempted to marry in Minnesota under the theory that since the state had no specific prohibition against same-sex marriage, Minnesota law implied they had the right to marry. In a ruling against them, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected that argument, saying only opposite-sex couples could marry.“The institution of marriage [is] a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation and rearing of children within a family,” the Minnesota court wrote.
By that definition, the main reason for marriage--between a man and a woman--is to raise children. Maybe that made sense in Minnesota in 1971, but is that definition still relevant today?
For at least 43 years LGBT couples have been unable to marry in most of the United States. That’s unfair. Why can’t homosexual people express their love for one another in marriage--just like heterosexual couples?
People have different viewpoints about what marriage is. Many people are always mentioning the viewpoints of the Bible, and they shove the phrase, “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” into other people’s minds. However, people are brought together by LOVE for LOVE. People don’t just choose to fall in love; they are driven by emotions.
In the Book of Genesis, God is quoted as saying,”It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” According to Genesis, this suitable partner is a woman who is made from one of the man’s ribs. Many conservative Christians use this Biblical quote to say man’s suitable partner is a woman. But is that true?
Does anyone really believe women come from a man’s rib? Or that men are only suited for women, and women for men?
Today, you can make your own decision about who you want to be with because God gave you the gift of feeling, of emotion. You should be free to feel the way you feel about a person, no matter who the person is or whether that person is male or female.
But state governments all over the United States forbid gay marriage. Just last week, North Carolina voters overwhelmingly voted against allowing gay people to marry in their state. (The day after that vote, President Obama became the first American president to publicly support gay marriage.) Even if you think God can forbid gays to marry, where do state governments get that power? Who are they to tell people whom they can and cannot marry? They are trying to discriminate on people’s happiness because of their religious belief, but what about the people who are not religious?
To borrow from the Bible and First Corinthians, “Love never fails but where there are tongues they will be still.” This means that judgmental people, and state governments, should be quiet in the face of love.
Isn’t the purpose of marriage to love your perfect to imperfect match of a person, the person you are bonded with forever? Why does it matter who that person is?
Gay people, just like straight people, and just like everyone, should have the right to date, love, marry whomever they want to marry. It should not matter if they are the same sex because love is love, marriage is marriage, and people are people.
People in society, for many years, have been trying to break the LGBT community’s happiness because the rest of America fears gay people, and seemingly doesn’t want to see them happy.
But what gives us the right to deny other people their happiness, or their rights?
First Corinthians tells us that, “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs.”
Love is many things. But none of those things are angry, and none discriminate against other people.
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