Women and Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Women and Terrorism - Essay Example Once so defined, those affected may become international lepers. Hence the nature of their movement; its objectives, ideology, and historical reason for being will be dismissed out of hand. The second stage in the 20th century transformation of terrorism was the growth of state sponsorship. Historically, the representation of women increases during the second wave of terrorism, although it is never very high. Also, the proportion of "supporters" relative to "regulars" and "leaders" grows in the second wave. Yet when researchers look at their places of birth and adult residence, the case for the diffusion of neo-Fascist terrorism by expansion weakens (Mason 37). Measured both in terms of where they were born and resided the early neo-Fascists were a more geographically dispersed collection of people than the later ones. So far as the terrorists' gender is concerned, somewhat surprisingly the late leftists did not show a statistically significant increase in female representation as against the early contingent (Mason 38). There is a shift, however, in the kinds of women who appear during the second period. The data suggest an increase in the proportion of married women who participated in the left-wing groups. The most famous [women terrorist] is Ulrike... Furthermore, second generation women were more likely to play leadership roles in these groups than were women who joined the earlier formations. Palestinian women terrorist leadership has been sufficiently successful that it may have provided at least some motivation for the September 11 attacks. States which are unable to confront their enemies conventionally have provided every imaginable assistance to terrorist groups in order to weaken their enemies physically or morally. Although the original acts of Palestinian terror have brought some international condemnation upon the perpetrators, Israeli responses have resulted in even worse condemnation for Israel (Bassam 83). Formal U.N. reprimands weaken Israel's moral position, which affects its relations with the U.S. Government. Ironically, the attacks have not weakened the Israelis physically; if anything, the attacks have moved the Israelis to new levels of proficiency in eradicating the threat. A crucial factor in the rise to prominence of the women participation has been the evolution of modes of violent behavior over time. If violence is viewed as an ongoing component in human relationships, rather than as a moral consideration, it is clear that the eras of conventional warfare and, in turn, nuclear warfare, have been respectively organized, institutionalized, and for the most part deterred (with no guarantee over future breakdowns) (Neuberger and Valentini 24). As persons have devised capabilities to deal with these forms of violence, it is not surprising that advocates of violence have turned to unconventional forms of warfare-first guerrilla warfare (liberation movements), and eventually to

Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Essay - Assignment Example The Cold War was characterized by increased tensions between America and Russia, and military advancements characterized each other’s agenda in dominating world affairs. Therefore, Solnits arguments elicit praise and criticism of this period in almost equal measure, but are apparent America realized its objective after decisive sacrifices. My primal reason for reading this chapter is to comprehend and understand numerous events in society that have shaped human conditions in the world. It was possible by reading Solnit’s work to understand the unique features of Silicon Valley, as she notes â€Å"Finding the landscape of Silicon Valley isn’t as easy as getting the subdivisions and freeway exits and industrial parks.† When Langdon Winner wrote a profile of Silicon Valley a few years ago, he reached for the Winchester Mystery House as its Emblem. It is an obvious one in a region whose other landmarks are scarce (Solnit 52). Consequently, I agree with Solnit on the difficulty of finding the landscape of Silicon Valley. Increased military operations have transformed the valley into an area of underground military bases, tunnels, and activities. The physical landscape of Silicon Valley is deceiving because even though one can see decaying emblems like the Winchester Mystery house, it is apparent many m ore buildings, and facilities characterize the valley’s landscape. Her arguments about Silicon Valley significantly transformed my perception about a landscape, and I discovered that even underground features in the area are part of its landscape. Moreover, the difficulty in finding the landscape of Silicon Valley led to my second reason for reading this text, which was to comprehend and understand Solnit’s comparison of Silicon Valley with a maze. After understanding why the author compares Silicon Valley with a maze, I critically analyzed this comparison to understand this inevitable metaphor clearly and easily. Advances in technology,

Hacking; dangerous effects on the society

Hacking; dangerous effects on the society Abstract Hacking is just like a cancer that has very dangerous effects on the society. Today in this modern world, where measures have been taken to improve the security level in the distributed systems hackers have found a way to crack into systems and take away information. In this paper, I will explain you few aspects of hacking that has caused of its existence and few techniques through which we can minimise this. What are the different issues and motivations that arise in a person that he opts for hacking? Is money, thrill or something to break the rules inspires the hacker to indulge into such acts are discussed in this paper. This paper also gives you an insight to consider how important the network security plays to avoid hackers to steal away information that is very confidential. Measures are to be taken in order to remove these possibilities. In recent years we have seen a drastic change in the field of IT, where electronic commerce, email, online shopping, online banking, information bank of numerous data, software development has improved leaps and bounds. As the technology has increased to new heights the hackers have found a way to get easy money. They find ways to get into government confidential files, personal banking details, steal away their money from the banks, implant a Trojan or virus into different computers to make them vulnerable to work. In this paper I have thrown some light on hackers skills, their perspective, their targets. Introduction Hacking according to oxford dictionary means to gain unauthorized access (to data in a computer). Banks defines hacking as something that boring mainframe computer operators did to improve performance and battle boredom. [1]. Here a bank focuses on boredom as the reason of hacking. Darlington believes hacking is not limited to accessing data or information but also includes an attack on the privacy of all people [5]. Almost all different opinions agree on the illegality of hacking. On the other hand the word hacker is the agent of hack or hacking and it was defined as a person who enjoys accessing files whether for fun, imposing power or the interest related to the accessed files or data according to Taylor [8]. While Marotta has a negative view of the hacker as a data lord, a barbarian who takes what he wants [9]. Himanen defines hacker as any person who performs illegal actions whether they were related to computer or not which means the usage of a device apart from its functionality. Seems hacking according to Himanen is related to any illegal or unauthorized action [7]. Clear from the definitions mentioned above that there is a controversy that encounters the judgment and definition of hacking, controversy aroused because its hard to decide exactly what the aim is behind hacking or how to know the mentality of the hacker. Thats why the ethics and motivation of hackers should be paid attention and discussed then understanding the hacker will be much easier. Who is the hacker? According to Taylor, Hacker can be anyone who has knowledge of things; he can be a graduate or a computer professional working at a multinational company. He can be one amongst us. A is part of the society, a computer professional who wants to use technology for his own benefit [11]. Hackers are experts and professional people who first enjoy the technology and through research and development they gain more interest and you never know when this curiosity of technology changes into crime. People must realise that the technology is good lest it is used for the countries benefit, but it has adverse affect when things turn upside down, that the hackers learn this technique in order to gain profits for themselves through illegal ways. Levy described hackers in regard to the history; she divided the life history of hackers into three generations: the first generation of hacking was made of experts of computer programming who never stopped improving their skills then misuse them, the secon d generation was made of computer hardware developers who found hacking and accessing data and information for free as an appealing idea while the third generation included developers of games architecture [8]. And I think the fourth generation of developers are those who know about computers and have just enough knowledge about computer programming. Pipkin classification of hackers depends on the functionality, in other words the classification depends on the way hacker interacts with what is being hacked. Hackers were classified into three different types; the first type is called In-house hacker. An in-house hackers actually works inside the company, who knows the system security, has access to all the features. His motivation to hacking might be because he wasnt recognised as a potential candidate for promotion or because he was betrayed by his fellow colleagues. The second type of hackers is a super hacker who doesnt interact with the system, but remotely monitors all the movements or the data transactions that are going on and depending on the situation and the amount of money that is being transferred he then changes that transaction into his account. And finally, comes the professional hacker, he is very strong and capable of getting any type of data from anywhere, he has the ability to manipulate things and change them t o his benefit, programming Trojans and software that get installed on the system through hidden window and then sits on the system[10]. Motivations behind Hacking: Hackers psychology and the fuel that encourages him/her to perform such illegal activities, also because hackers view about what they are doing is far different from our views as victims Furnell ([6] Pipkin, in his paper Halting the hacker, says the challenging part of the hackers personality as the biggest motivation; this means that the hacker feels the joy and excitement when hacking systems that are provided with the almost perfect security tools [10]. One of the main reasons for hacking is excitement where hackers find adrenalin rush to break the law, to find an easy access to earn money by hacking crucial information of the customers by creating unreal shopping websites and obtaining payment details, credit card details. Furnell judged hackers depending on the harm they cause whatever was their motivation, because hacking is a disease and should be removed so that the effect of hacker attacks will be minimized [6]. The motivations behind hacking are an issue that is discussed heavily due to the importance of understanding the An ethical hacker attempts to duplicate the intent and actions of malicious hackers without causing harm. Ethical hackers conduct penetration tests to determine what an attacker can find out about an information system, whether a hacker can gain and maintain access to the system, and whether the hackers tracks can be successfully covered without being detected. The ethical hacker operates with the permission and knowledge of the organization they are trying to defend and tries to find weaknesses in the information system that can be exploited. In some cases, to test the effectiveness of their information system security team, an organization will not inform their team of the ethical hackers activities. This situation is referred to as operating in a double blind environment. To operate effectively, the ethical hacker must be informed of the assets that should be protected, potential threat sources, and the extent to which the organization will support the ethical hackers efforts. Hacker and Ethical Hacker Characteristics and Operation: Hackers can be categorized into the three general classes of black hats, gray hats, and white hats. A black hat hacker or cracker has the necessary computing expertise to carry out harmful attacks on information systems. A gray hat is a hacker with a split personality. At times, this individual will not break the law and, in fact, might help to defend a network. At other times, the gray hat hacker reverts to black hat activities. The white hat individual usually has exceptional computer skills and uses his or her abilities to increase the security posture of information systems and defend them from malicious attacks. This individual might be an information security consultant or security analyst. Entities that perform ethical hacking functions for organizations usually fall into one of three categories: white hats, former black hats, and independent consulting organizations. The white hat ethical hacker has the appropriate computer skills and understanding of the black hat hacker mentality and methods. This person might be an independent consultant hired to perform ethical hacking activities. The former black hat hacker is, we might hope, reformed and brings actual black hat experience to his or her work. There is a concern about this individual in that you can never be certain that he or she will not revert to their former malicious activities. The third category of ethical hacker is taken by consulting companies that perform a variety of services for organizations including accounting, auditing, and information system security. Related Types of Computer Crime and attack: Different kind of hacking attacks are considered as computer crimes. The following is the list of crimes which are committed frequently: Password Hacking. Hackers find a way to illegally hack into the passwords of users of federal bureau, banks in order to gain benefits from them. Network intrusions. Malicious Trojan, worms and viruses to gain access into the information systems. Cheat. Illegal use of people identities such as credit card details. Software piracy. Illegal copying and use of software Viruses. Viruses, Trojan horses and worm cause the computers to become more vulnerable and susceptible to hardware damage. IP address spoofing. Disguising the IP address and using that to gain illegal access into countries most confidential files. Money Laundering Illegally acquiring funds through the manipulation and falsification of financial statements and illegal transactions. Data-modification. The modifying all the data. Smuggling of files. Gain illegal access of confidential files including bodies like military/government networks, communication systems, power grids, and the financial community Pipkin lists a number of hacking attacks that are most commonly used in breaking system and causing disruption and damage for services. These attacks can be summarized as following [10]: Software piracy is a criminal offense. Many hackers have indulged in making copies of software and selling them to gain profits on their own. The companies who develop these software will have to bare all the losses only because of someone who is illegally misusing software. Stealing confidential files through illegal access of the companies most confidential files. Hackers have many such motives, few of them like denial of services to the user and to make hardware conflict, making unwanted popup, causing trouble, terrorism. Taylor listed the main characteristics of hacking attacks in three points [8]: Simplicity: means that the attack should be simple in appearance but the effects are impressive and the results will be as pleasing to the hacker as what he planned for. It means that do your job in a smart and easy way. Mastery: the methods used in hacking contain sophisticated knowledge which is difficult for anyone to understand. The reason behind mastery is to make sure that the hacker is the only one who can solve the problem being caused. Illicitness: means that the act is against all rules and laws. Conclusion: Earlier hackers were considered to be genius because they helped in many ways in the development of computers and internet technology as such, but in this modern world where personal benefit has played a major importance in ones life, people are often attracted to things they can do and gain through illegal entry into people privacy and using for their own benefits. Different motivations and opinions have been discussed in this paper, but if we consider them as a person they are a live example of genius because of their abilities of doing the unbelievable and unachievable by getting more involved into the programming and understanding the loop holes in the security systems. I think because of these, scientists and researchers have spent lots of technology to improve the systems security and make them more secure so that no illegal access can be gained. In my own view understanding the different perspective of a hacker, we can develop a much more secure and much more sophisticated environment and provide a safer world for transactions and online shopping. The bad things of them should be taken into good only to benefit our country and its progress. Bibilography: Banks, Michael A. (1997), Web psychos, stalkers, and pranksters: How to protect yourself online. Arizona (USA). Chakrabati, Anirban and Manimaran, G. (2002), Internet infrastructure security: A Taxonomy, IEEE Network, November/December 2002, P.13. CNET (2001), FBI hack raises global security concerns Crucial paradigm (2003), Hacking attacks-How and Why. Darlington, R (2001), Crime on the net Furnell, Steven. (2002), Cybercrime: Vandalizing the information society, Boston; London: Addison-Wesley. Himanen, Pekka. (2001), The hacker ethic and the spirit of information age, Great Britain. Levy, Hacker: Heroes of the computer revolution, Hackers: Crime in the digital sublime. Hackers: Crime in the digital sublime Halting the hacker: A practical guide to computer security Taylor, Paul A. (1999), Hackers: Crime in the digital sublime, London.

Mathematics as Paideia in Proclus :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Mathematics as Paideia in Proclus ABSTRACT: I examine one aspect of the central role which mathematics plays in Proclus's ontology and epistemology, with particular reference to his Elements of Theology. I focus on his peculiar views about the ontological status of mathematical objects and the special faculties of the soul that are involved in understanding them. If they are merely abstract objects that are "stripped away" from sensible things, then they are unlikely to reorient the mind towards the intelligible realm, as envisioned by Plato in the Republic. Thus, in order to defend the function of mathematics as a prodaideutic to dialectic, Proclus rejects Aristotelian abstractionism in favor of an elaborate account in terms of Nous projecting images of its Forms through the medium of the imagination. In metaphorical terms, he replaces the Aristotelian image of the soul as a blank tablet with that of a tablet that has always been inscribed and is always writing itself, while also being written on by Nous. The mediat ing function of mathematics for understanding the higher realities is grounded in the fact that its central principles of Limit and Unlimited have a universal provenance in Proclus's whole system of reality. Introduction Alexander of Aphrodisias established abstractionism as an Aristotelian dogma about mathematical objects, but for later Neoplatonists this proved difficult to reconcile with the educational function of mathematics in Plato's philosophical curriculum. Thus Proclus, for example, rejected abstractionism as a basis for the ascent to the realm of Forms, and proposed an alternative view based on the typical Neoplatonic hierarchy of Nous, Soul, and Nature. At the highest noetic level, geometrical Forms are unextended and indivisible, so that only at the level of Soul can they become available for study by the geometer when they are embodied in the intelligible matter supplied by the imagination. Proclus also accepted that geometrical forms can be embodied in sensible matter, though they never have the exactitude necessary for science, nor could they ever acquire it through abstraction. Thus the diagrams used by the geometer are products of the imagination, which are really projections by the higher intellect onto a lower level so as to facilitate the study of geometrical objects. Proclus seems to accept that the human intellect can never attain the Platonic goal of studying geometrical Forms in their pure and unextended form as paradigms. Although such a goal can be achieved only by divine Nous, yet it becomes for Proclus the guiding rationale for his whole system.

The Growth of the Chesapeake and Barbadian Colonies

Angela Young Professor Kelly Hopkins History 1377 June 18, 2012 The Growth the Chesapeake and Barbadian Colonies Many great examples of how pioneers blazed trails and discovered unchartered territories outline the fabric of American history. We put a man on the moon in the sixties and discovered cures for some of our modern diseases. These are valuable accomplishments, but there is another that is just as significant in the course of American history; the colonization of our nation. Detailed accounts decorate our history with the hardship and suffering of our forefathers.And although some historical accounts paint a bleak picture of early settlements and show that diseases, starvation and other factors were difficult to overcome, we need to recognize that there were successes. It would be unfair to only focus on the challenges without acknowledging their ability to thrive and prosper. To overlook the strategies that the Chesapeake and Barbadian societies used to grow and prosper woul d be a mistake, because we can contribute many of their decisions and actions to the structure of today’s political system and economy.Some historians may analyze these two societies and argue that their evolution was a result of learning from the mistakes of previous settlements. However, there is considerable evidence to show that the Chesapeake and Barbadian colonies successfully grew and progressed as a society due to the use of slaves as workers in the colonies, the acquisition of land, and agricultural exports to England to obtain wealth. The purpose of this paper is to examine the events responsible for the advancement of the Chesapeake and Barbadian societies in the mid 1700’s.The creation of the slave trade in America is arguably one of the major factors that led to the evolution of the Chesapeake and Barbadian colonies. The import of slaves caused a large population explosion in both colonies. The number of blacks in both settlements increased significantly a nd outpaced that of the white population each decade between 1730 and 1760. In 1730 the black population in the Virginia colony was 30,000 and doubled to 60,000 in 1740 and continued to increase steadily through 1770. 1 The Maryland colony showed similar population increases with the number of blacks almost doubling in ize from 24,031 to 43,450 from 1740 to 1750. 2 The profile of the population in the Barbadian colony was also significant. Unlike the Virginia and Maryland colonies, blacks outnumbered white almost 4 to 1 and were the majority in the population between 1655 and 1770. For example, slaves were 83 percent of the population in 1760 at 86,600 while the white population was 17,800. 3 What is the significance of this population growth and their evolution? The colonies created a formula that would secured their future for generations. When Chesapeake experienced economic growth large plantations became more common.This created a need for workers. In turn, slavery led to great wealth for the colonies and became one of their greatest resources for economic growth. Over the course of several decades more slaves were brought to America to fulfill the demand for workers to plant and harvest tobacco and other crops. The colonist understood the value of slave labor and the economic growth using slaves would provide. Most importantly, they also understood that the performance of the slaves influenced their profitability. We cannot discuss population growth in the colonies without acknowledging the ugly truth about slavery.Clearly one group of people suffered while another benefited. Many can criticize the colonies for implementing such a cruel system for economic growth, but we must ask ourselves did slavery help them reach their goal of prosperity. After all, slaves and indentured servants were a productive labor pool that helped them prosper economically during the early and middle years of colonization. Without needing to take a position on slavery, we plain ly understand that the back-breaking physical work of slaves is one of the contributing factors that led to great wealth in the Virginia and Maryland colonies.Another factor contributing to the evolution of the Chesapeake and Barbadian colonies is land ownership. Since the beginning, colonists placed great value on land ownership. Land was a resource of prosperity and the most important indicator of wealth. To attract new settlers to America, colonists permitted them to own land. Although the colonists encouraged ownership, land was not equally distributed and was highly concentrated in the hands of a few people. Based on evidence we can make a direct connection between plantation size in the Chesapeake and Maryland regions based on the number of slaves living on them.For example, between 1750 and 1770, twenty or more slaves lived on approximately one-third of all plantations. Specially, 31% of all plantations had 21 or more slaves living on them from 1750 – 1759. 4 This aver age continued through 1779. We can assume that white plantation owners possessing the largest plantations owned the largest number of slaves. There was a direct correlation between land ownership and wealth distribution. Those that owned the land owned the wealth. There was strong evidence of this in Barbados in 1680 where wealthy pioneers owning 60 or more slaves owned approximately 60% of all land and 60% of all slaves. Likewise, 14. 9% of Jamaican land owners possessed land valued at ? 1,000 or more. 6 This trend also started as early as 1669 and continued up through 1750 in the Virginia colony. For instance, between 1700 – 1719, the wealthiest 5. 6 % of the male population owned 61. 5% of the total wealth and between 1720 – 1750 the wealthiest 2. 7 percent of males owned 33. 2% of wealth. 7 One of the greatest values colonists recognized from land ownership was the acquisition of economic and political power. They could influence the future of their society because of the economic power they possessed.Most importantly, they had the ability to advance their own interests. For example, they could make the rules for who owned the land and where they owned it. They could give land to their heirs to ensure that it remained in their family’s possession for generations. Land ownership and wealth also meant political power. Those with the wealth could hold political office and shape the future of their colonies by making laws that would benefit them directly. The colonists experienced many long-term benefits from land ownership.However, they benefited at the expense of others by setting up a system that would intentionally prevent them from achieving any level of prosperity and success. Some people may disagree with the method used by the colonies to prosper. However, the fact that they used others to advance their own goals does not cancel out the fact that land ownership and wealth moved them one step closer to securing their position as a v iable society. Agricultural exports also played a role in progression of the of the Chesapeake and Barbadian colonies.Both colonies practiced exporting agricultural products to England and would eventually build the wealth and improve their standard of living. Prior to the 1620’s growing crops was difficult for the colonist because early settlements did not have the knowledge and tools needed to grow them successfully. Barbadian settlers tried to grow crops such as tobacco, cotton, ginger, and indigo, but were unsuccessful. Over time, they learned which crops would grow successfully in their region. After much trial and error, tobacco became the right plant to grow for Chesapeake and sugar for Barbados.Tobacco exports to England became the main source of income from Virginia and Maryland. Between 1660 and 1760 tobacco exports increased each decade. Along with the number of pounds increasing, the price per pound of tobacco also increased. In 1740 England imported 35,372 pounds of tobacco at a price of 0. 80 pence sterling/pound. By 1770 the amount increased to 38,986 at 2. 06 pence sterling/per pound. Furthermore, the value of exports to England reached $435,094. 8 Additionally, sugar exports to England from Barbados yielded positive financial results for the colonies.Sugar exports steadily increased from 1651 to 1698 with the highest being 15,587 tons in 1698. 9 This discussion about the impact of exports on the evolution of the colonies is not complete without acknowledging the role slavery played. As exports to England increased, the import of slaves also increased to support the demand for tobacco. The more slaves owned by the colonists, the more crops could be harvested and exported to generate more revenue for the colonies. A closer look at the evidence doesn’t always show a successful progression toward prosperity.Increases in the black population did not always significantly outnumber that of whites. Also, there is evidence that illustrate s a drop in the value of exports to England from 1755 to 1770. While the value of exports was at their highest in 1750 at ? 508,939, they decreased to as low as ? 435,094 in 1770. 10 Tobacco exports to England also dropped in 1770. Additionally, once land ownership opened up to indentured servants and other settlers in the Chesapeake colony, the largest distribution of wealth shifted from the wealthiest to the middle class.For example, between 1700 – 1719 5. 8% of the wealthiest males owned 61. 5% of the wealth. From 1720 – 1750, 2. 7% of the wealthiest males owned 33. 2% of the wealth while 26% of the male population owned 31. 3% of the wealth. 11 This shows an important shift in wealth within the colony. Some may read this evidence and disagree with the factors that contributed to their advancement and decide not to give full credit because of these inconsistencies. The Chesapeake colonies established a formula long before the mid-1700s to promote and sustain their f uture growth.Although the statistical evidence changes for some of the factors, it is clear that the Chesapeake and Barbadian colonies progressed as a society as a result of slavery, land ownership, and agricultural exports. The focus should not only be on the evidence, but the overall impact these factors had on the colonies’ ability to evolve and the impact their prosperity has on our economic situation today. Notes Population Growth, Virginia, 1640-1770, p 67 2 Population Growth, Maryland, 1640 – 1770, p 68 3 Population Estimates, Barbados, 1655 – 1770, p 73 Plantation Size in Virginia by Number of Slaves, 1700 – 1779, p 71 5 Wealth Distribution, Wealthy Planters, 1673 and 1680, p 74 6 Wealth Distribution, Jamaica, 1674 – 1701 (percentages), p 74 7 Wealth Distribution in Middlesex County, Virginia: Personal Property of Deceased Adult Males, 1699 – 1750, p 68 8 Tobacco Imported by England from Virginia and Maryland (in thousands of pounds) and Maryland Tobacco Prices (in pence sterling/pound), 1620 – 1770, p 69 9 Estimated Sugar Exports from Barbados to London, 1651 – 1706 (tons), p 75 10 Value of Exports to and Imports from England by Virginia and Maryland, 1700 – 1770 (in pounds sterling), p 72 11 Wealth Distribution in Middlesex County, Virginia: Personal Property of Deceased Adult Males, 1699 – 1750, p 68 Works Cited Wheeler, William Bruce, Susan D. Becker, Lorri Glover, and John Hart. Discovering the American Past. Kentucky: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print

Same Sex Marriage

Same sex marriage is an issue that arises concerns with a lot of people. Some agree, some disagree, and some Just really don't care. I fall under two categories. I disagree, but I really don't care. The reasons being are I stick with God's words. He made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve or Eve and Ava. God also said Judge not for you'll be Judged. I'm not perfect or anywhere near it, so I definitely don't want to be judged. I was going to write on child hunger, but since I have to deal with this in my life now I decided to provide a written document about this subject.One of my family members is involved in a same sex relationship for the past three years. Although I don't agree I still have love for them. Just recently, theyVe decided that they want to be married. That arises and issue with me because although I don't Judge them; I definitely won't be apart of the wedding and celebration. I couldn't see myself condoning a marriage with the vows of God for a couple of the same sex. I do have standards and I do know how to take a stand. I tried to broaden my thoughts and think about it for a moment, but it still wasn't working for me.So, I decided to do a little research and see what's really going on ith the same sex marriages. As I began to obtain information I was stunned about a lot of things. The facts I found out were surprising to me. I learned that the movement to open civil marriage to same-sex couples achieved its first temporary success in 1993 with the decision of the Hawaii Supreme Court that the restriction of marriage to opposite- sex couples would be presumed unconstitutional unless the state could demonstrate that it furthered a compelling state interest.In response to this decision the state constitution was amended to allow the legislature to preserve that restriction. A similar court decision in Alaska in 1998 led to an even stronger constitutional amendment, itself defining marriage as between one man and one woman. In further reaction to the Hawaii case, the federal Defense of Marriage Act 1996 provided that no state would be required to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state, and also defined marriage for federal-law purposes as opposite-sex. The majority of the states also passed their own â€Å"marriage protection acts. In November 2004, eleven more U. S. states amended their constitutions to prohibit same-sex marriage. In Vermont, after that state's Supreme Court held in 1999 that the state must extend to same- sex couples the same benefits that married couples receive, the legislature in 2000 created the status of â€Å"civil union† to fulfill that mandate. Connecticut adopted a similar civil union law in 2005. In 2001, the Netherlands became the first country to open civil marriage to same- sex couples. Belgium became the second in 2003.In 2002 through 2004, courts in six Canadian provinces held that the opposite-sex definition of marriage was contrary to Canada's Charter of Rights, and in 2005 federal legislation extended same-sex arriage to all of Canada. Same-sex marriage was also legalized in Spain in 2005 , in South Africa in 2006, and in Norway effective in 2009. In November 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that excluding same-sex couples from the benefits of civil marriage violated the state constitution, and in February 2004 2004 Massachusetts became the first state in the United States where same-sex marriage per se is legal.In October 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that same-sex couples were entitled to the same rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples under the ivil marriage statutes. The Legislature complied with that decision by enacting a civil union act in December 2006. In May 2008, California became the second state to legalize same-sex marriage when the California Supreme Court held that laws restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples were unconstitutional. Connecticut followed suit in October 2008. In California, the Supreme Court decision was apparently overturned by voter initiative in the November 2008 election. Paul Axel- Lute, â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage† (Rutgers-Newark Law Library, Pathfinder Series, Oct. 1996), http://www-rci. utgers. edu/†axellute/ssm. htm, lists articles, statutes, and cases through 1996. ) These things still did not convince me of anything and I decided I still needed more. I wanted to know why did these people of the same sex wanted to get married when it was causing so much controversy and most of the world don't with it. I Just couldn't understand so I went to the library and got a book by the author of William Eskeridge called, Gay Marriage, For Better or For Worse.That title really rocked me because that was the same thing that I was wondering. Is it for the better or for the worse. In his text he stated that the same-sex marriage debate to take account of the new argument against same-sex marriage, to wit: same-sex marriage in Scandinavia has destro yed the institution in those countries, and left children to be raised without married parents. That alone scares me because I was raised with two parents. (Eskridge, William N. , Gay Marriage: For Better or For Worse? What We've Learned from the Evidence. (Oxford Univ.Press, 2006) If marriage between gays becomes the law of the land, married gay couples will be afforded all the legal benefits that apply to heterosexual married couples, including pousal rights to Social Security, Medicare, private pensions, the right to file Joint tax returns, and the right to inherit each other's property. Many gays say it's about time. Others say that allowing gays to wed is wrong and will be harmful. When you ask about the good of marriage, we used to understand that the good of the thing was implied in its nature and its end.And marriage has to be connected and we'll have a chance to pursue this, but marriage has to be connected to that sense of sexuality imprinted in our natures, in the ineffac eable fact that we are born men or women. The purpose or meaning implicit in that sexuality is the notion of begetting, and for compelling reasons, we've found the prospect of begetting finding its most apt reflection in a framework of lawfulness that provides the ground on which parents are committed to the nurturance of their children for the same that they are committed to one another.When children are involved it makes it even more hectic. The children are being taught wrong and that I definitely don't agree with. The more I try to come to terms with this issue I Just can't seem to find enough of vidence that secures my thoughts and heart to condone this kind of thing. I know some people with disagree with me, but we agree to disagree. As time progresses I do indeed believe that eventually their will be more states and same sex laws that I entitled to my opinion.I Just pray for the children and their well-being. Although some only think of themselves they should take a stand bac k and think of their children. Children are our nest generation and raising them to think things are okay when theyre really wrong scares me to death. Let's Just hope that the kids will make better choices than others. Same sex marriage hasn't yet affected my life, but as time goes on I do think it will be a part of my life. Same Sex Marriage Same-sex marriage is a term used for a social or legally recognized marriage amid two people of the same gender. Freeman, M. D. A (1999). The most commonly term used in politics and media is Gay marriage. Some crusaders of the same-sex marriage use the name equal- marriage to emphasis that they are looking for equality and not special rights when it comes to marriage between people of the same sex. There are those people who argue that equating opposite-sex marriage and same-sex marriage will change the entire meaning of marriage and its general traditions (Hull, K. 2006). Moreover they often use the term Homosexual marriage which is regarded to be more stigmatizing than the term gay. There are those people who suggest that the term marriage should be reserved for civil, religious and legal contexts using a standardized concept of civil companionship. This kind of arrangement will reinforce the wall of division between the state and the church by putting a holly institution entirely to the church while placing secular organization under the control of the state. Some opponents and proponents of the same sex-marriage find suggestions of that sort to be unworkable. Whereas there are instances of some societies who recognize same-sex marriages, historical records shows a remarkable diversity of the treatment given to same-sex marriages which range from toleration and sympathy to indifferences and prohibition. Some organizations that are opposed to same-sex marriage often ague that same-sex unions are not marriages (Hull, K. 2006). They also argue that legalizing same-sex marriage will encourage legalization of polygamy and that legalizing same-sex marriage will deny children either a father or a mother while at the same time eroding religious freedoms. A research by American Anthropological Association states no proof has been found to show that people need to maintain marriage between people of the opposite sex and that same-sex marriage can make a greater contribution in stabilizing human societies. To add on, there are crusaders of the same-sex marriage who argue that governments should not play any part in regulating individual relationships. While there are those who insist that by allowing same-sex marriages the governments will be promoting collective benefits to same-sex partners. As stated by Sean Robert Cahill, Sean Cahill (2004) the debate surrounding same-sex marriage includes debate based on different social viewpoints and debate based upon religious convictions, health-related concerns, economic arguments and a variety of other different issues. We can say that the issue of same-sex marriage was meant to be ever since the creation of the universe and people should try and accept it as it is. We should also try and note that we are a people of one race and those we all hold female and male traits inside us, period. There are those people who are reverse-wired than other people and those who are androgynous. This is factual whether it is left-handedness or right-handedness or someone being right brained or left brained, et cetera. It is true that Love through understanding and tolerance is a most important factor to spiritual growth†¦. or else we stumble in fear-based thinking, selfishness and pure and absolute hate (prejudice) against our fellow women and men. Same Sex Marriage In Why Fear Same-Sex Marriages by William Raspberry, the author begins by presenting the side of Gary Bauer, who is against same-sex marriage. He agrees with Bauer that legalizing it will change 4,000 years of Judeo-Christian teaching, however, the greater question is whether it â€Å"launches us on the path to perdition or merely heralds the shedding of another irrational prejudice† (Raspberry, 2001). Raspberry supports same sex marriage so long as these are directed towards forming monogamous and committed unions. It’s the Final Step in Killing Marriage by Maggie Gallagher points out that it’s not wrong to disagree with same-sex marriages. This is in defense of Rev. Fauntroy who is a civil-rights legend but is against same-sex marriages. The author highlights what the gay movement has done as â€Å"harassment tactics, demonizing those who disagree† (Gallagher, 2001). Gallagher ends the essay with a statement on how these ‘tactics’ have even reached her personal email. Committed Couples Would Stabilize Society by Andrew Sullivan supports same-sex marriages. Sullivan points out that based on research during the first six years when gay marriage was made legal, â€Å"the rate of straight marriages rose 10 percent, and the rate of straight divorces decreased by 12 percent† (Sullivan, 2001). Sullivan believes that these types of marriages will strengthen the bonds of heterosexual marriage since ‘marriage’ finally encompasses all citizens. Personally, I would agree that same-sex marriage should be legalized. But it should be kept in mind that marriage is holy, and that the couples should truly be committed to their union. This goes true for gay as well as heterosexual marriage. With the high divorce rates today, I believe this should be the greater concern for society. The focus should be on strengthening marriages, not preventing or discriminating people from entering into marriage. I agree that legalizing gay marriage would â€Å"heal the psychic wounds that scar so many gay people and their families† (Sullivan, 2001). Same Sex Marriage In Why Fear Same-Sex Marriages by William Raspberry, the author begins by presenting the side of Gary Bauer, who is against same-sex marriage. He agrees with Bauer that legalizing it will change 4,000 years of Judeo-Christian teaching, however, the greater question is whether it â€Å"launches us on the path to perdition or merely heralds the shedding of another irrational prejudice† (Raspberry, 2001). Raspberry supports same sex marriage so long as these are directed towards forming monogamous and committed unions. It’s the Final Step in Killing Marriage by Maggie Gallagher points out that it’s not wrong to disagree with same-sex marriages. This is in defense of Rev. Fauntroy who is a civil-rights legend but is against same-sex marriages. The author highlights what the gay movement has done as â€Å"harassment tactics, demonizing those who disagree† (Gallagher, 2001). Gallagher ends the essay with a statement on how these ‘tactics’ have even reached her personal email. Committed Couples Would Stabilize Society by Andrew Sullivan supports same-sex marriages. Sullivan points out that based on research during the first six years when gay marriage was made legal, â€Å"the rate of straight marriages rose 10 percent, and the rate of straight divorces decreased by 12 percent† (Sullivan, 2001). Sullivan believes that these types of marriages will strengthen the bonds of heterosexual marriage since ‘marriage’ finally encompasses all citizens. Personally, I would agree that same-sex marriage should be legalized. But it should be kept in mind that marriage is holy, and that the couples should truly be committed to their union. This goes true for gay as well as heterosexual marriage. With the high divorce rates today, I believe this should be the greater concern for society. The focus should be on strengthening marriages, not preventing or discriminating people from entering into marriage. I agree that legalizing gay marriage would â€Å"heal the psychic wounds that scar so many gay people and their families† (Sullivan, 2001). Same Sex Marriage Same-sex marriage is a term used for a social or legally recognized marriage amid two people of the same gender. Freeman, M. D. A (1999). The most commonly term used in politics and media is Gay marriage. Some crusaders of the same-sex marriage use the name equal- marriage to emphasis that they are looking for equality and not special rights when it comes to marriage between people of the same sex. There are those people who argue that equating opposite-sex marriage and same-sex marriage will change the entire meaning of marriage and its general traditions (Hull, K. 2006). Moreover they often use the term Homosexual marriage which is regarded to be more stigmatizing than the term gay. There are those people who suggest that the term marriage should be reserved for civil, religious and legal contexts using a standardized concept of civil companionship. This kind of arrangement will reinforce the wall of division between the state and the church by putting a holly institution entirely to the church while placing secular organization under the control of the state. Some opponents and proponents of the same sex-marriage find suggestions of that sort to be unworkable. Whereas there are instances of some societies who recognize same-sex marriages, historical records shows a remarkable diversity of the treatment given to same-sex marriages which range from toleration and sympathy to indifferences and prohibition. Some organizations that are opposed to same-sex marriage often ague that same-sex unions are not marriages (Hull, K. 2006). They also argue that legalizing same-sex marriage will encourage legalization of polygamy and that legalizing same-sex marriage will deny children either a father or a mother while at the same time eroding religious freedoms. A research by American Anthropological Association states no proof has been found to show that people need to maintain marriage between people of the opposite sex and that same-sex marriage can make a greater contribution in stabilizing human societies. To add on, there are crusaders of the same-sex marriage who argue that governments should not play any part in regulating individual relationships. While there are those who insist that by allowing same-sex marriages the governments will be promoting collective benefits to same-sex partners. As stated by Sean Robert Cahill, Sean Cahill (2004) the debate surrounding same-sex marriage includes debate based on different social viewpoints and debate based upon religious convictions, health-related concerns, economic arguments and a variety of other different issues. We can say that the issue of same-sex marriage was meant to be ever since the creation of the universe and people should try and accept it as it is. We should also try and note that we are a people of one race and those we all hold female and male traits inside us, period. There are those people who are reverse-wired than other people and those who are androgynous. This is factual whether it is left-handedness or right-handedness or someone being right brained or left brained, et cetera. It is true that Love through understanding and tolerance is a most important factor to spiritual growth†¦. or else we stumble in fear-based thinking, selfishness and pure and absolute hate (prejudice) against our fellow women and men. Same Sex Marriage Same-sex marriage is a term used for a social or legally recognized marriage amid two people of the same gender. Freeman, M. D. A (1999). The most commonly term used in politics and media is Gay marriage. Some crusaders of the same-sex marriage use the name equal- marriage to emphasis that they are looking for equality and not special rights when it comes to marriage between people of the same sex. There are those people who argue that equating opposite-sex marriage and same-sex marriage will change the entire meaning of marriage and its general traditions (Hull, K. 2006). Moreover they often use the term Homosexual marriage which is regarded to be more stigmatizing than the term gay. There are those people who suggest that the term marriage should be reserved for civil, religious and legal contexts using a standardized concept of civil companionship. This kind of arrangement will reinforce the wall of division between the state and the church by putting a holly institution entirely to the church while placing secular organization under the control of the state. Some opponents and proponents of the same sex-marriage find suggestions of that sort to be unworkable. Whereas there are instances of some societies who recognize same-sex marriages, historical records shows a remarkable diversity of the treatment given to same-sex marriages which range from toleration and sympathy to indifferences and prohibition. Some organizations that are opposed to same-sex marriage often ague that same-sex unions are not marriages (Hull, K. 2006). They also argue that legalizing same-sex marriage will encourage legalization of polygamy and that legalizing same-sex marriage will deny children either a father or a mother while at the same time eroding religious freedoms. A research by American Anthropological Association states no proof has been found to show that people need to maintain marriage between people of the opposite sex and that same-sex marriage can make a greater contribution in stabilizing human societies. To add on, there are crusaders of the same-sex marriage who argue that governments should not play any part in regulating individual relationships. While there are those who insist that by allowing same-sex marriages the governments will be promoting collective benefits to same-sex partners. As stated by Sean Robert Cahill, Sean Cahill (2004) the debate surrounding same-sex marriage includes debate based on different social viewpoints and debate based upon religious convictions, health-related concerns, economic arguments and a variety of other different issues. We can say that the issue of same-sex marriage was meant to be ever since the creation of the universe and people should try and accept it as it is. We should also try and note that we are a people of one race and those we all hold female and male traits inside us, period. There are those people who are reverse-wired than other people and those who are androgynous. This is factual whether it is left-handedness or right-handedness or someone being right brained or left brained, et cetera. It is true that Love through understanding and tolerance is a most important factor to spiritual growth†¦. or else we stumble in fear-based thinking, selfishness and pure and absolute hate (prejudice) against our fellow women and men. Same Sex Marriage In Why Fear Same-Sex Marriages by William Raspberry, the author begins by presenting the side of Gary Bauer, who is against same-sex marriage. He agrees with Bauer that legalizing it will change 4,000 years of Judeo-Christian teaching, however, the greater question is whether it â€Å"launches us on the path to perdition or merely heralds the shedding of another irrational prejudice† (Raspberry, 2001). Raspberry supports same sex marriage so long as these are directed towards forming monogamous and committed unions. It’s the Final Step in Killing Marriage by Maggie Gallagher points out that it’s not wrong to disagree with same-sex marriages. This is in defense of Rev. Fauntroy who is a civil-rights legend but is against same-sex marriages. The author highlights what the gay movement has done as â€Å"harassment tactics, demonizing those who disagree† (Gallagher, 2001). Gallagher ends the essay with a statement on how these ‘tactics’ have even reached her personal email. Committed Couples Would Stabilize Society by Andrew Sullivan supports same-sex marriages. Sullivan points out that based on research during the first six years when gay marriage was made legal, â€Å"the rate of straight marriages rose 10 percent, and the rate of straight divorces decreased by 12 percent† (Sullivan, 2001). Sullivan believes that these types of marriages will strengthen the bonds of heterosexual marriage since ‘marriage’ finally encompasses all citizens. Personally, I would agree that same-sex marriage should be legalized. But it should be kept in mind that marriage is holy, and that the couples should truly be committed to their union. This goes true for gay as well as heterosexual marriage. With the high divorce rates today, I believe this should be the greater concern for society. The focus should be on strengthening marriages, not preventing or discriminating people from entering into marriage. I agree that legalizing gay marriage would â€Å"heal the psychic wounds that scar so many gay people and their families† (Sullivan, 2001).