I have attached a copy of my final in word 2003*2007 format, and below I have pasted my final. However, It reformatted it so it is not APA format anymore.




Gender Biased Marriage Laws







T*** W*****
Cominications
Phoenix
June 25, 2008

Same sex marriage is a very controversial topic, and the more it appears in the news the more heated the topic becomes. It is imperative for our society to closely regulate our laws to assure that no one is denied any basic rights while making sure that we do not infringe on any of those same right in the process. Same sex marriage will not undermine the institution of marriage or infringe on anyone’s rights; instead it will allow couples, who already actively express their sexual orientation, to enjoy the benefits of a legal union and the rights that coincide with that union. Regardless of someone’s partners gender they should be allowed to love, and marry, them if they wish to.
Purpose of Marriage
Many people, including Robert P. George and David L. Tubbs, (2006) say that “Same-sex marriage will undermine the constitution of marriage” (p. 1). However, I find this statement to be inherently false. The underlying reason for marriage is love. When two people get married they are making a commitment to their spouse to share their lives in every way possible. Commonweal (1998) claims that “The Purpose of Marriage Is Procreation” (p.1). However, I disagree with this statement. Is there any mention about bearing children in standard wedding vows? No. Children are a wonderful and amazing blessing but they are not the sole reason for marriage. If the only purpose of marriage is procreation then why do some people re-marry after the age of 40? Men can still procreate after that age, but most women cannot. According to the US Census (2004 line 14) 16.2% of married women 35-44 have never had children, and at that age probably never will. What about single or widowed parents? Is their parenting under question because they are not married? According to Commonweal marriages without children would be meaningless. Therefore, insinuating that people who are barren or decide they do not want to be responsible for raising a child are a burden to marriage, and should not be allowed to marry.
Rights of Marriage
Many people believe that same-sex marriage will encourage people to be homosexual. If this were true then it would be fair to say that heterosexual marriage would encourage people to be heterosexual. However, this is obviously inaccurate because there are homosexual people and heterosexual marriage. Homosexual people who are wishing to get married are already living a homosexual lifestyle. Despite hate crimes and other threats of severe violence homosexuals live together, raise children, and commit to monogamy. Homosexuals want the rights that are granted with a legal union. Since Homosexual marriage is still widely illegal homosexual couples are being denied rights that heterosexual couples take for granted. Homosexuals cannot have joint custody of a child. Nor can they jointly adopt children. If a homosexual partner dies without a will their partner is not granted “next of kin” and therefore has no say in funeral arrangements or the deceased finances. If a partner in a homosexual couple is either a veteran or active military than their partner is not eligible for the benefits of military spouses. (Belge, 2008). These rights are something people should have access to regardless of sexual orientation.
Monogamy
Robert P. George and David L. Tubbs (2006) claim that Homosexuals will not take marriage seriously because not all couples will remain monogamous, and therefore should not be allowed to marry. While if fact over 22% of heterosexual men and 14% of heterosexual women have cheated at least one time during his/her marriage (Infidelity 2008). Obviously some heterosexual people do not value marriage either. Does this mean that we should abolish marriage, and punish the people who do take marriage seriously? Taking a part of the sum and hold it against the majority is absurd. Plus, is it anyone’s business, other than the parties directly involved, whether someone is faithful to his/her partner? What people do in the privacy of their own residence is no one else’s business. We should not use this as a basis of our laws, unless it is in direct violation of someone else’s rights. Our laws need to be just and fair, but remain objective and unbiased. We have been successful in liberating African Americans, giving women equal rights, and creating a country where all are treated equal regardless of race, age, gender, or religion. Why then is it so hard to let Homosexuals have these same rights? Homosexuals are not asking for special privileges for marriage they are simply asking for equality.
Traditional Family
What is a traditional family? According to Burkman Skrable (1999) “[a] traditional family [consists of]—husband, wife, and natural children”. (Skrable, 1980) That may be a “traditional” marriage from 60 years ago, but families have changes. People divorce or are never married to the other parent of their children. Sometimes women do not even know who the father of their child is. Children always have and always will thrive when they are loved either by one parent, both parents, or homosexual parents. Many homosexual couples are already raising adopted children. According to Taylor Grandossy (2008) “65,000 adopted children [are] being raised by same-sex parents in the United States”. There are people who claim that children with homosexual parents will be more likely to be homosexual themselves. However, if a person takes this statement and turns it around it would be saying that having heterosexual parents would make he/she more likely to be heterosexual. This, as in marriage, is obviously untrue or people would never be homosexual. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute’s research shows that while children raised by homosexual couples are more likely to have same-sex incidents they are not anymore likely to become homosexual than children raised in heterosexual homes. Research also shows that homosexuals are no more likely to sexually abuse their children, and homosexual parents have been found to be as loving and supportive as heterosexual parents. (Evan. 2002, p.8-9)Due to the findings in these studies there is no reason homosexual couples should be denied the right to jointly parent children.
Steps in the right direction
California and Massachusetts have realized that denying homosexuals the right to marry is sexual discrimination and have legalized homosexual marriage. Massachusetts legalized homosexual marriage in November 18, 2003 (Burge, 2003), and California Legalized Homosexual marriage on May 15 2008. (Elliott Spagat in San Diego, 2008) California, however, is the only state to legalize homosexual marriage that dose not have a residency requirement to obtain a marriage license. (Elliott Spagat in San Diego, 008) This means that people who do not live in California can travel there and get married. However, the only states that have agreed to honor these marriages are New York, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. (Defenders, Unavailable) By federal law other states do not have to honor these marriages, and if the states do not honor the marriages then the couples would not be eligible for any of the legal benefits of his/her marriages. (Patrick McGreevy, 2008)
.Added Revenue
Another advantage to legalizing homosexual marriage is the added revenue from marriage licenses and marriage related items. According to a study from UCLA’s Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation over the next three years over 50,000 homosexual California residents and 68,000 out of state residents will get married. Estimated revenue from marriage licenses is estimated at $9 million dollars, and tax revenue from sales on marriage items is supposed to reach over $64 million. There will also be more than 2,200 jobs created by the wedding rush. There will be an increased demand for licenses offices clerks, florists, photographers, musicians, and many other wedding related jobs. Revenue from travel and lodging for couples and their families, and honeymoons for the newlyweds will generate much needed revenue for our economy.
Rocky Future
Although it may sound like homosexual marriage is up, running, and past the hardest parts this is not the case.. There is a new law on the November ballot in California that , if approved, will over turn the courts ruling and ban gay marriage; making all the marriages that have already taken place obsolete.(Lindenberger, 2008) There is also the question of divorce. California does not have a residence law for marriages but they do for divorces. This means that couples from out of state can go to California and get married, but in order to divorce they would have to move back to California and gain residency before. Lawyers are worried that couples will find it extremely hard to divorce if the marriage does not work out. (Press, 2008)
Homosexual marriage should be legalize and regulated by the same laws that heterosexual marriage is regulated by without special privileges. We as a society need to step up and recognize these people rights to love who they want. We should not call their union anything but what it is: a marriage between two people who are in love. To tell someone that he/she cannot marry the person that he/she loves is cruel and unusual. If a person were in love with someone from a different race that person would still be able to marry them, although some people may disapprove. There is no difference between interracial couples and homosexual couples. It may be outside the normal spectrum of marriage, but there is, and should not be any laws preventing it. It is not anyone’s place to tell a person whom he/she can and cannot love.


References

Belge, K. (2008). Lesbian Life: For Better Lesbian Sex, Relationships and Life. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from about.com:
Legal Benefits of Marriage - What are the legal benefits of marriage

Bereau, U. C. (June 2004). Table 3, Children Ever Born per 1,000 women and percent
childless by race, Hispanic Origin, Nativity Status, and Marital Status. U.S. Census
Bearu. Fertility of American Women: June 2002 - Detailed Tables.

Burge, K. (2003, November 11). SJC: Gay marriage legal in Mass. Retrieved June 23, 2008
, from The Boston Globe:
Boston.com / News / Local / Mass. / SJC: Gay marriage legal in Mass.

Commonweal. (n.d.). The Purpose of Marriage Is Procreation. At Issue: Gay. (T. L. Roleff, Ed.) San Diego.

Defenders, G. &. (Unavailable). How to Get Married in Massachusetts. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from GLAD Equil Justice Under Law: hhttp://www.glad.org/marriage/howtogetmarried.html

Elliott Spagat in San Diego, G. F. (008, June 17). Wedding bells ring for gay couples in California. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Yahoo News: Wedding bells ring for gay couples in California - Yahoo! News

Grandossy, T. (2007). Gay adoption: A new take on the American Family. Retrieved May 4,
2008, from CNN.com:
Gay adoption: A new take on the American family - CNN.com

GTubbs, R. P. (n.d.). Opposing Viewpoints. Same-Sex Marriage. Will Undermine the Intuitions of Marriage . (M. E. Williams, Ed.) Detroi.

Institute, T. E. (2002). Adoption by Lesbians and Gays: A National Survey of Adoption Agency Policies, Practices, and Attitudes. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from Institute, The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption:
THE EVAN B. DONALDSON ADOPTION INSTITUTE

Jose, L. E. (2008, June 10). Gay Marriage Could Boost California Economy. (Associated Press) Retrieved June 24, 2008, from Fox 40New Sacramento California:
Gay Marriage Could Boost California Economy | News | FOX40 KTXL

Lindenberger, M. A. (2008, June 17). From Gay Marriage's Ground Zero. Retrieved June 24, 2008, from Yahoo News:
From Gay Marriage's Ground Zero - Yahoo! News

Patrick McGreevy, R.-G. L.-P.-O.-F. (2008, May 16). California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban. (Times staff writers) Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Los Angeles Times:
Gay marriage: California Supreme Court overturns ban - Los Angeles Times

Press, T. A. (2008, June 16). Same-Sex Marriages In Calif. To Affect Other States. Retrieved 23 June, 2008, from 365Gay.com:
Gay News From 365Gay.com

Skrable, B. (1999). Society Should Not Allow Same-Sex Marriage. Opposing Viewpoints:
Homosexuality . (M. E. Williams, Ed.) Greenhaven.

Unknown. (2008). WomanSavers.com. Retrieved June 8, 2008, from Infidelity Statistics:
Infidelity Statistics, Cheating Spouse Statistics - WomanSavers

T*** W*****
Communications
Phoenix
June 25, 2008

Same sex marriage is a very controversial topic, and the more it appears in the news the more heated the topic becomes. It is imperative for our society to closely regulate our laws to assure that no one is denied any basic rights ; while also making sure that we do not infringe on any of those same rights in the process. Same sex marriage will not undermine the institution of marriage or infringe on anyone’s rights; instead it will allow couples, who already actively express their sexual orientation, to enjoy the benefits of a legal union and the rights that coincide with that union. Regardless of a partner's gender they should be allowed to love and marry them if they wish to. (removed comma after love, comma after marry)
Purpose of Marriage
Many people--including Robert P. George and David L. Tubbs (2006)--say that “Same-sex marriage will undermine the constitution of marriage” (p. 1). However, I find this statement to be inherently false. The underlying reason for marriage is love of one's partner. When two people get married they are making a commitment to their spouse to share their lives in every way possible. Commonweal (1998) claims that “The Purpose of Marriage Is Procreation” (p.1). However, I disagree with this statement. Is there any mention about bearing children in standard wedding vows? No. Children are a wonderful and amazing blessing but they are not the sole reason for marriage. If the only purpose of marriage is procreation then why do some people re-marry after the age of 40? Men can still procreate after that age, but most women cannot. (Might wanna rethink this argument, it's becoming increasingly proven wrong)According to the US Census (2004 line 14) 16.2% of married women 35-44 have never had children, and at that age probably never will. What about single or widowed parents? Is their parenting under question because they are not married? According to Commonweal marriages without children would be meaningless. Therefore (removed this comma) insinuating that people who are barren or decide they do not want to be responsible for raising a child are a burden to marriage, and should not be allowed to marry.
Rights of Marriage
Many people believe that same-sex marriage will encourage people to be homosexual. If this were true then it would be fair to say that heterosexual marriage would encourage people to be heterosexual. However, this is obviously inaccurate because there are homosexual people and heterosexual marriage. Homosexual people who are wishing to get married are already living a homosexual lifestyle. Despite hate crimes and other threats of severe violence, homosexuals live together, raise children, and commit to monogamy. Homosexuals want the rights that are granted with a legal union. Since homosexual marriage is still widely illegal, homosexual couples are being denied rights that heterosexual couples take for granted. Homosexuals cannot have joint custody of a child. Nor can they jointly adopt children. If a homosexual partner dies without a will their partner is not granted “next of kin”, and therefore has no say in funeral arrangements or the deceased's finances. If a person in a homosexual partnership is either a veteran or active military REMOVETHAN their partner is not eligible for the benefits awarded military spouses. (Belge, 2008). These rights should be afforded to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.
Monogamy
Robert P. George and David L. Tubbs (2006) claim that homosexuals will not take marriage seriously because not all couples will remain monogamous, and therefore should not be allowed to marry. While , in fact, over 22% of heterosexual men and 14% of heterosexual women have cheated at least one time during his/her marriage (Infidelity 2008). Obviously some heterosexual people do not value marriage remove either. Does this mean that we should abolish marriage, and punish the people who do take marriage seriously? Taking a part of the sum and holding it against the majority is absurd. Plus, is it anyone’s business, other than the parties directly involved, whether someone is faithful to his/her partner? What people do in the privacy of their own residence is no one else’s business. Last two sentences are repeats of each other We should not use this as a basis for our laws, unless it (unclear what 'it' is) is in direct violation of someone else’s rights. Our laws need to be just and fair, yet remain objective and unbiased. We (who is we? American government?)have been successful in liberating African Americans, giving women equal rights, and creating a country where all are treated equal regardless of race, age, gender, or religion. Why then is it so hard to let homosexuals have these same rights? Homosexuals are not asking for special privileges for marriage, they are simply asking for equality.
Traditional Family
What is a traditional family? According to Burkman Skrable (1999) “[a] traditional family [consists of]—husband, wife, and natural children”. (Skrable, 1980) That may be a “traditional” marriage from 60 years ago, but traditions have changed. People divorce or never marry the other parent of their children. Sometimes women do not even know who the father of their child is. Children always have and always will thrive when they are loved either by one parent, both parents, or homosexual parents. Many homosexual couples are already raising adopted children. According to Taylor Grandossy (2008) “65,000 adopted children [are] being raised by same-sex parents in the United States”. There are people who claim that children with homosexual parents will be more likely to be homosexual themselves. However, if a person takes this statement and turns it around would it not imply that having heterosexual parents would make a person more likely to be heterosexual. This remove=,as in marriage, is obviously untrue or there would be no homosexuals. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute’s research shows that while children raised by homosexual couples are more likely to have same-sex incidents they are not anymore likely to become homosexual than children raised in heterosexual homes. Research also shows that homosexuals are no more likely to sexually abuse their children, and homosexual parents have been found to be as loving and supportive as heterosexual parents. (Evan. 2002, p.8-9)Due to the findings in these studies there is no reason homosexual couples should be denied the right to jointly parent children.
Steps in the right direction
California and Massachusetts have realized that denying homosexuals the right to marry is sexual discrimination and have legalized homosexual marriage. Massachusetts legalized homosexual marriage in November 18, 2003 (Burge, 2003), and California legalized homosexual marriage on May 15 2008. (Elliott Spagat in San Diego, 2008) California, however, is the only state to legalize homosexual marriage yet does not have a residency requirement to obtain a marriage license. (Elliott Spagat in San Diego, 008) This means that people who do not live in California can travel there and get married. However, the only states that have agreed to honor these marriages are New York, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. (Defenders, Unavailable) By federal law other states do not have to honor these marriages, and if the states do not honor the marriages then the couples would not be eligible for any of the legal benefits within the marriage. (Patrick McGreevy, 2008)
.Added Revenue
Another advantage to legalizing homosexual marriage is the added revenue from marriage licenses and marriage related items. According to a study from UCLA’s Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation over the next three years over 50,000 homosexual California residents and 68,000 out of state residents will get married. Estimated revenue from marriage licenses is estimated at $9 million dollars, and tax revenue from sales on marriage items is supposed to reach over $64 million. There will also be more than 2,200 jobs created by the wedding rush. There will be an increased demand for licensing office clerks, florists, photographers, musicians, and many other wedding related jobs. Revenue from travel and lodging for couples and their families, and honeymoons for the newlyweds will generate much needed revenue for our economy.
Rocky Future
Although it may sound like homosexual marriage is up, running, and past the hardest parts this is not the case.. There is a new law on the November ballot in California that , if approved, will over turn the courts ruling and ban gay marriage; making all the marriages that have already taken place obsolete.(Lindenberger, 2008) There is also the question of divorce. California does not have a residence law for marriages but they do for divorces. This means that couples from out of state can go to California and get married, but in order to divorce they would have to move back to California and gain residency before. Lawyers are worried that couples will find it extremely hard to divorce if the marriage does not work out. (Press, 2008)
Homosexual marriage should be legalize and regulated by the same laws that heterosexual marriage is regulated by without special privileges. We as a society need to step up and recognize these people's rights to love who they want. We should not call their union anything but what it is: a marriage between two people who are in love. To tell someone that he/she cannot marry the person that he/she loves is cruel and unusual. If a person were in love with someone from a different race that person would still be able to marry them, although some remove people may disapprove. There is no difference between interracial couples and homosexual couples. It may be outside the normal spectrum of marriage there should not be any laws preventing it. It is not anyone’s place to tell a person whom he/she can or cannot love.

T*** W*****
Communications
Phoenix
June 25, 2008

Same sex marriage is a controversial topic, the more it appears in the news the more heated the topic becomes. It is imperative for our society to closely regulate our laws to ensure that no one is denied any basic rights, while simultaneously making sure that we do not infringe on any other rights in the process. I believe that same sex marriage will not undermine the institution of marriage or infringe on anyone’s rights; instead it will allow couples, who already actively express their sexual orientation, to enjoy the benefits of a legal union and the rights associated with that union. Regardless of a partner's gender they should be allowed to love and marry if they wish to.

Purpose of Marriage
Many people, including Robert P. George and David L. Tubbs, (2006) have said that “Same-sex marriage will undermine the constitution of marriage” (p. 1). However, I find this statement inherently false as the underlying reason for marriage is love. When two people get married they are making a commitment to their spouse to share their lives in every way possible. Commonweal (1998) claims that “The purpose of marriage is procreation” (p.1). However, I disagree with this statement as there is no mention of childbearing in standard wedding vows. Children are a wonderful and amazing blessing but they are not the sole reason for marriage. If the only purpose of marriage is procreation, then why do some people re-marry after the age of 40? Men are still fertile after that age, but most women are not. According to the US Census (2004 line 14) 16.2% of married women 35-44 have never had children and at that age probably never will. What about single or widowed parents? Is their parenting under question because they are not married? According to Commonweal, marriages without children would be meaningless. Therefore, insinuating that people who are childless or do not want to be responsible for raising a child are a burden to marriage, and should not be allowed to marry.

Rights of Marriage
Many people believe that same-sex marriage will encourage people to be homosexual. If this were true then it would be fair to say that heterosexual marriage would encourage people to be heterosexual. This is obviously wrong because there are homosexual people and heterosexual marriage. Homosexual people who are wishing to get married are already living a homosexual lifestyle. Despite hate crimes and other threats of severe violence homosexuals live together, raise children, and are monogamous. Homosexuals want the rights that are granted with a legal union. Since homosexual marriage is still widely illegal, homosexual couples are being denied rights that heterosexual couples take for granted. Homosexuals cannot have joint custody of a child. Nor can they jointly adopt children. If a homosexual partner dies without a will their partner is not granted “next of kin” and therefore has no say in funeral arrangements or the deceased finances. If a partner in a homosexual couple is either a veteran or active in the military than their partner is not eligible for the same benefits as military spouses. (Belge, 2008). These rights are something people should have access to regardless of sexual orientation.

Monogamy
Robert P. George and David L. Tubbs (2006) claim that homosexuals will not take marriage seriously because not all couples remain monogamous, and therefore should not be allowed to marry. While in fact over 22% of heterosexual men and 14% of heterosexual women have cheated at least one time during their marriage (Infidelity 2008). Obviously some heterosexual people do not value marriage either. Does this mean that we should abolish marriage, and punish the people who do take marriage seriously? Taking a part of the sum and holding it against the majority is absurd. Plus, is it anyone’s business, other than the parties directly involved, whether someone is faithful to his or her partner? What people do in the privacy of their own residence is no one else’s business. This should not be used as a basis of our laws, unless it is in direct violation of someone else’s rights. Our laws need to be just and fair, but remain objective and unbiased. We have been successful in liberating African Americans, giving women equal rights, and creating a country where all are treated equal regardless of race, age, gender, or religion. Why then is it so hard to let homosexuals have these same rights? Homosexuals are not asking for special privileges for marriage they are simply asking for equality.

Traditional Family
What is a traditional family? According to Burkman Skrable (1999) “[a] traditional family [consists of]—husband, wife, and natural children”. (Skrable, 1980) That may be a “traditional” marriage from 60 years ago, but families have changed. People divorce or are never married to the other parent of their children. Sometimes women do not even know who the father of their child is. Children always have and always will thrive when they are loved either by one parent, both parents, or homosexual parents. Many homosexual couples are already raising adopted children. According to Taylor Grandossy (2008) “65,000 adopted children [are] being raised by same-sex parents in the United States”. There are people who claim that children with homosexual parents will be more likely to be homosexual themselves. However, if a person takes this statement and turns it around it would be saying that having heterosexual parents would make he/she more likely to be heterosexual. This, as in marriage, is obviously untrue or people would never be homosexual. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute’s research shows that while children raised by homosexual couples are more likely to have same-sex incidents they are not anymore likely to become homosexual than children raised in heterosexual homes. Research also shows that homosexuals are no more likely to sexually abuse their children, and homosexual parents have been found to be as loving and supportive as heterosexual parents. (Evan. 2002, p.8-9)Due to the findings in these studies there is no reason homosexual couples should be denied the right to jointly parent children.

Steps in the right direction
California and Massachusetts have realized that denying homosexuals the right to marry is sexual discrimination and have legalized homosexual marriage. Massachusetts legalized homosexual marriage in November 18, 2003 (Burge, 2003), and California Legalized Homosexual marriage on May 15 2008. (Elliott Spagat in San Diego, 2008) California, however, is the only state to legalize homosexual marriage that does not have a residency requirement to obtain a marriage license. (Elliott Spagat in San Diego, 008) This means that people who do not live in California can travel there and get married. However, the only states that have agreed to honor these marriages are New York, Rhode Island, and New Mexico. (Defenders, Unavailable) By federal law other states do not have to honor these marriages, and if the states do not honor the marriages then the couples would not be eligible for any of the legal benefits of his/her marriages. (Patrick McGreevy, 2008)

Added Revenue
Another advantage to legalizing homosexual marriage is the added revenue from marriage licenses and marriage related items. According to a study from UCLA’s Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation over the next three years over 50,000 homosexual California residents and 68,000 out of state residents will get married. Estimated revenue from marriage licenses is estimated at $9 million dollars, and tax revenue from sales on marriage items is supposed to reach over $64 million. There will also be more than 2,200 jobs created by the wedding rush. There will be an increased demand for licenses offices clerks, florists, photographers, musicians, and many other wedding related jobs. Revenue from travel and lodging for couples and their families, and honeymoons for the newlyweds will generate much needed revenue for our economy.

Rocky Future
Although it may sound like homosexual marriage is up, running, and past the hardest parts this is not the case. There is a new law on the November ballot in California that if approved, will overturn the courts' ruling and ban gay marriage; making all the marriages that have already taken place obsolete.(Lindenberger, 2008) There is also the question of divorce. California does not have a residence law for marriages but they do for divorces. This means that couples from out of state can go to California and get married, but in order to divorce they would have to move back to California and gain residency before. Lawyers are worried that couples will find it extremely hard to divorce if the marriage does not work out. (Press, 2008)

Homosexual marriage should be legalized and regulated by the same laws that heterosexual marriage is regulated by without special privileges. We as a society need to step up and recognize these people rights to love who they want. We should not call their union anything but what it is: a marriage between two people who are in love. To tell someone that he/she cannot marry the person that he/she loves is cruel and unusual. If a person were in love with someone from a different race that person would still be able to marry them, although some people may disapprove. There is no difference between interracial couples and homosexual couples. It may be outside the normal spectrum of marriage, but there are and should not be, any laws preventing it. It is not anyone’s place to tell a person whom he/she can and cannot love.


References

Belge, K. (2008). Lesbian Life: For Better Lesbian Sex, Relationships and Life. Retrieved May 25, 2008, from about.com:
Legal Benefits of Marriage - What are the legal benefits of marriage

Bereau, U. C. (June 2004). Table 3, Children Ever Born per 1,000 women and percent
childless by race, Hispanic Origin, Nativity Status, and Marital Status. U.S. Census
Bearu. Fertility of American Women: June 2002 - Detailed Tables.

Burge, K. (2003, November 11). SJC: Gay marriage legal in Mass. Retrieved June 23, 2008
, from The Boston Globe:
Boston.com / News / Local / Mass. / SJC: Gay marriage legal in Mass.

Commonweal. (n.d.). The Purpose of Marriage Is Procreation. At Issue: Gay. (T. L. Roleff, Ed.) San Diego.

Defenders, G. &. (Unavailable). How to Get Married in Massachusetts. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from GLAD Equil Justice Under Law: hhttp://www.glad.org/marriage/howtogetmarried.html

Elliott Spagat in San Diego, G. F. (008, June 17). Wedding bells ring for gay couples in California. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Yahoo News: Wedding bells ring for gay couples in California - Yahoo! News

Grandossy, T. (2007). Gay adoption: A new take on the American Family. Retrieved May 4,
2008, from CNN.com:
Gay adoption: A new take on the American family - CNN.com

GTubbs, R. P. (n.d.). Opposing Viewpoints. Same-Sex Marriage. Will Undermine the Intuitions of Marriage . (M. E. Williams, Ed.) Detroi.

Institute, T. E. (2002). Adoption by Lesbians and Gays: A National Survey of Adoption Agency Policies, Practices, and Attitudes. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from Institute, The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption:
THE EVAN B. DONALDSON ADOPTION INSTITUTE

Jose, L. E. (2008, June 10). Gay Marriage Could Boost California Economy. (Associated Press) Retrieved June 24, 2008, from Fox 40New Sacramento California:
Gay Marriage Could Boost California Economy | News | FOX40 KTXL

Lindenberger, M. A. (2008, June 17). From Gay Marriage's Ground Zero. Retrieved June 24, 2008, from Yahoo News:
From Gay Marriage's Ground Zero - Yahoo! News

Patrick McGreevy, R.-G. L.-P.-O.-F. (2008, May 16). California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban. (Times staff writers) Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Los Angeles Times:
Gay marriage: California Supreme Court overturns ban - Los Angeles Times

Press, T. A. (2008, June 16). Same-Sex Marriages In Calif. To Affect Other States. Retrieved 23 June, 2008, from 365Gay.com:
Gay News From 365Gay.com

Skrable, B. (1999). Society Should Not Allow Same-Sex Marriage. Opposing Viewpoints:
Homosexuality . (M. E. Williams, Ed.) Greenhaven.

Unknown. (2008). WomanSavers.com. Retrieved June 8, 2008, from Infidelity Statistics:
Infidelity Statistics, Cheating Spouse Statistics - WomanSavers

proofread and modified...
hope this helps.

hope this helps

Thanks so much for your help. I always have a problem when I proof read. I hear what I want it to say not what it actually says.

The work above mine was probably a little more accurate than mine I missed one or two of what redneck mama found.

I am just so glad I found this web site. I get so stressed over finals. I have a 4.0 and really want to keep it that but I struggle in English a bit. Especially with commas and semicolons. Thanks for all your help. Oh and do I have to cite any of your guy's help?

I still see a lot of spaces that are missing commas, misplaced modifiers, and too-long sentences.