Summer Child

2006-12-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Gay and Lesbian Couples:
Legal Marriage Rights Should Be Granted

If suddenly you were not allowed to marry the person you had been in love with for a long time, what would you think? Would it be happy for you? You might think that suddenly your future had turned into darkness. However, it is a fact that there are some people who are in such a dark situation. They are gay and lesbian people. “Today the colloquial terms ‘gay’ for men or women and ‘lesbian’ for women (each term can be either an adjective or a noun) are considered respectful ways of referring to homosexuals” (Homosexuality, 2004, p333). Also, “Homosexuality is the tendency to be sexually and/or romantically attracted to members of one’s own sex” (Homosexuality, 2004, p333). There are these kinds of people throughout the world, and often then they are not regarded as “normal” people so they can’t have the same rights as the others do, especially in terms of marriage, in almost any area in the world. Why not? Marriage is one of the basic human rights. Everyone must be able to have it. Legal marriage rights should be granted to gay and lesbian couples.

The main reason why people disagree with same-sexual marriage is because it is against God’s law. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Ohio gubernatorial candidate stated in The Columbus Dispatch, “I think homosexuality is a lifestyle, it’s a choice, and that lifestyle can be changed. I think it is a transgression against God’s law....We make choices all the time…good choices and bad choices in terms of lifestyle. Our expectation is that one’s genetic makeup might make one more inclined to be an arsonist, or might make one more inclined to be a kleptomaniac. Do I think that they can be changed? Yes,” (Second opinions, 2006, p64). He thinks of gay and lesbian people as evil, and he also thinks they can change their lifestyle, namely their sexual preference. As he said, if a gay/lesbian person tries to change his/her sexual orientation, he/she can do it. However, is this the “right” way? Rather, it seems to be against God’s law, too. If one looks at homosexuality as a lifestyle, one will know how difficult to change a lifestyle. Or, even if one doesn’t think homosexuality is a lifestyle, it is still a fact that the gay and lesbian people have strong sexual attractions to same-sex partners. If God created them with those feelings, wouldn’t it be against God’s law to regulate them to change their sexual identity in order to marry? It is definitely against God’s law, compared with same-sex marriage itself. Why don’t you regard homosexuality as a personality? All people have different personality each other, one of which can be homosexuality. To accept their personality and to have a good society for their happiness without any regulation to change sexual identity are never against God’s law.

The way people think about homosexuality is changing. “There’s been a notable shift in the public’s attitudes toward homosexuality over the last two decades. Not all that long ago, for example, it would have been unimaginable to have an openly gay bishop, as the Episcopalian church now does. About half of Americans now say in surveys that homosexuality should be considered an acceptable alternative lifestyle, compared to only one in three people 20 years ago” (Gay rights overview, 2006, p1). On the other hand, society’s views on same-sex marriage are still very mixed. There are some countries that have granted legal status to same-sex marriage in these past years, while some countries haven’t done anything about it. In a 2004 survey in the United States, as many as 37 states still ban same-sax marriage, 3 states have amended their state constitutions in order to ban same-sex marriage, 4 states have marriage laws that prohibit same-sex marriage, 5 states and the District of Columbia have no certain prohibition of same-sex marriage, and only 1 state, Massachusetts, allows same-sex marriage, which applies only to the residents of the state (Robinson, 2006). It sounds like a surprising result, because the United States society consists of people from various areas of the world, which is the reason why it is called a melting pot. In other words, U.S. society is known as a diverse culture. Therefore, why doesn’t the U.S. regard homosexuality as one type of culture so that they can be open to it more? Gay and lesbian people are not a tiny minority any more. It is said that 10% of men and 5% of women in the United States are homosexual (Homosexuality, 2004, p333). One might be also surprised at these numbers, but these are facts. So now it’s time to build a new society so that gay and lesbian people can live equally to the others.

Now legal terminology has been created for same-sex relationships, such as “civil union” or “civil partnership.” There are some same-sex couples who can “marry” legally in the world. The couple’s status is called “civil union” or “civil partnership”, which is a legal partnership agreement between two persons. These terms were introduced in the UK and elsewhere to attempt to give legal marriage rights to same-sex couples equal to the others (Same-sex marriage, 2006). One may think that these kinds of union are enough for same-sax couples to be satisfied, but it is not so simple for them to be equal to the others. There is no big legal difference between legal marriage and civil union or civil partnership, but it is a fact that these unions for gay and lesbian people are totally separate from a normal marriage written in the existing law, and also, civil union and civil partnership is not called and regarded as a marriage in our daily life. What have civil union and civil partnership been created for? It’s just because the government didn’t want to recognize same-sex marriage a one of the accepted marriage styles. The government created them in order to distinguish same sex couples from heterosexual marriages. So organizing these couples was not for gay and lesbian people but for other people. A legal marriage right is a basic human right. Each couple should be able to establish their marriage freely. However, in fact, gay and lesbian couple can’t. They don’t have any legal marriage rights in almost any area in the world. Their marriages are regulated strictly by the existing law. On his book Gay Marriage, Burns states, “in the case of same-sex marriage, consider the growing number of same-sex couples who consider themselves married, whose extended families and social peers consider them married, whose local governments consider them married, and whose employers consider them married---all despite the fact that according to the state and federal government, their marriage is a legal and spiritual impossibility” (Burns, 2005, p22). How sad this fact is. Even if same-sex couples think of themselves as a married couple, in fact they aren’t. Now what they need is not the legal marriage right called civil union or civil partnership, but the right to merry equal to that of other people. There is still a thick wall between legal marriage and civil union. They are separate and unequal.

Of course, civil union and civil partnership is better than nothing. For example, same-sex partners are allowed to adopt children. However, there are some controversies about children brought up by gay and lesbian people. Do most people think that children brought up by gay and lesbian people are unhappy? Perhaps it would be useful to look at an example in the article, “Equal in Adversity”, Jane Baker and Sharon Genty form a civil union. They have two sons, one of who was diagnosed with stage III-B Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They felt pain and panic that their son had a life-threatening illness, but they realized that they all feel pain and worried about their children when they were in the hospital and saw a lot of same kind of parents. Jane says, “The ultimate point, I suppose, is that it doesn’t matter who you are a parent with—same sex, different sex—all of that files out the window when you are talking about the life of your child. There was absolutely nothing Sharon and I would not have given to trade places with Sam, and that is something that any parent with a child who has cancer would say. We are all parents with one wish: Make my child well. Never let me live to see a day without him in the world” (2006). They love their children as much as their children who are related by blood. It seems like a happy family. How happy the family is doesn’t depend on the style of the family. One might think that the normal configuration of the family, such as father, mother, and children, is the happiest family, but there is also a single-mother family, a family after divorce, and no-child family who are living their happy lives. That is the same for a same-sex marriage family. The more culture has changed, the more flexible the style of family has become. Today is the time of various styles of marriage. Same-sex marriage should be also granted as one of marriage styles. The governments don’t need to and shouldn’t prohibit same-sex marriage by law.

As one can see above, there are several reasons that governments need to think of same-sex marriage as a legal marriage. To marry same sex person, or to change one’s sexual identity to marry legally, which is against god’s law? Do governments do enough for gay and lesbian people, who are not a minority any more? They are now one substantial minority of culture. What is civil union and civil partnership for? Is same-sex marriage family unhappy or happy? Think about these questions for a while, and then one may find it strange that many governments don’t give legal marriage rights to same-sex couples. Gay and lesbian couples have asked for the right for a long time, and still now they are asking for it. Now, legal marriage rights should be granted to gay and lesbian couples.

References

Burns, K. (2005). Gay Marriage. Thomson Gale, a part of The Thomson Corporation.

Equal in adversity. (2006). Advocate: The National Gay & Lesbian Newsmagazine, 971(64). Retrieved November 14, 2006, from First Search database(152259541).

Gay rights overview. (2006). Public Agenda. Retrieved November 14, 2006, from http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/overview.cfm?issue_type=gay _rights

Homosexuality. (2006). Encyclopedia Americana, (vol.14, p.333-335).

Robinson, B.A. (2006). Religious tolerance. In Same-sex marriages (SSM) & civil unions. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marr.htm

Same-sex marriage. (2006). Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage

Second opinions. (2006). Advocate: The National Gay & Lesbian Newsmagazine, 969(64). Retrieved November 14, 2006, from First Search database(150864915).

2006-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

Delivery of Goods by Trucks

When you drive on an expressway, you will often see a lot of big trucks running with loud noise and black smoke. They are carrying a lot of goods from one person to another, or from one place to another. Especially late at night, the number of trucks on the road is much more than in the daytime because they know there are few cars on the road at that time. They are trying to deliver many goods as soon as possible by driving at high speed late at night. Is this a good way to deliver or a bad way? You might think this is a good way of delivery, but actually it is also a fact that there are a lot of serious problems related to delivery of goods by trucks. Therefore, delivery of goods by trucks should be decreased as much as possible.

Of course, there will be arguments against the decrease in the number of tracks. As you might think, the quickness of delivery will decrease if delivery of goods by trucks is decreased. People might complain about that. But this is just a personal problem. Also the decrease of trucks doesn’t mean that goods aren’t ever delivered forever, but just delivered a little late. There are some more serious public problems that outweigh than private problems of convenience.

As you know, the more the number of trucks increases, the more exhaust gas from them increases. It’s one of the big problems because the primary cause of global warming is carbon dioxide from exhaust gas. To decrease the black gas from trucks, the number of trucks should be decreased, even if the quickness of delivery is decreased. Global warming is becoming more and more serious these days, which is broadcasted even on
TV news. The present condition must not be kept if we want to protect our precious earth from global warming.

Also it is a fact that people whose houses are located along a highway or a wide road to enable trucks to run are suffering from the noise of trucks running on the roads. Especially their noise at high speed after midnight must be a big problem for the people. Imagine the situation in which the truck noise wakes you up every day. Imagine the situation in which the truck noise interrupts your conversation with your family at home. It’s not easy to live your life with such noise. If the number of trucks is decreased, then logically the noise will be also decreased. It would be much better than the present condition, though of course the noise can’t be stopped completely.

I have mentioned above only environmental problems of air pollution and noise pollution for the people who live near the high way. However there is also a more direct, immediate problem related to truck transportation. Delivery companies make truck drivers drive late at night because the companies are competing with the other companies for rapid delivery, so the drivers have to drive even the early morning hours. It is not easy for drivers to keep themselves awake while driving, which is one of the reasons that there are a lot of traffic accidents caused by driver falling asleep late at night. It’s not safe for drivers. There is no need to force drivers to do their work late at night when they may be overtired.

Delivery of goods by trucks is very useful and not so expensive, as you know. But actually there are some serious problems behind it. Delivery of goods by trucks is necessary for our daily life. This is true. However, it is also a fact that even if the number of trucks is decreased, it won’t matter so much. The arrival of goods will be late just a little. Nevertheless, the fact is that we have to pay attention to environmental and other problems that affect public welfare. What is a way to decrease the speed of global warming, which is caused by the increase of CO2? What is a way to decrease the bother of the people suffering from the noise by trucks? And what is a way to decrease the traffic accidents caused by drivers falling asleep? The answer to these questions is just decreasing the number of trucks. Even if it takes more time than now for something to be delivered from one person to another, delivery of goods by trucks should be decreased as much as possible.

2006-11-15T02:58:00.000-08:00

I miss sunny days. Though everyday was sunny and comfortable here, these days it is always raining. Yes, the rainy season started just now. Someone says that the rainy season will make us greatly depressed. Is it true? I worry about that now. But it might be true, because this rainy season lasts until the next spring, I heard so. Comparing the Japanese rainy season, it is much longer. But actually I might like this kind of rain. I don’t mean that I like long rainy season, but I just think that this rainy season is not so humid. Therefore, it is much better than Japanese rainy season, which is very very humid, and sometimes very hard!!! Especially Japanese rainy season is nasty for the person who has unruly hair, like me. On the rainy day, I had to spend more time to set my hair than usual. So I really wanted the Japanese rainy season to go away as soon as possible.
On the other hand, the rainy season here is not nasty. Of course, it is a kind of troublesome to always bring an umbrella with me. But that’s it!! I don’t need to do anything special beside it. And moreover, Oregonian doesn't bring an umbrella with them on rainy day. Instead of using an umbrella, they are just wearing a hood connected with their jackets or sweatshirts. This is the Oregonian style in rainy season. They don’t care about anything about rain. Even if they get wet a lot, it’s OK. I seemed to learn here about the real way of using a hood!! A hood is not just decoration for the cloth.
So let’s be an Oregonian!! Let’s leave my umbrella in my room, and let’s make use of a hood!! I tried it, because now I’m in Oregon. I should follow the way Oregonian do everyday. As a result of it, it’s not bad, but it’s not good. Just get wet, just feel cold, and just look miserable. Anyway, I couldn’t find any good points of this Oregonian style. I gave it up soon. I’m still Japanese. But if my umbrella is broken, I might do it again because I don’t want to buy new one any more. In that case, I’ll be pleased to be an Oregonian again. I’m sure.

2006-11-08T02:38:00.000-08:00

Oyako-don(親子丼)…I have never thought deeply about oyako-don. But it’s a sad story, I realized that when I explained oyako-don to Seira, who is my conversation partner. Sometimes I meet her to help her Japanese assignment, and today we went to a Japanese restaurant together. The restaurant is one of the restaurants in UWAJIMAYA (http://www.uwajimaya.com/upb/), which is an Asian food super market.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was much similar to that in Japan. At the moment we entered the restaurant, a clerk said lively to us “irassyaimase!!” And then she guided us to a table we’re gonna be seated. These way for customers is completely a Japanese style. Actually I missed Japan a little. Anyway, after sitting the table, we began to select own order from a menu book. It was a difficult decision for me to chose one from a lot of Japanese foods on it. Udon(うどん)? Donburi(丼)? Sushi(寿司)? I haven’t eaten Japanese noodle, udon, for a long time, so I really wanted to eat it….but my final decision was Oyako-don!!
Of course, Seira didn’t know oyako-don, so I explained it to her. oya親 means “parents,” and ko子 means ”children.” That implies chicken and egg, because chicken breeds eggs. So the relationship of chicken and eggs is a kind of parents and children. That’s why we call it oyako-don in Japan, which is a bowl of rice topped with chicken and eggs. When she knew about that, she said “it’s a sad story.” Exactly, though I have never thought so deeply….However, it was a funny story that finally she ordered oyako-don, a sad story rice!!
Soon after we ordered two oyako-don, the clerk served us miso-soup and salad with Japanese dressing. They were Good taste. After a while, today’s main dish “oyako-don” came to our table!! The taste was completely same as real Japanese one. But the volume was much more than real Japanese one, though I ate all of it because I thought I might not be able to eat such a Japanese taste for a long time. Today I was so satisfied with one of Japanese food, oyako-don, and also I realized the sad story behind oyako-don. They were all thanks to Seira!! Thank you.

2006-10-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

If the number of the people who are living in the whole world were only one hundred, you would feel how serious the problem we are facing now in the world is. I think this is one of the main concepts of the film named “The miniature earth” (http://www.miniature-earth.com/). The most I remembered of this film was a phrase “53 of 100 people are struggling to live on US $2.00 per day or less.” What can you buy with only 2 dollars? You can imagine such a life? You can’t do anything, of course including me. It seems to be a kind of impossible to live on only 2.00 dollars a day. At least I can’t live my daily life in this way. If I buy something to drink to satisfy my thirst, I won’t become able to buy anything else. I can’t buy anything to eat and wear on the same day. I promise that I can never live such a life. However, it is a fact that there are a lot of people who are living such a severe life in the world. What's a sad fact. Believe or not, actually more than half of the people in the world are doing so. I was sad when I looked at the phrase “53 struggle to live on US $2 per day or less.” What can I do now to save the people from the severe life? I thought seriously. I’m living my daily life now without any difficulties in this world. Besides I’m letting my parents spend a lot of money for this study in the United States, while more than half of the people in the world are struggling even to live everyday. After watching this film, I became so sad and sorry for my selfish way of spending money. What should I do now? What can I do now to make the world better? Actually I have no idea about that, which makes me more sad, but it might be important to appreciate what I do everyday without thinking anything specially. Appreciating might make my daily life better than used to for the people who are struggling even to live everyday.

2006-10-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Can you understand the letters on the paper I have in the picture? It represents my name Natsuko in Arabian language, but actually it’s impossible even for the person who has the paper, or me, to understand the letters on it!! They look like a picture, because I can’t tell from where to where is one letter. There are only two letters on the paper, while “Natsuko” has 7 letters in English. It’s a kind of mysterious!! I became really interested in it. So after coming back to my room, I asked for some information about Arabic letters through an internet. Of course, as you guess, there is another reason I did that, which is because I have to make a link to a website on my blog…..^^; Anyway I found a website explaining some Arabic words!! (http://www.arabion.net/learnarabic.htm) You can learn some Arabic words on this website, though there are only a few words.
By the way, today there was an Arabic festival held in the BON. BON was crowded much more than I had expected. There were some Arabic foods, Arabic dance, and Arabic calligraphy. That’s why I could get my name in Arabic on the paper I mentioned above. I was like in a real Arabic world, not in the United States. I really enjoyed knowing a culture I didn’t know before. Also I was really glad to see some AES classmates working hard for this festival. They looked so cute in the traditional white clothes.
Anyway, I try to use one Arabic word right now!! “Ma'as-salama” Good bye!!

2006-10-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

Time passes so fast!! Resently I feel so strongly. This might mean that I'm getting used to the life here in Lewis & Clark. Also you may think it sounds good. However, I feel a kind of sad about that, because I don't feel that my English skill follows the speed of the time so far. I mean that my English doesn't progress enough as time passes. Actually there is almost 7 monthes left for me to stay here, which is too short for me to improve my English. Even if I really hope that I stay here more, I can't. For I'm a student of Waseda university, not of Lewis & Clark college. I'm just an exchange student from my university in Japan for one year. So the time I can stay here is limited. But from a different point of view, this fact makes me work hard now, I think. I want to do my best here, and I want to try many things here as much as possible to have some good experiences here!!

2006-10-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Natsuko from Japan. "Natsu" means "summer" and "ko" means "child" in Japanese. That's why my blog title is "SUMMER CHILD." Actually I was born in summer!!

Now I'm staying here in Lewis & Clark college in Oregon. People are very friendly and very kind, and atmosphere of the campus and the city is also wonderful. I like it!!

My hobby is sports; especially badminton, soccer, and basketball. Also I like reading, watching TV and movies, playing the piano, and sleeping. My target is to improve my English!!