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C ommentary M arch 3, 2004 T he C lackamas P rint • 5 Marriage controversy divides AmericcT Marriage should be exclusive Marriage is a freedom that to one man ancf one woman all Americans should enjoy Shannon Armstead Tin-: C lackamas P rint Bush’s call for an amendment to keep marriage between a man and a woman is a serious endeavor and, unfortunately, one that is needed. The fact that over 2,500 marriage licens es that have been issued illegally in California over the past few weeks illustrates that a constitutional amendment is the only way to keep marriage as what was meant to be—a union between a man and a woman. Some don’t agree that marriage should be between members of the opposite sex. They call it biased, unfair and unequal. Biased? Yes. Unfair and unequal? No. Marriage is not an all-inclusive institution and therefore it is biased; it includes only those who are eligible. While love and com mitment are reasons why a couple may want to get married, that does not qualify them as eligible for the institution of marriage. Throughout the ages, in every culture and religion, matrimony has joined a man and a woman exclusively. Ultimately, the purpose of marriage throughout the cen turies has been to produce a family. Because men and women exclusively create off spring, marriage was developed specifically for them to do this in a more civilized fash ion, rather than just procreating for the sake of population. While marriage has become a cultural occurrence to create strong families and .thus a stronger society, its origins are reli gious. Perhaps the most famous union was that of Adam and live, and with it “mar riage” sprang from “religion.” In religion, marriage was defined as between a man and a woman, again for the purpose of family. ÎRPiWNCt You SPOUSE NO SPOUSE. While gays say religion should stay out of the issue of marriage, marriage is in itself a religious institution. Moreover, it is an insti tution that involves only heterosexuals. Homosexuals arc' not being denied any rights by being denied a marriage, because they have never had a right to marriage in the first place. Gay activists blame conservatives and Christians for excluding them from mar riage, but marriage has its roots deep in reli gion and culture as being the union of a man and a woman. Liberals and conserva tives alike have recognized this fact, i'of instance, (dinton, as well as several other liberal congressmen, signed “Defense i Marriage Act” in 1996 to keep marriage between only a man and a woman. An amend ment to the constitution drastic but essen tial. Without it, the institution of marriage will continue to be stepped on by those who wish to please everyone. Marriage was not instituted for those who arc “in love.” It was not created so that any relationship could be made more mean ingful, so that any person could express a commitment to whomever they please. It came about for the purpose of the union of a male and a female. If gays wish to receive benefits as a committed couple, they should try some other avenue, like civil unions, rather than trying to force themselves, into an institution that they do not qualify for. President Bush may think he is making a significant contribution to Americans by try ing to amend a bill to the constitution pre venting gays from legal marriages, but in the process he will seriously compromise the validity of other bills. If the constitution is based on the “In God We Trust,” motto, then the question must be raised: In whose God arc we trust ing? Was there in fact a bill specifying whose God it was written in accordance Assumably, it was not written through a Buddhist point of view. So why are Buddhist marriages recognized as well as created here? Why is it okay to marry example, Buddhists arc supposedly going to hell for being Buddhists and gays arc supposedly going to hell for being gays, then why wouldn’t both types of marriages be banned in the eyes of the constitution? “All men arc created equal.” Maybe the amendment to this bill should be “except for homosexual people.” Since when has dis crimination become a family value? Something just came out of focus in our country. It seems as if a liberal, independent media crew was shooting footage in Iraq <>f the increasingly U.S.'dominated oil industry. People were and are still suffering and dying for increasingly ridiculous and profitable causes, as the public was beginning to sec, until the media’s spotlight was redirected by Bush’s attempt to stop the decline of his popularity among the heterosexual majority. Humans have been blessed with more intelligence, desire to learn and passion than any other creature. Humans have agreed that it is acceptable to choose a lifelong mate. Why? Because it can also be agreed that humans can strengthen their species through choosing a well-matched candidate. I '.very person has the ability to be just as deep and complicated as the next, male or female. Partners are supposed to compliment each other, equate and find optimum happi ness with each other ... sometimes so much that they are willing to forfeit the fact that they cannot procreate together, as in the case of homosexuals. The American culture is now debating whether or not homosexuals should have the right to coflplc for life and be included in a “married” governmental status, as well as officiate their partnership. This would also allow for a better pension plan and benefits for the survivor if one partner was to die. “livery man has a right to the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;” Why is the Bush administration, among oth ers, trying to deny a select group of American citizens that last right? “Arrierica, the land of the free,” translates into the idea of being free to choose what one wants in life—as long as it doesn’t involve homosexuality. It is out patriotic duty to fight for the equality of all people who reside in this country. Right now, that idea is getting ped dled backward. How can any single person complete a life of happiness if others are not free to live life to the same extent, now that our presi dent is trying to put a limit on the freedom of Americans? HWSRE FOÍ? a YôüR SPOUSE. erry wll Cramming vacations, naps, rewards into studying Chiefs’ Corner: «H^BfcCyndee Mady WwJrCo E ditor - in -C hief With the apprehension of finals next week, it is easy to get carried away by the stresses of academia. Most people arc familiar with common stress-busters such as breathing exercises, physical activity and soothing baths with essential oils. However, there are more inter esting ways to conquer those fur rowed brows and knot-filled shoul ders. After studying for hours on just one subject and feeling like there is no end in sight, you may begin to crash and burn. Why not take a break? Better yet—take a five- minute vacation. Don’t worry about packing a suit case or arranging hotel accommoda tions; just pick a favorite vacation spot and instant transportation to the exciting destination of choice becomes a possibility. Whether you prefer lounging on the white sandy beaches of Waikiki, skiing in the Alps or sh<x>ting craps in J .as Vegas, a mini-vacation is a daydream away. As for those knots in the shoul ders—get. creative. One of my favorite vacations is in a cabana over- kxtking the ocean in Athens, ( i recce, with a bottle of wine, a vine of grapes and some massage oil—oh, and did 1 foiget to mention John Travolta? Well, it’s my fantasy vacation after all and it’s much more relaxing and fun with an interesting traveling companion. Besides, how much trouble can one get into in five min utes? If a vivid imagination isn’t your forte, a less exotic stress-buster but an effective one nonetheless, is the power nap. It may sound crazy, but it really works. When eyes become heavy with burden and the pages of the text begins to blur, a 10 or 15-minute nap may be just the ticket to get that boost of energy necessary to ease back into the study session. Simply find a comfortable location, pull down the shades and let everything else go. A kitchen timer works great to avoid oversleeping. Sweet drcams! If naps aren’t your cup of tea— reward yourself with a cup of chamomile, which has calming ele ments to help de-stress. Speaking of rewards ... the finaLstrcss-buster is the reward system.. Make a study checklist and estab lish a reasonable timetable for each task—when completed, designate a suitable reward. For example: thumb through flashcards, memoriz ing those Spanish verbs, then take 20 minutes off to listen to a favorite (2D. Study biology objectives and lab notes, then treat yourself to Starbucks. Sometimes having something to ltxtk forward to at the end of a gru eling cram fest will help keep you focused, making the chore seem less cumbersome and allowing breaks between subjects in the process. So take a deep breath and relax. Rest assured, it will all be over with in a couple of weeks and it will be time to spring into vacation mode over break. But if you see me with my eyes closed before brcakrj-Pl J IASI '2 DO NOT DISTURB. 1 just might be floating in a gondola down the canals of Venice with Johnny Depp. E-mail letters to chiefed@clackamas.edu or bring them on a floppy disk to RR135 by this Friday at 1 p.m. Please include your name and limit all letters to no more than 200 words. Submissions become property of The Clackamas Print and are subject to editing on the grounds of clarity, grammar and content. To: “A Concerned Member of this Campus. ” Please contact Ben Maras at The Print: ext. 2309 | | | | |
