Same Sex or Same Rights

It has been a controversial subject for decades now, yet still a solution has not been achieved. Hundreds of writers have written for and against this subject and many great points have been made. There are two specific essays that appeared in Newsweek, June 3, 1996. Andrew Sullivan wrote Let Gays Marry in his hopes to persuade the audience that gay marriage is perfectly legitimate. In response to this essay, William Bennett, wrote Leave Marriage Alone, and published it in the same issue as Sullivan. Both of these authors produce effective arguments; which makes this controversy that much more interesting. These two essays are similar in many ways although their differences are just as significant.

Let Gays Marry was written on gay marriages. Sullivan touches on many points including human rights, love, separation of church and state, and hypocrisy. Sullivan describes the Supreme Court ruling (1996) by quoting their decision. “A state cannot deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws.”(p. 25) Thus he believes that all humans have the same rights and should be given the same opportunities to marry. Sullivan goes on to say that marriage is a bond symbolizing a loving relationship between two people. He argues that

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On the other hand Bennett’s theme in Leave Marriages Alone is religion and tradition. Disrupting this tradition would be wrong, according to Bennett.

Andrew Sullivan and William Bennett both argue their beliefs quite well. The most obvious similarity is that they were both published in Newsweek to show the authors feelings towards same-sex marriage.

Both of these essays have several key arguments in common. Bennett says that homosexuals do not honor marriage as highly as heterosexuals, thus degrading the system. He quotes that Sullivan (1996) mentioned the “openness of the contract” (p. Not only do they state their own ideas but they also commented on each others ideas. For Bennett, the definition of marriage is much more specific and involves a bond of love, a male and a female, and a future family. Both of these authors believe that marriage is a bond of love between two people. He feels that since marriage has a 4,000 year history it is quite important that it stays intact. Bennett first describes that the definition of marriage would be destroyed if same-sex marriages were allowed. In response to this essay, William Bennett wrote his argument using many of the same key points. Bennett uses several key topics including the definition of marriage itself, the practice of marriage, the religion, and the tradition.

Approximate Word count = 1173
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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