[9.11.11] Political Issues I Care About

Similar to another classmate, I will admit at the beginning that I hardly know anything about political issues. History is not my strongest subject, either. I also hope that AP Government will allow me to learn about the United States government and the issues that are going on in the country today, as well as help me develop my own opinion on those issues.

Despite my lack of knowledge on politics, I have two political issues that I care somewhat strongly about. The first is the issue about gay rights. I believe that homosexuals should have a right to marry; I mean, why shouldn't they? Is it a crime? Is it not "natural"*? People should be allowed to love whomever they choose. Like Hope said, isn't everyone supposed to be equal? African Americans and women gained their rights. Why can't homosexuals have theirs? There is so much pressure put on teenagers (for example) about their sexuality. Some kids were eventually driven to suicide because of their looks and/or sexual orientation; people that were not as accepting (or people that just assume) bully these kids. It is disappointing and saddening to see that people do not accept differences.

*Some studies suggest that sexual orientation is determined by genetics. There have been signs of homosexuality in animals, too. And Tango Makes Three is a children's book based on a true story about two male penguins who tried to hatch a rock that seemed like an egg. That rock was eventually replaced by a real egg; the egg hatched and the baby penguin grew up healthily.

Roy and Silo, the two male penguins.

The second issue that I would like to address is the topic of abortion. For the most part, I believe that it should not be allowed. It is almost the same thing as killing a full-grown person; the embryo or fetus is deprived of a chance to "live." Some of the exceptions for abortion (these are the ones that first come to mind) should be in the cases of rape, or when the mother's life is threatened.