Gay marriage bans wrong
In recent years, gay marriage has become surrounded by controversy. Last week all four propositions concerning gay marriage succeeded in curtailing LGBT civil liberties, despite their unconstitutionality.
Through my studies I’ve examined a variety of societies, concluding that our most significant strength lies within our ability to agree to disagree, a strength that disheartens me to see compromised. Yet I have faith that America will prove its commitment to equality.
Strength is first compromised along the blurred lines separating church and state, due to confusion that the sanctity of marriage is threatened by governmental recognition of LGBT unions. However, the word ‘sanctity,” derived from sacred, or of God, is rooted in religion.
Since its context places the doctrine of one belief above another, government regulation is illegitimate for such conviction, reinforced by the 1st Amendment: “Congress will make no law respecting an establishment of a religion…”
Citizens should understand that through voting they are already making the distinction between the church and state definitions of marriage and that religious sanctity is not endangered.
However, should people wish to take governmental action, I indicate its illegality. The equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment states that “no State shall… deny to any [citizen] the equal protection of the laws.” Any initiatives enforcing different laws based upon predetermined dispositions are unconstitutional.
Additionally, in 1954 the Supreme Court ruled through Brown vs. The Board of Education that having separate institutions for education was inherently unequal, with this situation being no different. These propositions are enacting separate terms to define identical rights between two communities.
Lastly, arguments that ‘democracy has spoken’ transgress the nature of our government. The Bill of Rights and Constitution were established to protect individual rights from the ruling elite.
Our founding fathers foresaw that pure unlimited rule by the masses was no different than a dictatorial mob, where groups use superior numbers to bully the few, slavery being a simplified example. They installed safeguards, seen in the documents cited above, protecting us from this discrimination.
Our country’s strength lies within our ability to disagree. Founded in our rights, every citizen is protected, majority or minority. I write to plead with the population to uphold this ability to work beyond differences.
Stop tearing rifts and cleavages into society by erecting barriers. Instead, vote for diversity and against division. Vote for us.
Adam Weiss
Fourth-year INTA
Campus laziness
I was surprised when I picked up this past edition to find Jennifer Aldoretta’s editorial on student laziness [“Irrational laziness plagues student body,” Nov. 7]. I completely agree with her critique of most students’ habits and have often found myself asking the same questions.
Why do students feel so compelled to rush and use the Trolley or Stinger shuttles when they could just as easily walk? Why do they insist on cramming in like an over-packed can of sardines, even though they can clearly see the bus is already full? And why do they then sit down on their lazy rear ends and wait for the next one, when they get shut out from the previous shuttle?
After taking a year off from the ME grad program, I found myself back on campus and for the first time relying on MARTA and the shuttles to get to campus. It’s too expensive to waste the money on a parking pass.
I was once again leading a very sedentary lifestyle, and after just one semester I had packed on 20 pounds. Beginning last spring I started going walking to incorporate more physical activity into my life. At first I hated it because of the time it seemed to add to my travels. But I stuck to it and lost the weight I’d gained.
Eventually I realizes that with the unreliability of the shuttles, it didn’t really cost me any more time by walking. Now I only use the Trolley when I’m really running late. Most days as I walk through campus and see people running to catch those rolling sardine cans to just get two blocks up the road to Tech Square, I laugh. Maybe that freshman 15 wouldn’t hit so hard and fast if people just used what the good Lord gave them, their own two feet.
Aaron Lee
ME grad student