PROS

21st Century's Witch Trial

Jin O Jung                                 

Program Fellow, Korean Resource Center

     With the Presidential Election in 2008, the state of California has introduced a bill on legalizing prohibition of homosexual marriage. So disagreement on homosexual marriage is becoming an issue. Several groups who disagree with the bill receives calls such as "Because you, the State of California will be a heaven of gays, how can you be like that when homosexuals are treated less than dogs or cows." "Agreeing with homosexual marriage is against Christianity."

  By seeing these logics, it is surprising to see that it seems to be similar to the discrimination the Koreans suffered from the US. In the US immigration history, many Asians as well as Koreans were discriminated simply by the difference in skin color. In the early 1900, the State of California has established the California Alien Land Law (1913) and until 1940s, the Anti-miscegenation Law existed prohibiting marriage between caucasian and asian. At that time, the Anti-miscegenation Law was established because Asian immigrants were thought to be inferior to caucasian and were not thought as humans. These laws existed just less than 50 years. These phenomenon has occured less than 50 years but just because of the difference in sexual taste they are being discriminated.

  Homosexuals already exists in this society. By prohibiting homosexual marriage, homosexuals are not going to disappear. It is only eliminating their right. By prohibiting homosexual marriage, it does not simply end at that situation. If his or her partner is sick in an hospital ER they will not be able to meet his or her partner because they are not his or her family member. If his or her partner is sick in the hospital he or she will not be able to receive insurance benefit because he or she will not be considered as a family. If they die, the remaining partner will not be able to receive the annuity he or she should receive. Such benefits are the fundamental rights a person should receive and it is taken away.

  At the Vatican city in March 2000, they presented that Christians are forgiving all the sins humans have made for the past 2,000 years. They presented for forgiveness for all the sins in the 11th Century, by the name of Sacred Restoration, massacre of 70 thousand people in the crusade war, Witch Hunt that went on for few centuries of fear in Europe to drive the people's attention out of the uneasiness from the defeat of war, New Continental aborigine massacre by Pope Alexander sixth in 1943 when he sent missionary up front to massacre the Mexican aborigines, in which 15 million people were reduced to 3 million, etc.

  However, in the 2008 Presidential Election, religious and other groups need to reconsider that by taking away the existing homosexual marriage. They are creating a 21st century Witch Trial. As we all are sinners under God, do we have the right to throw stones at a social group who are just about to come out into the sunlight?

  In this presently moment, Korean-Americans are being discriminated simply because they are Asian, a minority, immigrat, or their lack of English ability. As we know the pain of discrimination, does it seem right in differentiating homosexual rights just because homosexuals are different? The judgement on righteous sin should be left to God to judge on.

Translated by Song Jae-yoon

CONS

"Why Not Gay Marriage?"

  National Organizaton for Marriage

   Spin a globe and pick virtually any place on earth at any previous time in human history; you will find that they do marriage one way between men and women. There may be other differences, but marriage has always required a husband and a wife.

  Why? Marriage teaches that men and women need each other and that children need mothers and fathers. A loving and compassionate society comes to the aid of motherless and fatherless children, but no compassionate society intentionally deprives children of their own mom or dad. But this is what every same-sex home does and for no other reason but to satisfy adult desire.

  The battle for marriage takes place at the water cooler, the kitchen table, and in the church pews. Here are answers to five questions that will help you defend the family.

  "How will my same-sex marriage hurt your marriage?"

  Same-sex marriage advocates want to force everyone to dramatically and permanently alter our definition of marriage and family. The great, historic, cross-cultural understanding of marriage as the union of husband and wife will be called bigotry in the public square. The law will teach your children and grandchildren that there is nothing special about mothers and fathers raising children together, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a bigot.

  "Is same-sex marriage like interracial marriage?"

  Laws against interracial marriage were about keeping two races apart, so that one race could oppress the other, and that is wrong. Marriage is about bringing male and female together, so that children have mothers and fathers, and so that women are not stuck with the enormous, unfair burdens of parenting alone; and that is good.

  "Is polygamy next?"

  Jonathan Yarbrough, part of the first couple to get a same-sex marriage in Provincetown, Mass, said, "I think it is possible to love more than one person and have more than one partner. In our case, it is. We have an open marriage." Once you rip a ship off its mooring who knows where it will drift next?

  "What will happen to our Catholic organizations?" After same-sex marriage is created, will the statement, "children need a mother and a father" be deemed hate speech? In Massachusetts, the Boston Globe said so: Governor Romney is denigrating gay families, practicing divisive, mean-spirited politics by insisting that every child 'has a right to a mother and a father.' Right now, the Catholic Church is being challenged in Canada because a local parish refused to rent out their church reception hall when they learned the reception was for a lesbian couple. Legal scholars warn that the tax exempt status and accreditation of Catholic organizations could be at risk.

  "What will public school teach?" Consider a recent National Public Radio story from Boston. An eighth-grade teacher there teaches about gay sex "thoroughly and explicitly." When asked if parents complained about their children learning such explicit material, this teacher said, "Give me a break. It is legal now." Heather and her two Mommies will become standard kindergarten fare. Our children need to hear a positive message about marriage.

 

Individual Freedom or Social Chaos?

Support!

 Choi Yong -jin                                                                             

 School of Business, Freshman

   Numerous gays and lesbians exist in Korea. They are suffering from discrimination from the Korean society since majority of people in our society have prejudiced view against them. In order to help them, acknowledging them through legalization of same-sex marriage is essential.

 Kim Tae-hwan   

 Division of Material Science and Engineering, Sophomore

  Love is between two people, not two different sexes. I do not think homosexuals have defects or conditions. I believe love can take many forms and any two people can come to feel closer and passionate about each other. Despite the importance of economic backgrounds, love is a fundamental factor to a union of two people. This is why I support same-sex marriage.

 Hwang Yi-ru

 Department of Physics, Junior

  Although I cannot love men, other's freedom should not be judged or controlled upon my view. People cannot all be the same. Everyone has different facial looks and different minds. People need to respect what other people think. In reality, people do not decide what other people want to eat or wear etc. Also, same-sex marriage does not harm others.

Oppose!

Kang Ji-min                                                                                                                                            School of Business, Freshman

  Marriage is a preparation to create an environment which is suitable for raising children. If parents consist of only male or only female, children cannot receive proper education from their parents. Also, there is a possibility for children to have biased opinion. Children are not even given the opportunity to learn about diversity. People should not put society in chaos for their sexual preference.

Kim Dai-Hyun                                                                                                                                  Department of Chemistry, Senior

  Considering our traditional values, if same-sex marriage is legalized, it will create confusion in our society. The matter of same-sex marriage will also not receive social consent or agreement. Other controversial issues such as polygamy, will also claim their rights to legalization upon the legalization of same-sex marriage.

 

ANALYSIS

By Min Kyung-han                                                                                                                 kh88min@hanyang.ac.kr

  Same-sex marriage has always been a world's controversial issue. Some countries like Canada legalized same-sex marriage and in the United States, same-sex marriage is currently legal in California. A while ago, famous world actress Linsay Lohan shocked the world by announcing that she wants to marry her girlfriend, Samantha Ronson. Also, in Korea, attentions on homosexual people and their rights are increasing.

   Meanwhile, in California, the vote on disallowing same-sex marriage was passed with 52.3% of the residents in California opposing the same-sex marriage. After this vote, advocates of same-sex marriage began to protest in the streets and created social confusion. If this vote results in revision of the constitution, same-sex marriage will be illegal in California. As shown in the following chart, Hanyangians (who participated in the survey) supporting legalization of same-sex marriage in Korea was 48.7% and opposing group was 51.3%. This shows that this issue is controversial and one group do not outweigh other interest group by a great amount.

  Strongest reason for supporting same-sex marriage was that individual's preference is not a factor which government should take part in. 40.5% of the same-sex supporters chose this for supporting same sex marriage. 34.8% of the supporters said that human rights and freedom of homosexuals should be respected.

  For opposing the same-sex marriage, three reasons were rated around 30% and they were: First, legalization of same-sex marriage will create social confusion, second, marriage should consist of a male and female, and third, it is impossible because too many people oppose same-sex marriage. 10.5% of the Hanyangians opposed same-sex marriage due to religious issue.

  Lastly, about the granting, right to adopt children to homosexual couples, there were two strongest groups. 33.9% of the Hanyangians said homosexual couples satisfy as the role of father and mother; therefore, right to adopt children should be given to them.

  On the other hand, 34.2% Hanyangians opposed on granting adoption rights to homosexual couples due to possibility of confusion for character of the adopted child when growing up. Again, number of people supporting and opposing this issue was calculated to 54% and 46% for each group. This issue was also highly controversial and one group did not outweigh the other group.

  Most of these issues showed highly controversial numbers. This is probably the reason why this issue is still not settled and controversial in the world. Statistics proved that this issue is also controversial within Hanyang University and Hanyangians.

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