Love is Blind.

Love is blind to gender. Thus, the federal government should be when recognizing married couples, too. Every couple deserves the right to marry and the rights that accompany marriage. More and more Americans are supporting gay marriage, thus I want to make a powerful video consisting of quotes from celebrities and politicians to truly convey the importance of the issue and the shifting view on the issue. It will be an awareness video consisting of sound bytes, video clips, images, and powerful music.

For the first time, the majority of Americans favor the legalization of gay marriage. http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/first-time-majority-americans-favor-legal-gay-marriage.aspx

Many quotes are exceedingly persuasive and there is no explanation needed.

“Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back – government has no place in the middle.” – Mark Kirk (Republican senator from Illinois)

“I support gay marriage. I believe they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us.” -Kinky Friedman (Texas singer/songwriter)

“The truth is, Portia and I aren’t as different from you as you might think. We’re just trying to find happiness in the bodies and minds we were given, like everyone else.” – Ellen Degeneres (talk show host/national icon)

Same Love by Macklemore

“You get to the point where you evolve in your life where everything isn’t black and white, good and bad, and you try to do the right thing. You might not like that. You might be very cynical about that. Well, f—- it, I don’t care what you think. I’m trying to do the right thing.” — New York state Sen. Roy McDonald (R), June 14, 2011, announcing he would vote for the state bill legalizing gay marriage.

“I saw with so many of the gay couples, they were so devoted to another. I saw so much love. When this hearing was over, I was a changed person in regard to this issue. I felt that I understood what same-sex couples were looking for.” — Maryland state Del. Wade Kach (R), Feb. 23, 2012, telling reporters how meeting with gay couples led him to vote to legalize gay marriage in the state.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSQQK2Vuf9Q – Zach Wahls speech about being raised by lesbians and how it hasn’t affected his life negatively; they are no different than any other family.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRu6XFUSYq0 – Ellen on coming out

“Discrimination is wrong no matter who the target is. . . . This is about equality and justice,” said the Rev. Richard Tolliver, pastor of St. Edmund’s Episcopal Church on the South Side. “This is a matter of equal protection under the law for all citizens. This is not a religious issue.”

In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times he quoted the Declaration of Independence, saying “if we are endowed by our creator with rights, then why shouldn’t those be attainable by gays and lesbians? Simply put, if the Lord made homosexuals as well as heterosexuals, why should I discriminate against their civil marriage?” he said. “I shouldn’t, and I won’t.” With Nelson reversing his position, there are now just six Senate Democrats still against marriage equality, mostly from more conservative states like Arkansas, North Dakota and West Virginia.

 

 

Advocacy Rough (and I mean rough) Draft.

 

Savannah Boothe

Lori Bedell

CAS 138T

21 March 2013

Advocacy

            A couple walks on the beach, hand-in-hand. The sun is setting behind them. It has been the perfect date-night; romance hangs in the air as they observe the beauty of the scene. However, this revelry cannot last long, for they are a couple embedded in the trenches of war for their love. As star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet, their love is forbidden, not only by their government and church, but by the majority of people around them. Their love is hindered because this couple consists of two men. Or two women. You can picture either, because both experience injustice. As a nation founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all citizens, the separation of church and state has always been a core value of the United States. However, as years have passed, this wall has been breached and the floodgates of religion have swamped state decisions regarding personal choices, specifically in regards to homosexual relationships and rights. However, this barricade needs to be refortified; the separation between church and state needs to be redefined, and the LBGT community must be presented the right to civil unions in the eyes of the state.

The biggest argument against the allowance of gay marriage in the United States circles around whether being homosexual is a choice or part of the individual’s genetic make-up. There is great contention surrounding the derivation of homosexual tendencies and preferences; do individuals simply develop this trait over time or is it a part of their being from the beginning? Researches are finding common biological traits among gay men that are providing further evidence to the fact that homosexuality is linked to a specific gene and therefore that being gay is not a choice (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/01/homosexuality-genetics-usa). Human nature is to take the easy way out and to avoid conflict whenever possible; therefore, why would humans be making their lives more difficult by choosing to love someone of the same gender? Although people can argue whether being gay is a choice or genetic characteristic, there is no argument needed to realize that gay people are treated as second-class citizens within our society. However, this treatment reverts back to the stereotypical gender roles that have been a part of the United States culture since its inception.

Gender is a construct. It has been defined by rigid lines within our society. Girls are better at cooking and housework and like to wear pink and play with Barbies and baby dolls; boys like getting dirty and building things while wearing blue t-shirts and driving trucks. These are imposed gender roles on our society, but because of their lasting influence and impression, they have become acceptable. Only recently have they been called into question. Riley, a five year old, adorable little girl, is the first person to truly be glorified for her questioning of societal expectations of genders. In her viral rant, she voices her frustrations about why girls have to buy “princesses” and “pink stuff” and why they can’t buy “superheroes” and “stuff boys want to buy”. Riley has it completely right; society has imposed a very strict code on our children about what is right and what is wrong regarding their gender. Because of this imposition, many are finding it harder and harder to display their individuality that breaks the codes set for their gender. The biggest piece of individuality that society constrains is sexuality; in society’s mind, men are supposed to be with women. For a man to be with another man or a woman to be with another woman is completely wrong, because it breaks society’s code and breaches the control it has on it’s citizens lives. Men and women are expected to follow specific behavioral patterns, and homosexuality breaks these patterns. Again, human nature plays a role; the essence of a human is to find comfort and satisfaction when patterns repeat and when rules are followed. When the patterns are skewed by something breaking the rules, such as a man loving another man, the world is sent into an uproar and the rest of “normal” society shuns the “rule-breaker”.

Along with gender roles defining how an individual can behave, religion plays a very coercive role. Religion and its influence has been intertwined with the United States history; the majority of those opposing gay marriage cite their respective religion as the main source for why homosexuality is wrong. Westboro Baptist Church provides one of the most extreme of these cases, but on a smaller scale, individuals tell other individuals that their choices are incorrect based completely on personal beliefs. However, expecting another to be governed by your religious beliefs can never succeed. Our country was founded on a separation of church and state for a reason; the church cannot tell the state what is allowed in regards to civil liberties. The United States promises life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all citizens. Sexual preference is referenced under all these. A person’s sexuality is a huge piece in his or her individuality that governs his or her life; a person is provided the liberty to love whomever he or she wants; a person should be allowed to pursue happiness in all arenas of life, including marriage and sex. However, because of the tangled relationship between the church and the state in regards to a person’s sexuality, people’s fundamental rights are being compromised. To ensure the rights of every citizen, the line separating church and state is in serious need of redefinition. Only when the line is refortified and when the government is completely free of religious influence will decisions be made that truly provide individuals with the rights they have been repeatedly promised and repeatedly denied.

Marriage is a religious word. Two people become married in the eyes of the Lord, according to Christianity. When two people get married, what appears to be a single ceremony is actually culminating in two events; the couple is being married by the church and is legally being partnered by the state. However, in the majority of society’s minds, the event is simply a marriage, something that continually conjures images of church and deities, and the civil union is cast aside. However, the right to marriage, including the right to a civil union, that has been provided to all heterosexual couples throughout history, has been denied to same-sex couples, resulting in the denial of many benefits, including tax exemptions and deductions that male-female couples receive. No couple should be denied the right to be together. Happiness is the ultimate goal of humanity, and to legally deny someone his or her happiness is the biggest form of injustice. To allow for homosexual couple to be together without overlapping church and state, the federal government should allow for civil unions between gay couples. Civil unions will provide the partnership, but will avoid the confusion over the religiously-weighed word “marriage”. In the eyes of the state, all couples should be civilly unioned to ensure no unequal treatment between hetero- and homosexual couples.

 

No freedom ’till we’re equal…

I grew up in two places; Gaffney, South Carolina, the quintessential southern town that fit the stereotype of southern values to a tee, and Lebanon, Ohio, the county seed of the most conservative county in the state. As you can see, my upbringing was not exactly conducive to encouraging personal rights and liberties. However, I have always supported individual rights, in particular gay rights, and even though I was surrounded by people who immediately shut down whenever homosexuality was brought up or who immediately claimed homosexuality was a sin, I still have never understood how people can deny certain rights to those who identify as LGBT, rights that should be allowed without question in a country founded on freedom. People just are unwilling to broaden their viewpoints and recognize the injustice affecting individuals in our nation.

Macklemore’s recent song, Same Love, has inspired me to advocate for gay rights. I know it is an often overexposed topic, but it is one I feel passionate about. However, I also want to advocate for the difference between civil unions and marriage, and the separation between church and state, and how these are becoming intertwined over the issue of LGBT rights. We need to find the redefine the separation, and in this allow all individuals the rights to union and to love who they want.

I am planning on using my essay to advocate for the redefinition of church and state in our nation in regards to LGBT rights and how everyone should be allowed the right to love whomever they want. I also plan on creating an awareness video to advocate for the same.

Deliberation Evaluation

Savannah Boothe

27 February 2013

Sustainability Deliberation Evaluation

            “It is time to ask: How can we best meet our needs today without hampering our ability to meet those needs tomorrow?” This question has become the focus of every CAS 138T classroom as we discuss the issue of sustainability and how it pertains to us on an individual, national, and global level. The objective behind this classroom activity was not solely to establish answers to this overriding question, but to explore the structure and necessity of a deliberative environment in forming conclusions. According to John Gastil in Political Communication and Deliberation, deliberative conversation is the most influential tool when trying to ascertain a solution to a problem. He bases the conversation on nine criteria, and if the conversation abides by these criteria, the deliberation is considered to have been well conducted, efficient, and successful. Although our class’s deliberation started off with constant statements of agreement and seemingly no advocacy, as the assignment progressed, we were able to fulfill all nine criteria and reach a solution that could initiate and perpetuate sustaining our world.

The first criterion that defines deliberation is the creation of a solid information base. Having a general basis of knowledge is extremely important for a conversational flow, and the Issue Guide from the National Issues Forum provided each student involved this foundation. However, another large component of fulfilling this criterion depends on the personal and emotional experiences from individuals involved that can supplement the discussion. Most members of my class found value in deliberating this topic for essentially three reasons; to leave a world wealthy with resources for our posterity, to revitalize the connection between humans and nature, and to re-evaluate the decisions and actions we are performing right now that can reverse the depletion of our world’s resources. Because this issue holds so many relevant connections with my class and our generation, we have the power and the responsibility to take action and change the imminent outcome impending on our globe. Every participant seemed to have at least one personal story that related to sustainability in some way and guided the discussion, providing a clear view on just how pertinent this issue is. Also, students were able to gain a new view on how this issue does affect each of us intimately. One student even claimed that previous to the deliberation, he did not realize the full extent of our impact on the world and the importance of taking action to sustain it; however, through the discussion, his view on the issue was reversed and he now thinks it is one of the most pertinent issues in our society. We passed the first criterion with flying colors.

The second criterion is prioritizing the key values at stake. Each individual discussion of the different approaches ultimately resulted in an evaluation of the core values of our country. The first approach, which centered on gubernatorial action in repairing and protecting crucial resources, led to a discussion centered on the distinct identity Americans posses and are unwilling to relinquish. This identity is made up of democratic, capitalist, and imperialist values that have been a part of America’s culture since its inception. The second approach, which focused on the power of markets and technological innovation, led to questioning the responsibility of business, government, and citizens in creating avenues to sustainable living. The third approach forced us to review the deteriorating ethics of our country and how to reverse this process, thus reinstating a culture focused on frugality, altruism, social connections, and living within one’s means. We reviewed the values of our country and how they would be affected in taking action for sustainability, and thus we fulfilled Gastil’s second criterion.

The third, fourth, and fifth criteria address the decision making process. Through them, a broad range of solutions is identified, the pros, cons, and trade-offs of each solution are weighed, and the best decision possible is made. Initially in our deliberation, we seemed to skirt these criteria, almost destroying our hopes in developing an effective solution. We began with a lot of agreeing and discussion, but no clear path to finality. In every approach, there were several times when we began to lose sight of the final goal; we became wrapped up in discussing not what should be done to create implement sustainability, but what could be done, which we concluded was not much given the gridlock between the political parties and the consumerism and convenience-driven citizens.  However, as the deliberation continued, we realized that our focus needed to shift and we were able to stop asking whether something could happen or work and simply state that it needed to be done. After much talk about values, current obstacles, and future situations, we were able to come to a consensus on several actions; in order to encourage a sustainable future, new housing should be influenced by green standards, sustainable landscaping practices should be adopted, education of citizens about the value of sustainability should be implemented, advertising to increase awareness about the necessity of the issue should be promoted, and individuals should be called to a personal pledge to live a sustainable life.

The last four criteria explain the social process of the deliberation. These create the environment that the discussion takes place in and therefore describe the responsibilities of the moderator. The first task of the moderator is to adequately distribute speaking opportunities. With four different moderators with four different styles, we had a conglomeration of ways to ensure people received the chance to speak. However, each one did ensure everyone spoke. One asked leading questions that could incorporate everyone, one asked us to go around the circle and share, and one even directly asked participants; however, each tried their best to establish an atmosphere where everyone felt comfortable enough and was encouraged to share their opinions and not worry about backlash.

Along with balancing discussion, the next necessity of the social process of deliberation is mutual comprehension. This falls on both the participants and the moderator; those discussing need to be aware of the other participants and the level of their understanding of the subject, but it is also the moderator’s obligation to question the speaker if what they have said is confusing. The moderators for our class deliberation did a good job in asking for clarification of a statement, and they also did a good job consistently summarizing the points that had been made; for example, one moderator would allow the conversation to flow for a bit, then take a moment to review what had just been said and reorganize the thoughts of the participants to move on to other topics.

The next two criteria go hand in hand. It is a requirement of a proper deliberation that other ideas and experiences are considered, and that all participants are respected. The deliberation is not to turn into a debate, which can happen quickly if someone is not open-minded and cannot accept another’s view. Our class deliberation was run very respectfully and I believe we all were very receptive of each other’s opinions. However, I almost think we were too accepting. There was quite a lot of “I agree with…” and not a lot of confrontation. Which I would argue could be a good thing, as long as the disagreements were made in a respectful way; the contrasting opinions could be a way to expose to other participants to ideas they previously had not thought about. Until we began discussing lawns and sustainable landscaping processes, no one out rightly disagreed with another. However, we upheld each other’s views, took them into account when deciding our final actions, and I believe we all learned something new and were able to see the issue from another perspective; I know I did. Going into the deliberation, I totally disagreed with Approach 3; I did not think it possible to change the culture of the United States. However, after deliberating the option, I now think that a paradigm shift in our nation’s culture may be the most conducive approach to preserving our world.

All in all, my section of CAS 138T followed the nine criteria of democratic conversation, and in following this model, we were able to draw reasonable conclusions on the issue of sustainability and we were able to gain new perspectives on the matters surrounding it.

 

Online Deliberation

I am planning on discussing the new role of women in combat that the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has just set into action. As a woman planning on entering the military, I think it will be interesting to find out more in regards to the controversy and the general opinion about the new role.

I plan on exploring NPR, because in looking at some current posts it has it seems that most posts have between 50 to 150 comments, which is good to gauge the conversation and the general opinion, but not to many to become overwhelmed.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/01/24/170161752/women-in-combat-five-key-questions

This post in particular looks very interesting to engage in, however, I think because it is from four days ago, much of the conversation is starting to fade.

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/28/170471660/women-in-combat-what-do-troops-in-afghanistan-think

This one also looks interesting.

A dream is a wish, your heart makes…

This I Believe

Once upon a time, I was a wide-eyed child with a moldable future and a certain affinity for Disney movies. I spent countless hours with my eyes trained on the TV, sandwiched between my dad and sister on the familiar couch, feeling their familiar warmth as the familiar arch flew over the Disney castle. I would not close my eyes again until the credits began to roll. I was dedicated to not missing a second of the adventure. I became a part of the movie; an active member in it’s cast, molding myself into a character influenced heavily by whichever character appeared on the screen before me. In my imagination, I developed Ariel’s determination to achieve her goal, Belle’s ability to ignore the jeers and negative opinions from others, Aurora’s willingness to rely on nothing but a dream to get her through, and Jane’s perseverance to achieve the impossible. My mindset was set aflame to do the impossible because I had just witnessed the impossible taking place in an unforgettable ninety-minutes. I believed in the music, the stories, the characters. And I believed I would become like them.

 

I have not lost those wide-eyes. I spent my winter break watching Brave, the newest addition to the Disney collection. And it turns out Disney still has the ability to inspire me. Just as Merida, the heroine of the story, must choose between her family’s expectation that she marry    and her passion of archery, I faced a difficult choice. Did I allow my mother to sway me away from joining the Air Force, or did I follow my heart and continue in the ROTC program? My mother wants me safe and near her at all times, but I long for a life of adventure and travel, a life the Air Force can give me. Like Merida, I faced a decision, deciding between what my mother wanted for me and what I wanted for myself. And in this decision, as I was transported back to my childhood and back to the seeming simplicity of it all, I experienced a great epiphany. Like Merida, and all the characters I love, I remembered that I have the ability to change and create my own future. I can choose my own fate. I have been given the opportunity to decide and take what I want out of life. As humans, we are prone to allow others to sway our decisions. We allow multiple factors outside of ourselves to affect the choices we face. We are constantly taking into account what our parents expect of us, what our friends’ opinions are, and if the benefits of the choice are greater than the costs. We are creatures easily influenced, impressionable and modifiable. We often forgo our own dreams and take another path based on the judgment of others.

 

But I believe we have not only the power, but the responsibility to follow our dreams, no matter where they may lead. We reserve the right to create our individual destiny. No one else can do it for you. The characters of Disney always defy the expectations cornering them and break out to grasp their own destiny. They discover what they want out of their lives, and despite the odds, they go after it. And every Disney movie instilled in me a desire to become like them; I believe Merida says it best; “Some say fate is beyond our command, but I know better. Our destiny is within us. You just have to be brave enough to see it.”

 

 

 

This I Believe Rough Draft.

Once upon a time, I was a wide-eyed child with a moldable future and a certain affinity for Disney movies. I spent countless hours with my eyes trained on the TV, sandwiched between my dad and sister on the familiar couch, and feeling their familiar warmth as the familiar arch flew over the Disney castle. I would not close my eyes again until the credits began to roll. I was dedicated to not missing a second of the adventure. I became a part of the movie; an active member in it’s cast, molding myself into a character influenced heavily by whichever character appeared on the screen before me. In my imagination, I developed Ariel determination to achieve her goal, Belle’s ability to ignore the jeers and negative opinions from others, Aurora’s willingness to rely on nothing but a dream to get her through, Jane’s perseverance to achieve the impossible. My mindset was set aflame to do the impossible because I had just witnessed the impossible taking place in an unforgettable ninety-minutes. I believed in the music, the stories, the characters. And I believed I would become like them.

I have not lost my wide-eyes. I spent my winter break watching Brave, the newest addition to Disney’s collection. And I was transported to my childhood, experiencing a great epiphany. I believe in the power of Disney, perhaps now more than ever. As a human, I have the ability to change and create my own future. We can choose our own fate. We have been given the opportunity to decide and take what we want out of life.Those of our race are prone to allow others to sway our decisions. So many inputs go into a choice. What our parents expect of us, what our friends’ opinions are, the benefits of the choice versus the costs. We are creatures easily influenced, impressionable and modifiable. We often forgo our own dreams and take another path based on the judgment of others.

But I believe we have the responsibility to follow our dreams and create an alternate outcome for our lives. We reserve the right to create our individual destiny. No one else can do it for you. The characters of Disney always defy the expectations cornering them and break out to grasp their own destiny. They discover what they want out of their life, and despite the odds, they go after it. And every Disney movie instilled in me a desire to become like them; I believe Merida says it best; “Some say fate is beyond our command, but I know better. Our destiny is within us. You just have to be brave enough to see it.”

Civic Issues

Civic issues; this world and our nation in particular are full of them. However, there is one that I have continually felt a heavy conviction about: the education system in the United States. I have a varied educational background. I have gone to both private and public schools; I was enrolled in a public school in South Carolina (one of the worst states for quality of public education; http://www.alec.org/publications/report-card-on-american-education/); I attend a public state university, but am from out-of-state. My mother is also a teacher. She has taught in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Ohio, and has been a special education teacher and a teacher of the visually impaired. She is also very vocal about her views on education reform. I have spent my life surrounded by conversations revolving around education, whether it was about my own (whether a private or public elementary school better, which high school to attend when I moved to Ohio, what college was the best for me both academically and financially), my sister’s, my mother’s employment, or just national discussion regarding the education system playing on NPR or showing on the news. My view on the national education system has been developing for as long as I can remember.

However, I never really thought I had a view on the subject until I began applying to college. But everything I had been hearing my entire life culminated into a personal view on education that was being revealed as I explored colleges, leading me to controversial questions I had to answer myself. Why was college tuition so much, and why wasn’t anyone doing anything about it? Why were colleges so focused on diversity, and why was a seemingly good thing appearing to hurt my friends and I as we tried to get accepted to our dream schools? Was a public or a private college more beneficial for my education, and was the ridiculous tuition of private institutions really worth it? These questions spun in my head, and I began realizing that after some research, I was answering my questions with my own opinions on the greatly discussed civic issue of the United States’ education system.

The Magic of Disney

Brave

Some say fate is beyond our command, but I know better. Our destiny is within us. You just have to be brave enough to see it.

-Pixar’s Brave

I believe that we have the ability to change and create our own future. We can choose our own fate. We have been given the opportunity to decide and take what we want out of life. As humans, we are prone to allow others to sway our decisions. So many inputs go into a choice. What our parents expect of us, what our friends’ opinions are, the benefit of the choice versus the cost. We are creatures easily influenced, impressionable and modifiable. We often forgo our own dreams and take another path because of the opinions of others. But I believe we have the responsibility to follow our dreams and create an alternate outcome for our lives. We reserve the right to create our individual destiny. No one else can do it for you. That’s why I believe in the power of Disney. Because when I was a little girl, every single Disney movie I watched, whether it was The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, or Tangled (I admit, I watched Tangled as a sophomore in high school, but the affect was still present), the characters always defy the expectations cornering them and break out to grasp their own destiny. They discover what they want out of their life, and despite the odds, they go after it. And every Disney movie instilled in me a desire to become like them. To reveal the bravery hidden inside and accept the freedom to create my own future.

TED Talk Outline

http://prezi.com/goumbxubhext/edit/#18_1555333

Introduction: The ERA was never passed because of the institutionalized belief that women and men were already equal by societal standards and because of the 14th Amendment.

Argument: The definition of gender equality is cryptic and does not clearly state how we can ensure equality of the sexes. I believe that women and men will be equal when the percent of each sex involved in an activity is the same. For example, the military will be an equal opportunity venue for men and women when the number of volunteers in the service are the same. By analyzing the microcosm of the military and the obstacles that are repressing the number of women soldiers, we can analyze how true equality of the genders can be achieved.

Obstacle 1: Stereotype stating that women soldiers are masculine and inadequate are discouraging women from joining the service; they do not want to be seen as unfeminine because of their career choice, and the best way to ensure their femininity is to avoid the ridicule that comes from the males of the service. To truly fit into the military culture, most women must adopt a tomboy role, losing her true identity while still being considered less able than her male counterparts due to gender stereotypes in society.

Obstacle 2: Women are held to lower standards than men. They aren’t expected to do as many push-ups and sit-ups or run a certain distance as fast as men. They are also excluded from infantry, armor, and special operations jobs because of the high standards set to enter the occupation that women are not expected to be able to reach.

Obstacle three: The military process of dealing with sexual assault and the incredible devaluing of women.

Once these three obstacles are faced and fixed, the number of women in the military will increase, thus resulting in equality in the armed forces, a step in discovering the true definition of gender equality in all aspects of life.