Rough Draft 4.1

“Here, hold on to this for me.”  one of the guys said while passing a gun to the kid next to him. My eyes widened as I instinctively grabbed my boyfriend Jon’s hand. It was at that moment when I knew I was in trouble. Could this really be happening to me? I remember thinking to myself.  Did he really just threaten us with a gun? I looked around trying to put distinct faces to figures in front of me and failing miserably. It must have been somewhere around 2am at that point and the only light I had to work with was coming from a street lamp at least 50 feet away.

“Come with us.” he spoke again, this time to Jon, and began leading the way to the back of the park with the five other guys closely behind.

There were six of them and two of us; we were easily out numbered without anything to defend ourselves with. I dared not to let Jon’s hand go and walked with him towards the unfinished skate park in one of the back corners. My heart was pounding immensely once we stopped at the destined location. One of the guys began having meaningless small talk with us as the rest stood around in silence. Responding very calmly to anything he had asked us, I was hoping they’d have a change of heart at let us go safely.

That’s when it happened. The guy talking to us stopped in mid sentence and threw a right hook at Jon’s jaw. He continued to punch Jon while three of the other guys joined in. We. Are. Dead. I remember thinking at that very moment. My boyfriend was the most important person to me during that time and to see him getting hurt right in front of my eyes was one of the scariest things I’ve ever witnessed. That was probably the only reason why I was too distracted to notice the remaining two guys approaching me. “Follow me.” one of them said and took me to another side of the park.

The events from that moment on are a blur. Basically, I was taken aside to be raped at the same time my boyfriend was being jumped. They had no mercy and even threatened to get me pregnant but I remained calm. I hoped that the less fuss I made, the quicker this all would be done with. It wasn’t too long before the guys felt “accomplished” with what they had done to us and they all walked out of the park leaving us with these final words, “You better not tell anyone”. Once they were out of sight, I slowly walked up to Jon who was pretending to be unconscious on the ground. His face was a mess, bruise marks and cuts purtruding  from various angles on his once flawless face.  I helped him up from the ground and we walked back to my house. What a nightmare that night turned out to be, all because I wasn’t allowed to see Jon during the daytime. After everything, there was only one thing I knew for sure that night, there was no way in hell I was going to tell my mother.

Reflection 3.2

Overall, I'm more confident in this paper than any of my previously written ones. The revisions I've made to my rough draft mostly dealt with trying to make my argument seem more focused. I changed my topic from homosexuals being able to adopt children to being in support of homosexuality in general and being the should receive the same civil rights. I feel that, although this new change is a lot more broad, I was able to cover most of my points without it seeming like I was going off topic.

Final Draft: Essay 3.2: Grandpa, He Was Born This Way: A Rogerian Argument In Support Of Homosexual Equality

Dear Grandpa,
         I’ve decided to write you this letter because I honestly haven’t been able to get you out of my head for the past few weeks. The last conversation we had on the phone didn’t end too well (since we both ended up arguing and avoiding talking to each other for the next few weeks), but I think it is time to bring up the topic once again. Now, I understand that you might possibly never agree with me, but I want to try to help you understand why I have no issue with homosexuality. If you are willing to hear me out and to keep an open mind as I try to explain to you why I will always stand by my beliefs, I’m sure I can explain to you how the world can benefit from homosexual couples. In turn, I promise to respectfully listen to any part of my letter you choose to respond to.
        First, I wanted to let you know that I do recognize where you are coming from. I understand that you were raised as a Roman Catholic, as was I, and the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to homosexuality. For this reason, I wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your beliefs or religion in anyway. However, I do want to let you know my point of view. The last time we talked, you pointed out a few verses from the Bible that support the idea that God is against same sex practices. Just to refresh your memory a bit, below I’ve include two examples of verses that have stuck with me since then:

"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female. It is an abomination." - Leviticus 18:6
"A man who sleeps with another man is an abomination and should be executed." - Leviticus 20:13

Many people who come across these verses in the Bible, particularly those that are more religious, will automatically become troubled by these words. You, along with millions of other people, would never want to be thought of as an “abomination” to anyone, especially not in the eyes of the ones you love most. You constantly reminded me in our last conversation that God didn’t make a man and a woman for no reason. You claim that being with another man is not “natural“ (since same sexes cannot reproduce) and therefore, shouldn’t be done. While this are both legitimate reasons you’ve repeatedly told me, I still stand by my belief that homosexuality is not always a choice, therefore I certainly do not believe homosexuals should be denied the rights given to any heterosexual couple.

        Homosexuality has been around since before Christ, not just the last few centuries it has been exploited by society. I recently came across an article entitled “What the Bible Says- And Doesn’t Say- About Homosexuality” that I found to be quite intriguing. It was written by a homosexual Reverend named Mel White, who researched throughout that Bible for particular sections that allude to homosexual practices. Her intensive research has shown that no where in the bible does Jesus mention anything related to same-sex behavior nor does the term “homosexuality” used thousands of years ago translate into the current day meaning. Reading White’s article had left me wondering whether people have just blown the 6 or so verses that mention anything homosexually related out of proportion because of the possible misinterpretations of them.

On another note, I have also been doing some research in biological anthropology and came across something applicable to homosexuality. From an evolutionary standpoint; if you accept the premise that everything we do from a reproductive standpoint is to better our gene pool, ie. everything affects our “fitness” and homosexuality has been proven have been around for 2000 years, why hasn’t this “poor gene” or “abomination” been weeded out? To put in simpler terms, it does not affect our ability to survive in any negative way. If it did, we would not be able to survive as a species and therefore, that undesirable trait would have died off. However, since homosexuality clearly has not died off yet, the trait cannot be awful from an evolutionary standpoint (Larsen, par. 96).

Correspondingly, two men who want to be together do not lack the capability of being just as affectionate and loving with each other as they would be with someone of the opposite sex. Homosexuality also does not hinder ones ability of being responsible and capable of raising a family as well. Statistics have shown that children raised by same sex couples are just as intelligent as a child who was raised by a heterosexual couple. In fact, I read in another article entitled “Children Of Same-Sex Couples Do Fine”, written by Sean Alfonso for the CBS News, that children who were raised in a single parent household are more likely to have more issues with self-esteem and discipline than those with gay parents (Alfano, par .7). I believe that anyone who wants to raise a child and proves that they are able of doing so should be given the opportunity.

In the Presidential Campaign Questionnaire of 2008, Obama was asked his opinion on gay couples adopting children. His response was “I believe there are too many children who need loving parents to deny one group of people adoption rights. A child will benefit from a healthy, loving home, whether the parents are gay or not" (Giordano, par. 23). Even if you do not agree that homosexuality is morally right, you can’t turn away from the number of children without parents and in need of homes. A couple that has a steady income and has shown to be emotionally responsible should be given the same chances, regardless of their sexual preferences.

        Furthermore, as you might have noticed, one of the biggest concerns facing our world today is over population. Why would we try to ban something that not only diminishes population (since two people of the same gender cannot reproduce) but also increases quality of living for those people who are already on this planet? Regardless of what you think about homosexuality, you must agree that taking kids out of foster homes and other unsavory conditions improves quality of life for them. As a religious person, I know that you are supposed to be in support of generous and loving acts. Raising a child that is not biologically your own can definitely be considered an act of kindness.
        Essentially, we both can agree that we should choose the good of an individual over an ideal. We can have our own ideals and hold true to them in ourselves, but to deny homosexuals the same civil rights heterosexuals would be Un-American. Was not the Constitution on the United States based upon protecting one’s “right to disagree”? And if being homosexual makes one happy, is that not protected by the 5th Amendment, to pursuit their happiness? How others chose to live their lives is just not something others have a right to impede on.

To me, homosexuality should not be considered an abomination; it’s a part of life. I’ve grown up with many people in my life who have influenced me a great deal but just happen to like people of the same sex. Should I abandon those with some of the kindest hearts I’ve encountered just because of their sexual preference? In Leviticus 19:18, did God not say to “love thy brother as thyself” and to not “avenge or hold grudge to the children of thy people”? Even if you do not agree with homosexual behavior, you should not treat gays any differently then you would of someone who was “straight”. Everyone deserves to be treated with love and respect.

        So, perhaps we can come to the compromise that, at the bare minimum, good effects of homosexuals coupling can outweigh the pitfalls. We, as a society, must learn to be accepting and loving  towards one another rather than judge each other for what we are as individuals. You can still respect your religion by not loving a man yourself and you can let other people be happy in their own lives and help the living conditions of children in need. I really hope to hear from you soon and cannot wait to see you again.

                Love always,
                                            Jess

Works Cited

Alfano, Sean. "Kids Of Same-Sex Parents Do Fine - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. 12 Oct. 2005. Web. Mar. 2011.
Cathy, Smith A. "The History of Gays in the Military – The Sacred Band of Thebes." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. Mar. 2011.

Prewriting Essay 4

Questions
1. What issue do you want to bring to greater attention?
2. What issue do you want to change?
3. I f you could grant one wish for someone you know, what would it be?
4. What did you do this weekend?

I'm not exactly sure what I would like to write about but a topic that comes to mind is raping against women. I haven't decided how personal I would like this essay to be but lately I've been noticing that society tends to blame the woman for being raped (rather than the person doing the action) and I think there is something wrong with this logic. Society nowadays doesn't seem to have sympathy for those who dress "inappropriately" or were at the "wrong place at the wrong time". Most parents put fear into their daughters' minds by telling them to never walk alone or wear clothing that show too much skin. Why should WE, as women, have to try to avoid such a terrible act from happening to us when we're the innocent ones? Instead, society should be teaching us NOT to rape.

Reflection 3.1

This argument is probably the easiest one for me to work with since I subconsciously use it all of the time. I'm the type of person that always likes to look at all sides of an issue and make sure I understand those point of views before I choose a side of my own. I never like to offend anybody and make sure that they are aware that I respect their opinions. I'm not very good at trying to persuade people to change their opinions on something so I'd much rather compromise with them.

Rough Draft 3.1: Grandpa, He Was Born This Way: A Rogerian Argument Pro Gay Adoption

Dear Grandpa,

I’ve decided to write you this letter because I honestly haven’t been able to get you out of my head for the past few weeks. The last conversation we had on the phone didn’t end too well, (since we both ended up arguing and avoiding talking to each other for the next few weeks) but I think it is time to bring up the topic once again. Now, I understand that you might possibly never agree with me, but I want to try to help you understand why I believe in gay rights and their right to adopt children. I hope you are willing to hear me out and to keep an open mind as I try to explain to you why I will always stand by my beliefs. In turn, I promise to do the same for you. 

First, I wanted to let you know that I do recognize where you are coming from. I realize that you were raised as a Roman Catholic,  and the catholic church is strongly opposed to homosexuality. For this reason, I wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your beliefs or religion in anyway. However, I wanted to let you know my point of view. The last time we talked, you pointed out a few verses from the bible that support the idea that God is against same sex practices. Just to refresh your memory a bit, below I’ve include two examples of verses that have stuck with me since then:
"You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female. It is an abomination." - Leviticus 18:6
"A man who sleeps with another man is an abomination and should be executed." - Leviticus 20:13
Anyone who comes across these verses in the Bible, particularly those that are more religious, will automatically become troubled by these words. Nobody wants to be thought of as an “abomination” to anyone, especially not in the eyes of the ones you love most. “God didn’t make a man and a woman for no reason. Being with another man is not natural and therefore, shouldn’t be done.” While those are both legitimate reasons you’ve repeatedly told me during our last conversation, I do not believe that homosexuality is a choice, therefore I certainly do not believe they should be denied the rights given to any heterosexual couple. (White, 58)

To me, homosexuality should not be considered an abomination; it’s a part of life. Homosexuality has been around since before Christ, not just the last few centuries it has been exploited by society. In fact, homosexuality was actually encouraged in both the Roman and Greek armies during ancient times. The thought was that men would fight more bravely to defend their country if they loved the people they were fighting with and would want to protect them. (Smith, 7)

In agreement, two men who want to be together do not lack the capability of being just as affectionate and loving with each other as they would be with someone of the opposite sex. It also does not hinder their ability of being responsible and capable of raising a family as well. Statistics have shown that children raised by same sex couples are just as intelligent as a children who were raised by a heterosexual couple. In fact, children who were raised in a single parent household are more likely to have more issues with self-esteem and discipline than those with gay parents. (Alfano, 7) I believe that anyone who wants to raise a child and proves that they are able of doing so should be given the opportunity.

In the Presidential Campaign Questionnaire of 2008, Obama was asked his opinion on gay couples adopting children. His response was “I believe there are too many children who need loving parents to deny one group of people adoption rights. A child will benefit from a healthy, loving home, whether the parents are gay or not." (Giordano, 23) Even if you do not agree that homosexuality is morally right, you can’t turn away from the amount of children without parents and in need of homes. A couple that has a steady income and has shown to be emotionally responsible should be given the same chances, regardless of their sexual preferences.

I have also been doing some research in biological anthropology and came across something applicable to homosexuality. From an evolutionary standpoint; if you accept the premise that everything we do from a reproductive standpoint is to better our gene pool, ie. everything affects our “fitness” and homosexuality has been proven have been around for 2000 years, why hasn’t this “poor gene” or “abomination” been weeded out? To put in simpler terms, it does not affect our ability to survive in any negative way. If it did, we would not be able to survive as a species and therefore, that undesirable trait would have died off. However, since it clearly has not died off yet, the trait cannot be awful from an evolutionary standpoint. (Larsen, 96)

Correspondingly, one of the biggest concerns facing our world today is over population. Why would we try to ban something that not only diminishes population (since two people of the same gender cannot reproduce) but also increases quality of living for those people who are already on this planet? Regardless of what you think about homosexuality, you must agree that taking kids out of foster homes and other unsavory conditions improves quality of life for them. As a religious person, you are supposed to be in support of generous and loving acts. Raising a child that is not biologically your own can definitely be considered an act of kindness.

Essentially, we both can agree that we should choose the good of an individual over an ideal. We can have our own ideals and hold true to them in ourselves, but what other people do to pursuit their happiness, which is protected by the 5th Amendment, is not something that we should impede on.

So, perhaps we can come to the compromise that, at the bare minimum, good effects of same sex marriage can outweigh the pitfalls. Parents who cannot have kids of their own get to raise children that are in desperate of said home. You can still respect your religion by not loving a man yourself and you can let other people be happy in their own lives and help the living conditions of children in need.

Can’t wait to see you again,

Jess

Works Cited

Alfano, Sean. "Kids Of Same-Sex Parents Do Fine - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. 12 Oct. 2005. Web. Mar. 2011.

Cathy, Smith A. "The History of Gays in the Military – The Sacred Band of Thebes." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 19 Dec. 2010. Web. Mar. 2011.

Giordano, Scott A. "Barack Responds to Human Rights Campaign Questionnaire." Organizing For America. 14 June 2007. Web. Mar. 2011.

Larsen, Clark Spencer. Our Origins: Discovering Physical Anthropology. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2008. Print.

White, Rev. Mel. "What the Bible Says - And Doesn't Say - About Homosexuality." Soulforce. 2011. Web. Mar. 2011.

Reflection 2.2

I'm not sure how I feel about this paper. I mean, I know my final draft is much better than the rough draft I've been struggling to write for weeks now, I still believe I could have done better. I think what I have trouble most with is that I have so many ideas about what I want to do with my paper and I don't know how to make it all flow. I find plenty of useful sources that I know will benefit my paper but again, I have a hard time with trying to make it all connect. Hopefully, my paper doesn't appear to be too sporadic, like I think it does.