Yey to Marrwage!

I think this example is very relevant to the subject f same sex marriage. When the Justices were trying to figure out what role marriage plays in a society, they examined the four attributes a marriage should have,and they figured that marriage can't be denied by the government because it's so important. I thank he uses this example rhetorically because after he explains the situation of the individuals who were denied the right to get married, he reveals that they were prisoners. But now or in that particular instance, prisoners are now allowed to marry. So then it raises the question well why can't homosexuals?" It's as if homosexuals ave been placed under the status of a criminal.What they are doing is so wrong that felons have more of a right to legal binding than they do.

No no To Marrwage!

In his metaphor about the two planes, Dr. Wade Horn is trying to make the reader understand how a child growing up in a single parent home compares to a child who grows up in a two parent home. The plane that reaches its destination safely, signifies how children growing up in a two parent home are more times than not, going to end up being successful. The other plane gets to it destination, but definitely less often than the other one. This signifies children who grow up in single parent homes that can turn out to be successful, but usually less often than a two parent household.

Bashing by Appearance

I feel like Vasquez discloses the sexual orientation of Mickey and Brian, after she explains what happened to them, for effect. When I was first reading their stories I was thinking "oh well they must have gotten beaten up by gaybashers because they were gay". No way am I saying that that was right for those people to do that, but I thought the bashers thought Mickey and Brian were gay because they saw stereotypical "gay" characteristics in the two men. But when Vasquez said that both men were attacked were straight I thought, "whoa, wait a minute". It just showed me that people stereotype things as gay or lesbian characteristics, and if people deviate from any of the "normal" perceived characteristics that a man or woman should have, then they are placed under a label. Anyone, no matter of sexual orientation, can be hurt by these false perceptions.

Lessons Learned

Do all your chores before you do anything with your friends;don't put perfume or anything with perfume on your skin, because you know you breakout; Don't ever stay in an abusive relationship; don't ever let a man hit you; stand up for what you believe in, you need to wear a dress to church;"But I want to wear my basketball shorts and t-shirt"; I don't care, you need to look like a little girl; fix your hair and put lipgloss on when you go out; when you go to an even that's not very important you don't have to worry about looking nice; don't let little boys feel up on you, if one does, have the backbone to say stop; don't be alone with a boy in his room; "But he's just my friend, I don't like him"; it doesn't matter, he's still a boy and they only have one thing on their minds;make sure you wash everyday; make sure you eat green vegetables, because those are the best for you; you don't need to date, but you need to court; "But I'm almost 18 years old"; it doens't matter; you shouldn't drink; you shouldn't drink and drive; you shouldn't go to parties where there's drinking; you should go to parties where there's provocative dancing and all those girls are grinding up all in those boys' crotches; go to church.

Frontiersmen!

Obviously, Elizabeth Gilbert thinks Eustace Conway is the last American man because he lives in the woods. duh. But what else makes him the last American man you may wonder? Well Gilbert says that Eustace is not only living in nature, but he's also one with it. He thinks, breathes, and has kind of become nature. His ideals are mostly centered around nature and how to survive as the men who lived so long ago in this country when it was new, fresh, and untouched. Eustace is by no means a moder man in the sense that he has not become European. He is totally self sufficient if he wants to be, he has the capability to make, fix, or do anything from his hands, and he gets mostly everything he needs from nature itself. He is not dependant on electronics to get things done, he believes in hard, honest work, and hasn't grased onto the notion that women aren't always going to be submissive. He is still thinking in circles, not in boxes. Eustace doesn't have the sentimental value that a lot of people have now a days, becuse he is still like those first settlers who did anything, and everything that it took to survive. No matter how grotesque or unpleasant, Eustace Conway got what needed to be done regardless. He isn't weak.

Women vs. Men

According to Tocqueville, the American view towards women is that american society has divided men's and women's roles so that the society can function a lot better. They believe that everything has a head of the family or business, and that men are naturally assumed to be that head. Specifically, the roles of women are not to carry on with business outside of the home, and aren't expected to, be a part of political life, or do a lot of laborious things in the field. This contrasts European women because in Europe women and men are viewed as being alike, and are given the same roles for their duties, are granted the same rights , and desegregate them so that both sexes are mixed together in pleasure business, and occupation. American women also take a lot more pride in subjugating themselves to authority, and don't see it as degrading and being forced under a "master". Women also are not as complimented by men as they are in Europe, but they are also regarded as equals in the sense that women's minds are just as fit as mens. Unlike American women, European women are very much complimented by european men and sort of preyed upon. In this sense, women aren't really seen as equals because they are lavished upon. European women are also able to display their futility, feebleness, and timidity, whereas the american woman would think of can't do that. In America, rape is viewed as one of the most horrible things that can happen to a woman because it strips her of her independence, but in Europe the predator is given a much milder sentence.
I think Tocqueville is saying that American social changes are allowing women to be more equal to men.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

When I was little one of my favorite story was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I think everyone pretty much knows that story, but for those of you who don't it goes like this. Goldilocks in this girl who goes into the woods and then finds this house and knocks on the door. No one answers so she goes right into the house. Then throughout the house she sees things like porridge, which she eats, chairs, which she sits on, and then beds, that she ends up falling asleep on. While she was sleeping the bears who live there come home and find that someone has eaten their porridge, sat in their chairs, and finally they find Goldilocks asleep on their bed. So Goldilocks wakes up and she sees then and screams, then runs out of the house.
What I think this story teaches about my gender is that we're curious and might walk into a dangerous situation if we're not careful. At the end when Goldilocks wakes up in the bed she screams and runs out of the house. I guess that shows that girl's won't stay and fight their own battles and won't be the hero of the story, but more likely foolish.

Nature

Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile. Emerson is saying that if stars were to come out one every 1000 years, then we, the human race, would appreciate them a lot more than we do now. Because we see them all the time they have become mundane, common place for us. When they announce that a solar eclipse is going to happen or you see a shooting star, we get excited about that because they don't happen very often. But if they were an everyday thing then no one would think anything of it.

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit . To a man laboring under calamity, the heat of his own fire hath sadness in it. Then, there is a kind of contempt of the landscape felt by him who has just lost by death a dear friend. The sky is less grand as it shuts down over less worth in the population. I think that Emerson is saying that when we have a bad day or something happens that isn't good, nature feels what we feel almost. We don't appreciate it as much anymore.