The article I read today called Gay Couples Face a Mixed Geography of Marriage by Kirk Johnson, was about the challenges same-sex couples faced in order to get married. With some states having same-sex marriages legal and others not, problems were seen in regards to the rights of same-sex couples. A gay couple in the article, Henry D. Johnston and Alex Irwin, talked about them living in a state where their marriage was not allowed, and said "How are things going to change if people aren’t there to help make them change?" They also talked about how they rejected marrying as a statement as well as "The minute we drive across the border it [the marriage if chosen to marry in another state] would become invalid and we’d be back to just being two guys who own a house together," indicating how a marriage wouldn't matter if it wasn't going to be recognized. In the article, it also talked about the issues gay/lesbian/transgender people faced in general with the phrase "To many younger people, though, what matters is down the block or in the school cafeteria, not across the border," which showed that the problems that these people faced were also in their everyday life and not just in political matters. Although some states have begun to allow same-sex marriages, there are still many (especially strongly conservative) states in the country that still deny these couples the right to marry.
With Johnson's choice of words being so depressing (such as "...where same-sex marriage remains, for now, an unlikely dream,") it was evident that the author was trying to get people to feel sympathy for these couples as well as perhaps disapproval or disagreement with the government. Although there was a slight bias with the perspectives of those who were against same-sex marriages missing, Johnson clearly showed his opinion by presenting a large amount of information about the unfairness (and probably disrespect as well) towards gay/lesbian/transgender people. The author also made this issue more relatable by adding in "The portrait, or caricature, of the American West in films like “Brokeback Mountain” has not entirely faded." Overall, it could be seen that Johnson was trying to get the readers to think about the unjust acts towards these same-sex couples. He tried to show how these couples struggled for their right to be together.
If "Romeo and Juliet" were not about two star crossed lovers consisting of a young girl and boy, but instead of a pair of star crossed gay/lesbian/transgender people, would there have been a difference? Would the tragic deaths of Juliet and Romeo remain the tragedy that they are? They should be, seeing that love has no restrictions and that all love is beautiful, but sadly, I'm not sure whether or not their deaths would have been seen in the same way. Perhaps people would have stopped reading on the prologue because of their disgust. I do not understand why it is that way, for it definitely shouldn't be, but even today, in modern time, people are being denied their right to one of the greatest gifts in life. If love were horrible, twisted, and dangerous, it would be a crime, but the love I've felt, or the love I feel right now for others, or the love that each and every one of us have embraced, it is not a crime. So why are people saying that this love that another person may feel, even through this wall of barriers, a world of disdain and challenges, words and looks of disgust, isn't right? People have no place to say that this love that has tried so hard to be treated equal, is not as important as the love people feel themselves.
Perhaps, until these couples who are truly no different than anyone else, get the respect that they deserve, they may truly be made "star crossed", not by the stars, but by the people who live around them.
Please feel free to comment.
Johnson, Kirk. "Gay Couples Face a Mixed Geography of Marriage." The New York Times 26 Feb. 2013. . 26 Feb. 2013 <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/us/state-laws-on-gay-marriage-lead-to-disparities.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp>
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
A Ticket to Your Dreams (SPOILERS)
If you had a ticket to your dreams, would you follow it?
After finishing the book A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, I was left with a debated thought in my mind. The book, based on a murder in 1906, ended with the main character Mattie, leaving her home to go to college in New York City. This left me confused or perhaps saddened by the fact that she left all her family behind without a true goodbye. Going to college was Mattie's dream throughout the book and was partially what the story revolved around but the ending seemed a bit depressing even though she achieved what she wanted all along. Thinking about whether or not I would do the same if I were her, this is what today's blog will be about.
Choosing between a future wanted for so long and leaving the only familiar past is a choice that seems impossible. Mattie did just that though, leaving behind her sisters, father, past fiance, childhood friend, home, and practically everything, to pursue a dream with no guarantees. For me, I would probably spend my entire life debating the two choices and at the end, would still have no idea what I should have chosen. That is because of the deadly word "if". If this...If that..., If people keep saying "if" to every choice, no answer would ever be come up with. Risk is everywhere, but to do something, it has to be taken. If a choice has no risk, it isn't worth choosing because the only reason there would be no risk, no "ifs", would be because the outcome of the choice would be as stagnant as if a choice was never given.
There is nothing wrong with thinking about "ifs" as long as those two letters don't stop someone from doing what they need to do. But what if those horrible "ifs" came true? Well, the truth is there isn't anything that can be done if something ends bad. It wouldn't be any one's fault and there would be no reason as to why it happened other than it just did. Of course, people could just forget about their dreams so there would be no "if" but what is life without overcoming "if"? People should stop thinking about "ifs" in a negative perspective and use them to help accomplish goals instead. There are always two sides, good and bad, but it is the person's choice of which way to think in and that strongly impacts the outcome of whichever choice they make.
No future is obvious (in general) but what is, is that if someone got stuck with ifs for every choice or challenge that met them in life, one sure thing will result: failure, and if one really wishes to meet no risks, failure certainly has none.
Please feel free to comment.
After finishing the book A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, I was left with a debated thought in my mind. The book, based on a murder in 1906, ended with the main character Mattie, leaving her home to go to college in New York City. This left me confused or perhaps saddened by the fact that she left all her family behind without a true goodbye. Going to college was Mattie's dream throughout the book and was partially what the story revolved around but the ending seemed a bit depressing even though she achieved what she wanted all along. Thinking about whether or not I would do the same if I were her, this is what today's blog will be about.
Choosing between a future wanted for so long and leaving the only familiar past is a choice that seems impossible. Mattie did just that though, leaving behind her sisters, father, past fiance, childhood friend, home, and practically everything, to pursue a dream with no guarantees. For me, I would probably spend my entire life debating the two choices and at the end, would still have no idea what I should have chosen. That is because of the deadly word "if". If this...If that..., If people keep saying "if" to every choice, no answer would ever be come up with. Risk is everywhere, but to do something, it has to be taken. If a choice has no risk, it isn't worth choosing because the only reason there would be no risk, no "ifs", would be because the outcome of the choice would be as stagnant as if a choice was never given.
There is nothing wrong with thinking about "ifs" as long as those two letters don't stop someone from doing what they need to do. But what if those horrible "ifs" came true? Well, the truth is there isn't anything that can be done if something ends bad. It wouldn't be any one's fault and there would be no reason as to why it happened other than it just did. Of course, people could just forget about their dreams so there would be no "if" but what is life without overcoming "if"? People should stop thinking about "ifs" in a negative perspective and use them to help accomplish goals instead. There are always two sides, good and bad, but it is the person's choice of which way to think in and that strongly impacts the outcome of whichever choice they make.
No future is obvious (in general) but what is, is that if someone got stuck with ifs for every choice or challenge that met them in life, one sure thing will result: failure, and if one really wishes to meet no risks, failure certainly has none.
Please feel free to comment.
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