Help my daughter's persuasive argument for gay marriage.

[TNDemo]

She is in the 8th grade so it doesn't have to be really in depth. Just give me some talking points. Thanks!

[lizzieforkerry]

1. As Americans they are born with the

same rights as all Americans and therefore the persuit of happiness. The only thing that threatens marriage is divorce, not more people getting married. Those are the big ones that bother me. Good luck!

[tk2kewl]

13. I have thought it would be interesting

to write a version of the 28th Amendment that would ban gay marriage with all of the sections it would require repealing and overriding rights granted to or protected for all in the first 27 Amendments.

ie. equal protection 13th Amendment, freedom of expression 1st Amendment

would show the absurdity...

28th Amendment
Marriage is to be defined as a union of one man and one woman.

Note: The 1st Amendment of the Constitution is modified by this amendment to protect freedom of expression for all americans except for gays and lesbians. The 13th Amendment of the Constitution is modified by this amendment to provide all americans except for gays and lesbians with equal protection of the law.

[Ready4Change]

2. Marriage is important for our nation.

But unhappy marriages aren't. When a gay person marries a straight person the marriage usually fails, resulting in divorce and children being troubled.

If gays can marry gays, then perhaps they won't feel any need to marry straights to become part of a family. The result could well be a better succesful marriage rate, which is good for our nation.

[morgan2]

3. there really isnt much to it

the government isnt in the business of establishing a religion. A marriage is a religious union that the government recognizes. Some churchs marry gay couples. The government should recognize these unions also. They can't discriminate servisis/civil rights on the basis of religion.

[Warpy]

12. The government enforces a civil contract

that started out as a religious or cultural union. The government contract specifies things like division of property upon dissolution of the contract, care and domicile of dependent children, special rights given to the participants in that contract.

Either government has to get out of the marriage business altogether, or it needs to open that contract to all consenting adults who desire to participate in it.

Carville said it best, "I was against gay marriage until I found out I didn't have to have one."

[hollowdweller]

4. Gay people are citizens, and as long as the government recognizes

marriage and gives tax breaks or incentives for marriage then they must provide them to all citizens regardless of sexual orientation. Do they deny health care or welfare based on sexual orientation?

If the government does not wish to recognize gay marriage then they should end recognition of all marriage and do away with tax policy aimed at marriage and leave marriage to be a religious matter.

[troubleinwinter]

16. "sexual orientation" has been a phrase that has bothered me increasingly.

Is this a valuable phrase?

When I married my husband it was about love and commitment (with sex thrown in).

Maybe the gay marriage issue should reference the phrase "love/commitment oriented", and so should we all.

[Booster]

23. What a good point. That's what gays should be screaming

about. Make it equal; take away all the rights that a man/woman marriage has and see how fast they welcome the gays into marriage.

[wurzel]

5. The problem is really a legal one.

The rights of property inheritance. Hospital visits. Even funeral attendance. These can be challenged by hostile families.

One of the strongest accusations against homosexuals is sexual promiscuity which spreads diseases. Civil unions will ameliorate that. Stable homosexual partnerships will bring the same economic and social benefits that come from heterosexual partnerships. All together it is the only sensible way to go.

[tk2kewl]

6. Equal protection under the law

13th Amendment of the Constitution

[DrWeird]

7. Every argument against gay marriage today...

is the same argument people used thirty years ago against interracial marriage.

[mitchtv]

8. one of the most dreadful things to happen when two

unmarried partners own a house in joint tenancy, and one partner dies, the county comes along and re-asess' the house with the surviving partner (often a senior) getting assesed with a "gift" of the decedent's half and a huge tax increase causing many to lose their homes. This doesn't happen to married couples.

[noamnety]

9. It's not about sexuality. It's about civil rights.

Preventing gay marriage does nothing to prevent homosexuality - even those who oppose homosexuality because of their interpretation of the bible recognize this. Likewise, allowing gay marriage does not encourage homosexuality.

Instead, allowing gay marriage allows people who have spent their lives caring about each other to visit each other in the hospital if one is sick, or to combine assets if they have a financially interdependent relationship, or to have health insurance if only one of them is able to work.

Gay marriage is not about being gay, it's about two people having the legal option to support each other financially and emotionally.

[mitchtv]

10. one of the most dreadful things to happen when two

unmarried partners own a house in joint tenancy, and one partner dies, the county comes along and re-asess' the house with the surviving partner (often a senior) getting assesed with a "gift" of the decedent's half and a huge tax increase causing many to lose their homes. This doesn't happen to married couples. Every gay person I know has a horror story of usually disapproving family (mostly red staters) coming to the deceased partners home and looting it and tossing the partnner out in the street usually with nothing. It doesn't even have to be a close relative , just a greedy one.

[sam sarrha]

11. It is Inherently a Hollow issue, actually a spun issue to agitate the

emotions of intolerant people.

the Marriage contract is broken by Heterosexual couples more than half the time.. it isn't an inherently sacred document to begin with..

if i look at an Email site and the 'feedback' responses are over half negative about the sites sauces to follow thru with its customers contracts .. i dont buy there.

The subject is "Only" about intolerance.

there is exactly the same % of gay people per capita in every country and culture on earth.

[tedoll78]

14. Very simple.

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution requires that "all persons born or naturalized" be given "equal protection of the law."

The Constitution says "ALL PERSONS" - not "all straight persons," and not "all persons - except for the homosexuals."

The Constitution says "equal protection of the law." It does not say "equal protection of the law - except for marriage law."

This may make some people feel icky. But the US Constitution does not have a section in it saying, "If it makes you feel icky, ignore it."

Note several things as well. When gay marriage becomes legal (and it will), several principles will remain:
1) If you oppose homosexuality because of your religion, you will still be free to believe so. Thus, your freedom of religious belief is retained.
2) If you oppose homosexual weddings, you will not be forced to enter into one. If your church opposes homosexuality, it will not be forced to recognize homosexual marriages. Thus, freedom of religious practice is retained.

The Constitution has no given exceptions to the Equal Protection argument. If those who oppose gay marriage want exceptions to its guarantee of equality, they must go through the amendment process.

And here's how the Equal Protection principle applies in this case: by gender - not by sexual orientation. The Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that the law must treat men and women equally under the 14th Amendment. The latest high-profile example was probably the woman suing for the right to enroll at The Citadel (a military school); the court ruled that they had to let her go to school with the men.

So, given that men and women must legally have the same rights, here's how it applies to marriage. A man has the right to marry a woman. If a woman has the same rights as a man does, then she too should also have the right to marry a woman. (and, conversely, a man should have the same right as a woman does to marry a man). Otherwise, we are treating the genders as separate-but-equal, which has been unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

.....

That's my basic schpiel in favor of equal marriage rights. It's a bit disorganized, but it hits all of my high notes. Good luck!

[MuseRider]

15. I read something today

from HRC that I thought summed up some of it quite nicely.

It is now, more than ever, that we need to strive for a country where the rights of GLBT Americans are never again thrown up for grabs in a heated partisan election... where discrimination is not tolerated... AND where we are free to build strong, loving, legally protected families.

I liked the way it was stated that GLBT Americans rights were being used for politics. It just seemed the way it was stated was effective.

[sr_pacifica]

17. Reference the Declaration of Independence

Governments are established to secure our unalienable rights among which is the pursuit of happiness. Those who wish to marry are "pursuing happiness." Furthermore, gay marriage does no harm to society.

[immoderate]

18. It's a free country, and it doesn't hurt anybody.

That should be enough for a real American.

--IMM

[Festivito]

19. The Bible says that it is not good for man to be alone.

The Old Testament admonitions about a man lying as he would as a woman doesn't seem to apply to women. Other passages admonish football players not to touch the pigskin ball.

The New Testament admonitions are from Paul, who admits the foundation of Christianity should be Christ, that other followers should build their own churches and let time tell which may fail. This was in reference to those who followed the Jewish law, and those who did not. Today, many Christians do eat pork, and a few do not. Christ, the foundation, said nothing.

Whom should persons born without genitalia marry. Are they now to be refused marriage certificates. So much for caring about the least of these.

Does God restore Job's seven wives? Does Jesus suggest many virgins go into the marriage feast? Are we to assume these two were wrong, or that the Bible incorrectly reveals concept of one?

Should marriage be about sex instead of love? Now the mention of marriage in our law shows marriage is about sex and there is no mention of love. If anything cries the demise of marriage it is this denial of love.

[nomatrix]

20. Is this a class project in 8th grade?

I will assume this isn't your argument and that's why you came to DU to ask this loaded question, because democrats support gay marriage?
I don't think you will find the majority of democrats support "Gay" anything but support the constitution. Equal rights, freedom from religious oppression, getting back our social security dollars...

Sorry.
Persuasive arguments should not be address as "FOR" gay marriage, but where in the constitution this government has the right to dictate who a person wishes to commit to, whether it is to a bad marriage for the sake of the kids, to a sugar daddy for the inheritance, to a friend to not be alone in old age or because of love?
What defines the governments role?

[TahitiNut]

21. "Of all the world's problems, one person loving another ISN'T one."

That's about as simple as I can say it. In my studies, I've never found any faith tradition that could honestly regard the love between two consenting adults to be any kind of problem. With all the hate and suffering, we have ample opportunity to direct our attention far more productively.

[Gay Green]

22. Pursuit of Happiness

Thomas Jefferson said it best: "We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights; chief among them being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

:hug:

[OutsourceBush]

24. How's this for a talking point...it's a great way to lose an Election

[AP]

25. Argue that marriage is a spiritual relationship and if a church is willing

to marry people of the same sex, who is anyone to say that that church can't do what it pleases.

In this country we separate church and sate. We don't tell what to believe either. And the goverment definitely doesn't tell people what kind of spiritual relationships they can have with each other and with their god.

Then argue that governments should be in the business at all of mediating spiritual relationships. They should be in the business of making sure that everyone was all the legal rights, protections and relationships they need to be able to be good workers in the office and good family members at home. Any two people who chose to raise a family or live together and share obligations and rights and duties shouldn't have to fight with the government. The government should be making their lives easier, not harder. We're all better off when we're all better off, and making life more difficult for anyone detracts from all of us.

So, let god take care of people's souls, and let's have a government that protects people's rights. Let same sex couples have all the same rights as opposite sex couples regardless of whether their church will marry them.