The Democratic presidential hopeful has just written the following message:
"I'm running for President to build an America that lives up to our founding promise of equality for all – a promise that extends to our gay brothers and sisters. It's wrong to have millions of Americans living as second-class citizens in this nation. And I ask for your support in this election so that together we can bring about real change for all LGBT Americans.
Equality is a moral imperative. That's why throughout my career, I have fought to eliminate discrimination against LGBT Americans. In Illinois, I co-sponsored a fully inclusive bill that prohibited discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, extending protection to the workplace, housing, and places of public accommodation. In the U.S. Senate, I have co-sponsored bills that would equalize tax treatment for same-sex couples and provide benefits to domestic partners of federal employees. And as president, I will place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.
The next president must also address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When it comes to prevention, we do not have to choose between values and science. While abstinence education should be part of any strategy, we also need to use common sense. We should have age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception. We should pass the JUSTICE Act to combat infection within our prison population. And we should lift the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. In addition, local governments can protect public health by distributing contraceptives.
We also need a president who's willing to confront the stigma – too often tied to homophobia – that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. I confronted this stigma directly in a speech to evangelicals at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, and will continue to speak out as president. That is where I stand on the major issues of the day. But having the right positions on the issues is only half the battle. The other half is to win broad support for those positions. And winning broad support will require stepping outside our comfort zone. If we want to repeal DOMA, repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and implement fully inclusive laws outlawing hate crimes and discrimination in the workplace, we need to bring the message of LGBT equality to skeptical audiences as well as friendly ones – and that's what I've done throughout my career. I brought this message of inclusiveness to all of America in my keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention. I talked about the need to fight homophobia when I announced my candidacy for President, and I have been talking about LGBT equality to a number of groups during this campaign – from local LGBT activists to rural farmers to parishioners at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Dr. Martin Luther King once preached.
Just as important, I have been listening to what all Americans have to say. I will never compromise on my commitment to equal rights for all LGBT Americans. But neither will I close my ears to the voices of those who still need to be convinced. That is the work we must do to move forward together. It is difficult. It is challenging. And it is necessary.
Americans are yearning for leadership that can empower us to reach for what we know is possible. I believe that we can achieve the goal of full equality for the millions of LGBT people in this country. To do that, we need leadership that can appeal to the best parts of the human spirit. Join with me, and I will provide that leadership. Together, we will achieve real equality for all Americans, gay and straight alike."
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Talking Points #3 on Carlson
Dennis Carlson in "Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"
Context/Premise- This article is about:
- gayness
- straightness
- lesbians
- embryonic communities
- democratic community
- American culture
- tolerance
- homosexuals
- heterosexuals
- public schools
- class
- gender
- race
- culture
- normalizing school community
- silence
- stereotypes
- sex education
- personal lives
Author's Argument- Carlson argues that public schools in a democratic society need to have teachers educate students to have tolerance for homosexuals as they do for heterosexuals, and this is a vital step in accepting race, gender, and sexual preferences. In other words, educate on the issues rather than silence them.
Evidence-
1) "While public schools have long been viewed by progressive educators as embryonic communities that should engage young people in building a democratic community of mutual support and respect, gay people have for the most part been made absent, invisible, and silent within this community and at the same time represented as the deviant and pathological "Other". (233)- This quote states that there is a certain silence and ignorance towards gay people in the public school system, and that homesexuals are seen as morally wrong.
2) "Public schools in particular have often promoted such "normalizing" conceptualizations of community that are based on defining a cultural center or "norm" and positioning class, gender, race, and sexual Others at the margins." (234) -Carlson is explaining that the public school systems force teachers to educate an unattainable image of normalcy on students. He questions what happens if a child is not what is considered "normal". For example, if the child is a homosexual and then this way of teaching makes that feel like their a freak, uncapable of being like everyone else.
3) "Normalizing practices, however, must reach beyond curriculum texts if they are to be effective in constructing a normalizing school community." (237) This quote explains that it is just as vital for learning about proper normalcy outside of the classroom as it is inside.
4) "These abuses get tolerated because gay teachers and students operate in an environment where they feel afraid to stand up for themselves, and because any discussion of gay people continues to be absent in the curriculum so that homophobia is not interrogated" (239).- This example shows that this type of homophobia is somewhat accepted because gay teachers and students are afraid to defend themselves, and I have a sense of compassion for these individuals because they are human like the rest of us and have feelings too.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share: Although I found this article to be difficult to comprehend at times, I found it eye opening as I did with the other past readings on the different forms of racism. I liked how Carlson used specific examples of ignorance towards homosexuals, especially in pop culture, because here gayness is basically invisible. I was able to relate this to the SCWAAMP activity because we talked about how few movies there are about homosexuals and also how they are stereotyped in the media. I agree with Carlson, in that all sexual preferences should be equally accepted and one should not be deemed more "normal" than the other.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Talking Points #2 on Rodriguez
Richard Rodriguez- Aria
Context/Premise: This article is about public language, private language, classroom language, language of home, language barriers, silence caused by language barriers, teachers, students, education, pronounciations, advantage of English language, the privilege of Americaness, bilingual individuals, and ignorance by English speaking teachers and children.
Argument:Rodriguez argues that children should be taught a second language early in their life because it would be considered a public language rather than a private one, and because it is essential for children to know English as a first language, bilingual children loose part of their identity when they silence the use of their native language.
Evidence: "Had they been taught a second language like Spanish or French, they could have regarded it simply as that: another public language." (34)
Here Rodriguez is explaining that if children learned a language in addition to English, they would be able to converse with other bilingual students.
"Because I wrongly imagined that English was intrinsically a public language and Spanish was an intrinsically private one, I easily noted the difference between classroom language and the language of home." (34)
Rodriguez is remembering his school experience where he realized English was the public language and Spanish was the private language of his home.
"Unsmiling, ever watchful, my teachers noted my silence." (35)
The silence was caused by Rodriguez not speaking English at home, and therefore, he struggled with it at school and decided to hide behind the silence.
"Only when I was with them in public would I grow alert to their accents." (38)
Rodriguez would notice his family's thick Spanish accent only when they were in public, surrounded by fluent English speaking people. In the privacy of his home, he does not notice it.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share: This story was straightforward and clear, making my reading it enjoyable and insightful because it made me take for granted the English language. I was taught the English language in the privacy of my home so I could apply it to the public when I was old enough to go to school. But many children speak Spanish primarily at home, so how does that prepare them for school? It makes it difficult to say the least. I think teachers need to be aware of each student's culture and be very careful not to silence them because of a language barrier. However, all children living in America need to learn English because that is the main language of the public, and it will help them get ahead rather than be silenced.
Context/Premise: This article is about public language, private language, classroom language, language of home, language barriers, silence caused by language barriers, teachers, students, education, pronounciations, advantage of English language, the privilege of Americaness, bilingual individuals, and ignorance by English speaking teachers and children.
Argument:Rodriguez argues that children should be taught a second language early in their life because it would be considered a public language rather than a private one, and because it is essential for children to know English as a first language, bilingual children loose part of their identity when they silence the use of their native language.
Evidence: "Had they been taught a second language like Spanish or French, they could have regarded it simply as that: another public language." (34)
Here Rodriguez is explaining that if children learned a language in addition to English, they would be able to converse with other bilingual students.
"Because I wrongly imagined that English was intrinsically a public language and Spanish was an intrinsically private one, I easily noted the difference between classroom language and the language of home." (34)
Rodriguez is remembering his school experience where he realized English was the public language and Spanish was the private language of his home.
"Unsmiling, ever watchful, my teachers noted my silence." (35)
The silence was caused by Rodriguez not speaking English at home, and therefore, he struggled with it at school and decided to hide behind the silence.
"Only when I was with them in public would I grow alert to their accents." (38)
Rodriguez would notice his family's thick Spanish accent only when they were in public, surrounded by fluent English speaking people. In the privacy of his home, he does not notice it.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share: This story was straightforward and clear, making my reading it enjoyable and insightful because it made me take for granted the English language. I was taught the English language in the privacy of my home so I could apply it to the public when I was old enough to go to school. But many children speak Spanish primarily at home, so how does that prepare them for school? It makes it difficult to say the least. I think teachers need to be aware of each student's culture and be very careful not to silence them because of a language barrier. However, all children living in America need to learn English because that is the main language of the public, and it will help them get ahead rather than be silenced.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Talking Points #1 on Kozol/Goldberg
Jonathan Kozol- Amazing Grace
Bernard Goldberg- 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America.
Context/Premise: These two articles are about poverty, ghetto neighborhoods, parents, children, poorness, starvation, destitution, herion and crack cocaine addictions, HIV and AIDS, depression, fear, anxiety, asthma, faith, relegion, violence, murder, homicide, death, drugs, guns, unfair medical treatment, prejudice, racism, welfare, minorities, unemployment, abuse, homelessness, sickness, awareness, patriotism, political correctness, and education.
Argument: Kozol and Goldberg argue that poverty is a serious problem that unfortunately affects childrens rights to education because of elements such as starvation, diseases, destitution, drugs, violence, and homicide, which are all factors that work against a child properly learning, and that this is becoming a more significant issue in today's society.
Evidence: Kozol- One statistic that truly shocked me and forced me to realize just how serious the situation of poverty is comes from this quote.
"Only seven out of 800 children do not qualify for free school lunches." (3)
Kozol- With children having to deal with things like homicide, which is clearly beyond their maturity level, it is no wonder how that affects their emotional stability.
"Depression is common among children in Mott Haven." (4)
Kozol- "What is it like for children to grow up here? What do they think the world has done to them? Do they believe that they are being shunned or hidden by society?" (5)
Kozol interviews a boy named Cliffie, a seven year old boy with a less then desirable life, yet the boy like many other children living in poverty offers up high spirits rather then crying about what he does not have. "There are children in the poorest, most abandoned places who, despite the miseries and poisons in the world has pumped into their lives, seem, when you first meet them, to be cheerful anyway." (6)
Kozol interviews a teenage boy named David, whose mother is suffering from AIDS. This quote is David's response to when Kozol asks him what he means by "the evil on the earth."
"I believe that what the rich have done to the poor people in this city is something that a preacher could call evil. Somebody has power. Pretending that they don't so that they don't need to use it to help people-that is my idea of evil. (23)
Goldberg- "The teachers are predictable liberals." (293)
Goldberg- This next quote I found relates to Lisa Delpit's theory that issues of pwer are enacted in the classroom. "We are taught U.S. history out of politically correct textbooks..." (294)
This relates to Delpit because she believes that "the power of publishers of textbooks and of the developers of the curriculum to determine the view of the world presented." (24)
Other Issues to Consider- Although the harsh reality of poverty was a bit to graphic at times, I feel like a learned a lot from reading Kozol's Amazing Grace. It is hard to truly understand the depth of what these children are going through, especially because I have been fortunate enough to have a good life. Children are impressionable beings, and I cannot imagine how hard it must be to go withought a meal or worse, witness extreme acts of violence. Kozol's writing style is unbiased and well researched, as shown by his various interviews throughout the reading. His writing enabled me to visually see the roach infested apartment and the mother who was shot while holding her baby.
Bernard Goldberg- 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America.
Context/Premise: These two articles are about poverty, ghetto neighborhoods, parents, children, poorness, starvation, destitution, herion and crack cocaine addictions, HIV and AIDS, depression, fear, anxiety, asthma, faith, relegion, violence, murder, homicide, death, drugs, guns, unfair medical treatment, prejudice, racism, welfare, minorities, unemployment, abuse, homelessness, sickness, awareness, patriotism, political correctness, and education.
Argument: Kozol and Goldberg argue that poverty is a serious problem that unfortunately affects childrens rights to education because of elements such as starvation, diseases, destitution, drugs, violence, and homicide, which are all factors that work against a child properly learning, and that this is becoming a more significant issue in today's society.
Evidence: Kozol- One statistic that truly shocked me and forced me to realize just how serious the situation of poverty is comes from this quote.
"Only seven out of 800 children do not qualify for free school lunches." (3)
Kozol- With children having to deal with things like homicide, which is clearly beyond their maturity level, it is no wonder how that affects their emotional stability.
"Depression is common among children in Mott Haven." (4)
Kozol- "What is it like for children to grow up here? What do they think the world has done to them? Do they believe that they are being shunned or hidden by society?" (5)
Kozol interviews a boy named Cliffie, a seven year old boy with a less then desirable life, yet the boy like many other children living in poverty offers up high spirits rather then crying about what he does not have. "There are children in the poorest, most abandoned places who, despite the miseries and poisons in the world has pumped into their lives, seem, when you first meet them, to be cheerful anyway." (6)
Kozol interviews a teenage boy named David, whose mother is suffering from AIDS. This quote is David's response to when Kozol asks him what he means by "the evil on the earth."
"I believe that what the rich have done to the poor people in this city is something that a preacher could call evil. Somebody has power. Pretending that they don't so that they don't need to use it to help people-that is my idea of evil. (23)
Goldberg- "The teachers are predictable liberals." (293)
Goldberg- This next quote I found relates to Lisa Delpit's theory that issues of pwer are enacted in the classroom. "We are taught U.S. history out of politically correct textbooks..." (294)
This relates to Delpit because she believes that "the power of publishers of textbooks and of the developers of the curriculum to determine the view of the world presented." (24)
Other Issues to Consider- Although the harsh reality of poverty was a bit to graphic at times, I feel like a learned a lot from reading Kozol's Amazing Grace. It is hard to truly understand the depth of what these children are going through, especially because I have been fortunate enough to have a good life. Children are impressionable beings, and I cannot imagine how hard it must be to go withought a meal or worse, witness extreme acts of violence. Kozol's writing style is unbiased and well researched, as shown by his various interviews throughout the reading. His writing enabled me to visually see the roach infested apartment and the mother who was shot while holding her baby.
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