What is Marriage?

To some people, marriage is a union between a man and a woman, but mostly it is two people showing their devotion towards each other. Many people get married for financial support, while in other countries they marry for love. Some are arranged and some are vegas weddings. I think that it is fair to say that people marry to show their dedication and love. Sex should not be an issue when it comes to marriage, since it is a personal decision, and should be regarded as a choice. He also lists the benefits of being married, so that the audience can see why most couples decide to get married, and why homosexuals really want to get married. I think that another large aspect of Wolfson's argument is that in order for his audience to truly see the whole picture, he cannot just concentrate on one aspect of sex. This is probably why he tried to avoid mentioning sex in parts of his writing. I just wish he would also put some emohasis on the family aspect of marriage, because it is my opinion that the desire to start a family can also have an impact on this topic.

Airplane

Dr. Horn describes there being two planes. One with two parents, and that one is usually on time and gets to the destination on time. The other with only one parent, and that one doesn't always get to the destination. The one with two parents is as close 100% accuracy, which is better for the child. The child in the first plane is more likely to have less issues, and to not be inevitably screwed up. The second plane gets to the destination, but not 100% of the time,and usually leaves emotional scarring on the child, which can eventually lead to problems with children who only have one parent. Horn is basically saying that a family with two parents is easier for the child, society, and is better.

Appearances

I think that Vazquez doesn't want to tell her audience right away that the two men are straight, because she wants you to think that they are gay. She does this to make the audience shocked, which worked because I actually thought that they were gay. Why is she doing this? She does this to emphasize the impact that appearances have. People are often judged by appearances and that sometimes a person does not seem how they appear. I think that the old saying "never judge a book by its cover," is totally appropriate for this article. Violence that antigay send out is equal for this reason, they send out the same message and that is what matters the most. We all have the right to express ourselves, in our opinions, whether other people agree with them or not. They can still express these ideas without the use if violence, just because you don't support it and you disagree with it doesn't mean you should hurt another person.

# 7 pg. 383

Don't eat with your mouth open. Brush your teeth. Go to bed. Say your prayers before dinner and bed. Brush your hair. Walk the dog. Don't let men be bossy. Treat other how you would want to be treated. Think of others before yourself. Do your own laundry, don't let dad do that! Always use a napkin. Say please and thank you. Use this knife not the butter knife. Make your own dinner. Offer help when it is needed. Don't stress too much about something so small. Sing out loud and proud. Don't think so little of yourself. Don't try to control everything. Just let go. Always maintain high standards for yourself. Don't swear, or cuss. Follow the rules, and speak the way we are supposed to speak or don't speak at all. If you can't think of anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. Don't speak unless you are spoken to. Sit up tall and don't slouch. Don't play with your food.

Being Sensitive and Being Manly

I personally have always thought that men are capable of being both sensitive and manly, so I have to disagree with Mansfield's statement. Men are noted for standing up for their country and being brave and chivalrous, while at the same time being caring and showing emotion. I think that the perfect example of this is how a typical husband acts, protective, and care for their families when they are in a time of distress. Many dads and father figures are usually seen in this way. So, yes sensitivity and manliness are definitely compatible, if they weren't, then we would not have father figures. It has always been my belief that a man who is too manly is just plain odd. Men and women can both be brave and stand up for what they believe in and be sensitive too.

Eustace is the last american man

Gilbert constantly emphasizes that she thinks Eustace Conway is the last american man. She believes this because who really does go into the wilderness and wrestles a buck? Nobody, in fact most people would just shoot it, but not Eustace. Eustace is able to survive on his own, away from society. I believe that she does have the evidence to back her statement up, since she does spend a lot of time with Eustace. But, in her eyes he is not the last american man, because he lives in the wilderness off of nature, but that he hold the basic ideals that were instilled in the very first American men. When you look at most modern-day American men, ten you usually think of someone who is similar to a businessman. I think that most people think that Eustace represents what an American man should be, but the problem is that we portray him as what a masculine man should be. I think that Gilbert believes he is the last American man because he is not like the other American men that we see today, and he is one of a kind.

Real Men and True Women

Tocqueville makes a very intriguing argument in this essay, basically saying that women will eventually become equal to men. She describes this progression to be similar to that of a father and son, and sort of a master and servant. Yes, it may take some time to achieve, but once this change occurs, then there is the great possibility that women will truly be an equal to men.
Women have always had the job of making the babies, and cooking dinner, and doing the laundry, and the men have always been the primary breadwinners. This is what our society has been like for quite sometime, and it is my belief that it still exists today, whether we choose to acknowledge this or not. The point is that duties for men and women have always been distinct, and Tocqueville thinks that this difference in actions of these sexes. Women were simply to go on another path than that of the man, which Tocqueville describes as being two separate paths. This means that women ultimately were not to do anything strenuous, and yet at the same time, they were respected and protected by men. I think it is a fair statement to say that men at this time ultimately realized how much a women could endure, and how much strength she had, and they have the complete respect of the man, but are still not seen as equals. I find it very interesting that countries like Europe women are alike and have the same opportunities as men, but yet the women still do not the equality and respect that they deserve.

Cinderella

When we were little kids, we all watched the Disney Classics, and probably read the many versions of Grimms Fairy Tales, but the most prominent story that sticks out in my mind that relates to my gender the most is Cinderella. For those of you who have not heard this story, at the beginning of the story she is happy with her father, and he gets married, and Cinderella gets two evil stepsisters, who are jealous of her beauty. When her father dies, they make poor Cinderella become their servant, and she is also treated very badly by the wicked stepmother. Now, in reality, I highly doubt that anyone would be enslaved by their own family, but still this makes us want to sympathize with Cinderella even more. She goes to a ball, with the help of a fairy-godmother, and loses her glass slipper, prince later on finds out that she is the girl who fits the glass slipper, and they get married and live happily ever after.
Now who wouldn't want a bunch of mice making you a dress, and a fairy god-mother on hand to help you? I think that every girl always dreams of finding their prince charming, just like cinderella did, and we all like to hear that good wins out in the end. We all want to dress like Cinderella, act like Cinderella, and be just like Cinderella. You don't see any kids dressing up like the villain on Halloween do you? No. This is because we all want to be feminine and believe that if we just sit there and wait for somebody to help us, like mice or a fairy godmother,then everything will tun out just as it should, and we will all live happily ever after. This is not a bad thing, seeing as it is mostly for the enjoyment of children, but still I would like to see one Disney Princess be ugly. Cinderella has beautiful blonde hair, and boobs, and the perfect gown, and she's just gorgeous! Anyway, the point is that stories like these are trying to make girls want to act like this, and to believe that if you believe in your dreams, just like in the song Cinderella sings "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," then you too can find your happy ending.

Nature

The two lines in the poem "Nature," by Ralph Waldo Emerson were "Few adult persons can see nature." I really like this line because it reaches out to those of us who are young. I feel that sometimes adults can get caught up in superficial, meaningless things and become so involved with these things that they lose their own spirit. This brings me to the next quote that I found to be quite intriguing "Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." I love this quote, because nature is just natural, and it is what it is, and it is our spirit. That's why when we look at nature, we can have an entire different perspective, but we all know that we are a part of it. The fact that some adults can't see nature, and the colors of the spirit it awakens, is why they lose their own spirit. Whether you are a child, mother, father, son, grandmother, or anyone for that matter, you have to be able to see nature in order to find your spirit.