Essay on Thomas B. Stoddard Gay Marriages Make Them Legal

Marriage is universally understood to be the legal union between a man and a woman. This acknowledgement, however, has recently generated dispute and controversy in certain individuals, primarily homosexuals and supporters of homosexual marriages. This opposition, due to this mainstream view, exists because certain states such as Minnesota deny same-sex marriages. In Thomas B. Stoddards article Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal, Stoddard begins by defending homosexual marriages through partners, Karen Thompson and Sharon Kowalski. Both women were denied a legalized nuptial by the state of Minnesota even though they resided together and exchanged vows. On November 13, 1983, Kowalski was severely injured by an intoxicated driver and was†¦show more content†¦Marriage is a ceremonious and cultural occasion. It encompasses traditions that date back hundreds of years. Hence the antiquity of marriage would characterize it apart of our societys history and tradition. Accordingly, marriage alone cannot sanctify gay marriages. Stoddard briefly points out that marriage is not fundamentally a procreative unit because a number of heterosexual couples that are united in marriage have no intention of raising a family and are incapable of having children. Heterosexual marriages in general, however, provide social stability to the economy because the union between a man and a woman has the potential to bear offspring. Stoddard also states that presently all 50 states deny that choice [the decision whether or not to marry] to millions of gay and lesbian Americans. Firstly, in the case of Baehr vs. Miike, gays were allowed to become a married couple in the state of Hawaii on December 3, 1996. Consequently, Stoddards claim that all 50 states deny that choice is somewhat extreme. Lastly, not a single state denies heterosexuals the right to refuse marriage. It is the legal attainment of the rights and responsibilities of marriage that states disallow homosexuals. Marriage triggers a universe of rights, privileges, and presumptions. A married person can share in a spouses estateShow MoreRelated A Critique of Thomas B. Stoddard’s Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal1098 Words   |  5 Pages Thomas B. Stoddard’s â€Å"Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal† is a successfully written argument with some minor flaws in technique. Stoddard uses this article to present his major claim, or central thesis, on the reasons gay marriage should be legalized. He presents his argument using minor claims. In a lecture on February 2, 2005, James McFadden stated a minor claim is the secondary claim in an argument. Stoddard uses minor claims in his discussion of homosexual people being denied their rightsRead MoreEssay on Same-Sex Marriage, the Right to Unite2088 Words   |  9 PagesGay Marriages: The Right to Unite    Sam* and Alex* have been together for two years. Recently, they decided that they would like to buy a house together. Unfortunately, they are homosexual and are having trouble attaining a loan together. If they were married, as they one day hope to be, there would be no problem getting a loan and simply purchasing a home. Marriage is not an option for Sam and Alex in the state where they live. Because they are gay, they are unable to legalize theirRead MoreThe Feud Over Gay Marriage1579 Words   |  6 PagesFeud Over Same-Sex Marriage Imagine a society where it’s not even common to see a married man and woman walking around with kids, and instead you see two men or two women walking around holding hands and kissing, would this site make you very comfortable or would you be a little weirded out. This is the exact direction that our country is taking as we speak right now, with each state giving same-sex marriage a second thought, and most starting to make heterosexual marriage legal. There are plentyRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 PagesIndependent Samples (Optional) 16-1 16.2 Distribution-Free Procedures for Inferences About a Difference Between Two Population or Treatment Means Using Paired Samples 16-10 16.3 Distribution-Free ANOVA 16-23 Appendix A: Statistical Tables 813 Appendix B: References 833 Answers to Selected Odd-Numbered Exercises 835 Index I-1 Sections and/or chapter numbers in color can be found at www.thomsonedu.com/statistics/peck Preface I n a nutshell, statistics is about understanding the role that