Gay Rights In California

Growing up as a kid in California, I saw many gay people. When I was young, I couldn't understand it. I would ask my friends why these people are together and I would get the same answer all the time: because they are dumb and gay. As I got older, I met many gay people and realized they are not the bad people; we are for judging them. It's not their fault for being attracted to someone. As a straight male, I see no problem with them. Why ban them from being married? In the article "Gay Rights in California," Kevin Drum talks about proposition 8 that was imposed in 2008 to ban the gay marriage in California. The proposition was passed but only won by two percent, 52-48. In my opinion, this means that if in 2008, the proposition only won by 2 percent, I can only imagine if it was proposed again--it would certainly win. I have no problem with the gay community and they aren't the problem, we are the problem for having trouble accepting their lifestyle. They are human beings just like us. Everyone wants to grow up and be happy and get married, so why not include everyone? I just don't understand our society sometimes. Yes, we live in America, the land of the freedom, yet gay people have to have certain rules to be like us. What if the world had restrictions on you and told you what you could and could not do? Think about that one and let me know how you feel.

Society is Dead: We Have Retreated into the iWorld

It's funny when you see something happen, then read it and shake your head up and down thinking to yourself "couldn't have said it any better myself." Reading Society is Dead: We Have Retreated into the iWorld had me doing that a good portion of the time. One of the first "YES" moments for me was when the author, Andrew Sullivan, says "Technology has given us a universe entirely for ourselves--where the serendipity of meeting a new stranger, hearing a piece of music we would never choose for ourselves or an opinion that might force us to change our mind about something are all effectively banished." Although the author is mostly referring to the iPod, I think that phones are a big part of that too--especially the "meeting a new stranger" part. It seems that people often use technology as an "out." Admit it, you have pulled your phone out and pretended to text someone in an awkward situation. Even though this article is Manhattan-based, this happens in the very halls of Illinois Central College. People plug into their iPods and shut the world out for the 4 minutes it takes to walk to class. I don't think we should all jump back to the 1800's and pretend like technology had never been invented. In many ways, technology has improved our communication. Sullivan summarizes the cons of technology without pointing out the pros. It is handy to have music at the touch of a finger (literally) and for some people, it makes the days a little shorter and easier. But the fact of the matter is--as the author points it out--that now that people have a reason to avoid each other, they do. Some are too busy listening to music, others talking on the phone. It used to be that something outside of your control sparked your interest, but now people are more in control of what they see and hear. We aren't being challenged the way we used to, in our thoughts or beliefs. We are seeing only what we want to see, and that makes for a pretty boring society--especially for people like us, who thrive on innovation and challenging the old stuff. Technology may be advancing, but we are going backwards with it.