Gay marriage resonates with history

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With all the contention that has happened in the state of California regarding the marriage of same sex couples, I couldn't help but wonder why this group of people were  being singled out and told they could not marry while the rest of the country could marry whomever they wanted.  I was reminded of  Loving v. Virginia in 1967.

Mildred Loving, a woman of African and Native American descent and Richard Perry Loving, a white man, were residents of Virginia who had been married in June of 1958. They left Virginia to escape the Racial Integrity Act, a state law banning marriages between any white person and any non-white person.

They were caught sleeping in their bed by a group of police officers who invaded their home in the hopes of finding them having sex. The Lovings' pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison.

The trial judge, Leon M. Bazile, voiced the opinion of Johann Friedrich Blumenbach and said: "Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix."

The Presbyterian Church took a stand in 1966 stating they did not condemn or prohibit interracial marriages. The church found "no theological grounds for condemning or prohibiting marriage between consenting adults merely because of racial origin".

This couple wasn't ashamed of their love.  They exchanged vows even though they knew society didn't approve and that horrible things could happen to them. So did the couple in my next example.  They knew their marriage would be looked down upon, yet their relationship stays strong.

Genesio Oliveira and Tim Coco were married in 2005, and after being together for only a few months Oliveira was sent back to Brazil and was not allowed citizenship. Attorney General Eric Holder declined Oliveira immigration rights three years later, which has separated him from his husband, according to "Gay Brazilian Married to Massachusetts Man, May Be Deported in Six Months" by Vicki Gass published on huffingtonpost.com on Nov. 8, 2010

Because the Defense of Marriage Act doesn't recognize gay marriages, Oliveira's request to remain in the United States based solely on his relationship with Coco was denied. The fact is that if this was a heterosexual married couple they would never have suffered through more than two years of separation. If there was not any love between these two men they would not stay married, even though they are separated by a large body of water and several countries.

In the 1950s interracial relations were something society looked down upon and disapproved of.  Now men and women of any race can legally marry.  The government would not deny a person of another ethnicity the right to marry or America would be accused of racism.

Many people in our society look down on same sex marriages. Yet 42 percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry, according to a poll in "Support for Same Sex Marriage Grows" by Brian Montopoli published on cbsnews.com in April 2009. In the next few years it will be legalized and society will come to accept it, just as we have become accustomed to mixed race couples in this free country where citizens can make their own choices within reason.

We are our own country and are proud of our freedom. We are not like the Middle Eastern countries who have arranged marriages. Those kind of relationships lack the lust and desire we've cultivated in our North American society. Although, it would be a safe alternative that ensures a family's approval giving the bride or groom no element of danger, or the forbidden, or a choice of who they want to spend the rest of their life with.

Or we can simply accept that everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Whether their happiness comes from being in love with someone black or white, male or female, their love is real. Who are we to tell someone they cannot have that happiness?

America has made a lot of huge decisions concerning the citizen's freedom. The sooner same sex marriage is allowed, the more time we have to become accustomed to it.  I believe every person has the right to be happy. I know the things that make me happy are going to be different from anyone else I will ever meet. But that is the beauty of living in this fine country. The varieties of people who make up our society make our culture so unique. Judging the people who live here because they are different is hypocritical.

If a black lady could marry a white man in a time where African Americans were segregated, then the people of the United States should let a man marry another man without persecuting them. If we can't do that, we are no better than our ancestors who spit on blacks because they were different.

Celebrities Changing Society For Worse

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There are many ways for the world to access and view the contention and drama of the world.
TV shows, magazines, movies and Internet sites yearn to be read or viewed in order to stay in business.  If no one participated, it would not be there.  

TV stations thrive off of the viewers who are addicted to these unrealistic sitcoms.
The first season finale of MTV's Jersey Shore averaged 4.8 million viewers, according to "TV by the Numbers, Jerseys Shore's First Season," by Robert Seidman published 22 January 2010 by tvbythenumbers.com

Now, being in the second season, the program averages 5.5 million total viewers, making it the No. 1 show of 2010 for people aged 12 to 34.

The "Jersey Shore" cast portrays the way media is leading us to become a more liberal society.  The actors are constantly clubbing, drinking and hooking up without portraying the major consequences that eventually follow such activities.

We have more access to celebrity gossip than ever before, which causes teenagers and young adults to act in way not fit for society.

Celebrities all over live a life of parties, short-term relationships, and drug and alcohol abuse.  
With superstars like Kate Moss taking insane amounts of drugs, Amy Winehouse checking into rehab again, and movie stars lighting up their cigarettes on screen, there has to be some effect on their admirers.

According to "Body image and gender identity, media effect on girls" published on Sept. 6, 2002 by The National Institute on Media and the Family,  Celebrities "create impossible standards of beauty, more young adults are feeling less confident, angrier and more dissatisfied with their looks."

With celebrities looking thinner self confidence can be lost, causing depression which could ultimately lead to harmful measures.  The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that eating disorders affect more than five million Americans a year, usually beginning in the teens or as early as eight, according to "Facts About Eating Disorders." by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders released on 22 Jan. 2009.

Television programs these days show sexual content, violence, and use racy language. Ads, movies and television have glamorized smoking and drug use and sending the message to the public that It is OK to do these things.  They do it without being harmed, so why can't we?

The program "Above the Influence," run by the Office of National Drug Protection, uses the media to show the effects drugs and alcohol can have on the human body and answer questions that can arise while living in a drug infested environment.

When looking at an ad, viewers do not recognize the harmful side of the product the ad portrays. It is being overshadowed by the satisfaction stars seem to have while living a life full of drugs, alcohol and intercourse.
When our parents and grandparents were growing up what happened in the bedroom stayed in the bedroom.  Seeing drugs and alcohol in schools was rare. These days, it is very common.  Actors have influenced that change in society.

Today's generation is filled with crises that go against traditional values; sex, violence, and addictions are too common in our everyday lives. Changes need to happen if we want future generations to live in a healthy society. This is not something that will be fixed overnight.

It is up to us to change how future generations think, and the first step is deciding to live your life how you see fit.  Not fashioned after a celebrity.

The ability to make the right choice

All my life I have been raised in a gospel where the Ten Commandments were repeated over and over again in attempt to engrave the words into the mind so that each could live their own righteous life.  Thou shalt not kill seemed to be shooting or stabbing someone.  Not until I was older did I realize abortion could be put in the same category.

For many years I have seen too many families struggle to adopt children when they were not able to have their own.  It was so frustrating to me that it was so easy for people to kill the babies inside of them.  I wanted to take these women by the shoulders and shake them, making them realize that they could turn their mistakes into a happy ending.  Giving the child to family who has worked hard to be able to have a baby would benefit so many people now and in the future. Nine months of discomfort in exchange for a life time of greatness the child could achieve seemed worthwhile.  That child deserves to live.

I never thought I would ever be sitting in an abortion clinic. Especially not with a close friend sitting next to me awaiting her turn to be called back for the procedure. It went against my beliefs, my values, but our friendship is very important to me.

As I sat on the soft brown leather couch looking at the mere teenagers who sat in the facing chairs, I couldn’t help but to think how different each girl was. 

The judgmental side of me came creeping out as I couldn’t help but think that the woman of Hispanic origin who seemed to know no English was choosing the easy way out.  The girl sitting next to her had the young face of a High School girl and made me wonder if a one night stand turned wrong and she believed this was her only option. 

The woman in the corner caught my attention for she had tears in her eyes.  As time went on it was only her and I in the room.  She asked how far along I was, and I explained that I was waiting for a friend to come out.  She started into a story of how she took the bus several hours to the clinic without her boyfriend even though he had made a promise to accompany her.  When I inquired if it was her first time getting the procedure she told me the struggles of raising three kids at the age of four, two and three months.  She did not make enough money to support another child and her boyfriend would only pay for the abortion.  She is only twenty years old.

While I sat flipping through Vogue, five lives were ended before they had a chance to begin. 

Abortion is something that would never be an option if an unexpected pregnancy ever came my way. But after seeing all the emotions that each woman had streaming across her face, there was no way I could tell any of them that their choice to abort their pregnancy was the wrong one. 

Each second of every day is filled with choices that each individual makes.  Who am I to judge that someone has made a bad decision? I make wrong choices on a daily bases. I learn from those.  Even though it takes a couple times of going down the same dark road to figure out that it was a wrong turn, It still find my way back to the things that are right for me. 

Uncomplicated Beauty

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines beauty as, "the quality in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or exalts the mind or spirit." One may define beauty as a butterfly or bird, while another believes a cat tail swaying in the breeze is more attractive to the eye. Can only one be right? Does the world deserve to be divided into what is beautiful and what is not?



Every time it snows, each individual snowflake is different from its sisters, just as the color of the sunset varies from one night to the next. I love to capture the moments that fade all too quickly: those that create emotions inside people, bring back the mouth watering tastes of a family barbecue, or the sound of waves crashing into rocks at the bottom of a determined waterfall.



Looking at a snapshot of a loved one can bring the natural smell to ones attention, stirring those emotions, almost making them feel real again. Appealing to the senses are those autumn days when the breeze can be felt ever so lightly brushing against your cheek, while the red and yellow leaves dance around you in a whirl wind. When snow flurries gather up on the grass outside, the warmth of seeing that photo of a beach with the sun reflecting off of the turquoise water, these are sure to create happiness.



Sometimes the most beautiful photographs can simply be "point-and-shoot" as one drives through the country side or takes a stroll up Main Street. When I see something different, out of the ordinary, or beautiful in a simple way, it catches my eye. Trying to find every angle and playing with different light, presents the opportunity to capture that natural beauty of something not everyone would consider beautiful.



I want to show people how anything can be beautiful, no matter the circumstances that surround it. A quote by Confucius expresses my belief, in which he states, "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

Shimmering Pearls

Pearls are ­formed when a foreign substance slides into the oyster between the two halves, which is irritating to the oyster. It's kind of like getting a splinter. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. It then covers the irritant with layers and layers of a very strong, resilient substance that is also used to create the shell.

Divorce was my splinter.  It was irritating, stressful, and annoying.   I wanted to cover up the crap that had gotten into my life.  I stayed busy doing anything I could in order to keep my mind off things.  Love was only a stupid word that people overused, and marriage was not included in my “Things to do before I die” list. 

The Christmas of 2009 helped me change my mind set.   It had been a year of trying to find happiness in all the wrong places, and I was exhausted from looking.  Sitting in the family room with the glow of the Christmas tree illuminating the grins on my family’s faces, my daddy gave me a strand of pearls to wear around my neck.  The tears came as I knew at that moment that even though my parents no longer loved each other, love was still around, sneaking up on me in a completely different way than I had been expecting.

While packing up my stuff to move away from home the following summer, I found another necklace my father had given me when I was younger.  A gold shaped ‘M’ with diamonds showcased in the middle.  I believe it was a thank you gift after helping around the house when my mom was out of town for awhile and dad worked, but I was little and could be wrong.  Either way, it showcases a fathers love and appreciation for his daughter.

I have now taken claim to a ring that was given to my mom by my father, back when they were in love.  It is my reminder that love is as real as the diamonds that bracket the pearl, the beautiful ball that still shines even though it went through consistent trials, it stands strong and true to its identity.

Abiguous. When something is capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways.