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
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