Michael W
Posting #4
Topic: Politics
Title of Article: Obama, Others’ Views On Gay Marriage
Altered By Personal Ties
Author: Lisa Leff and Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Publication Name: huffingtonpost.com
Date of Publication: 5/12/2012
Words: 1132
Main Idea:
Obama
revealed his support for same-sex marriage in San Francisco due to key
conversations and experiences. He talked to many members of his staff and gay
service members in committed relationships and gained knowledge on their side
of the story. In doing so, it became harder for him to justify why they shouldn’t
have the right to marry. In addition, he talked to his two daughters, Sasha and
Malia, on the topic and they said they have friends with two mothers or two
fathers. Obama, being the first sitting president to endorse marriage rights
for same-sex couples, had his mind changed by talking to people and
constituents about the topic and how it related to them. People have gained
hope from this action and have become even more convinced that sharing stories
and common experiences will be key to its success of passing. 47% of Americans
favor gay marriage, according to a 2011 Public Religion Research Institute
poll. Many politicians, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and San Diego
Mayor Jerry Saunders, came out for same-sex marriage after learning their
daughters were lesbians. Gay rights activists have recognized that having a
close friend or family member who is gay was a powerful predictor of how they
would feel about gay rights. But just because someone knows, admires or even
loves someone who is gay doesn’t mean that they will embrace same-sex marriage.
Conclusion:
Right off
the bat, I noticed that this article has many quotes from people supporting gay
marriage, showing that the authors are taking their own advice to share
stories. I agree with Obama, when he says that it’s hard to think why gay
people shouldn’t receive the same rights as straight people when it comes to
marriage. It also does sway your opinion greatly if you have a relative who is
gay. Having 47% of the United States population for same-sex marriage is
incredible, because it shows that almost half of Americans want equal rights
and will vote for it.
As it's pretty well known now, Obama has made it public knowledge that he supports gay marriage. What made him set on his decision? He talked to various gay couples and even talked to his daughters, who said they have friends with two mothers or two fathers. After all of this, Obama felt that there was no reason why two women or two men shouldn't be allowed the same rights as heterosexual couples and finally explained his opinion on an ABC news interview.
ReplyDelete47 percent of Americans favor gay marriage, says a poll from the 2011 Public Religion Research Institute, and the number is growing due to family members finding the courage to come out. Gay activists say that having a close friend or family member being homosexual changes their mind about how they feel about gay rights (a great example would be Dick Cheney, a ruthless republican and former vice president; his daughter a lesbian).
I think this is great news and I'm looking forward to the advancement of gay rights.