My paper topic was the Eradication of the Defense of Marriage Act. During my research, I found nine instrumental sources that I used to structure my arguments. These sources include:
Black, Nathan. "Texas Court rejects Gay Couple's Divorce petition." Christian Post 1 Mar. 2011: 5. Web. 5 June 2011.
<http://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-court-rejects-gay-couples-divorce-petition-46569. >.
The important statement I took from this journal article is that most state courts are not ready to recognize gay marriage as part of the larger institution of marriage. Therefore courts are not ready to address issues like divorce suits resulting from gay marriage. I used the source in the second paragraph of my fourth argument. This article provided more information about how children in gay marriages end up suffering due to the idea of non-recognition exercised by courts. Is this morally upright? Phrase, lacked standing
Bonauto, Mary, L. "DOMA Damages Same-Sex Families and Their Children." The Family Journal 32.3 (2010): 4. Web. 4 June 2011.
<http://www.global25.com/DOMA-Damages-Same-Sex-Families-and-Their-Children.html>.
The important information I obtained from this journal article is the provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act. I used this source in my introduction while defining what this Act contains. This article thorough explained what the choice of non-recognition meant. Will states continue to abuse this federal legislation? Phrase, Interstate Commerce
"Gay Marriage in Texas." New York Times Nov. 2006: 2. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.tobyjohnson.com/dontamend.html>.
The vital material that I derived from this newspaper article was the voting trends in the state of Texas regarding gay marriage in 2005. I used this source in the first paragraph of my fourth argument. This article offered great information in explaining why people really voted they way they did. Is the society not changing? Why really on information collected six years ago to make a judgement today? Phrase, Fourteenth Amendment.
Davey, Monica. "Iowa Permits Same-Sex Marriage For 4 Hours, Anyway." New York Times 1 Sept. 2007: 6. Web. 5 June 2011.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/01/us/01iowa.html>.
The useful information that I got from this newspaper article is that the American society is dynamic and therefore a fixed document like the U.S Constitution cannot be relied upon to deal with the needs of the American society. I used this source in the second paragraph of my second argument. This source played an important role in shaping my argument that constitutional amendments are key in taking care of the concerns arising from the American society that is ever evolving. Is constitutional amendment really easy? Phrase, Confederacy
Feldmeier, John, P. "Federalism and Full Faith and Credit: Must States." Publius 25.4 (1995): 107-126. Web. 4 June 2011.
<http://publius.oxfordjournals.org/content/25/4/107.abstract>.
The fundamental information that I attained from this source was the provisions of the “Full Faith and Credit Clause.” I used this source in the first paragraph of my first argument. This source provided an excellent analysis of how gay couples have suffered in their own country yet many claim that our country is free and democratic. Is this fair? Phrase, Equal Protection Clause
Friedman, Lauri, S. Gay Marriage. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Print.
The important material that I picked from this source is how states misuse the choice of recognition to discriminate against residents of other states. I used this source in the second paragraph of my first argument. This source provided great information about how bans have been created in different states to fulfill this purpose. Are these kinds of legislations just? Phrase Statutory bans.
Hartman, Gary, R. Landmark Supreme Court Cases: The Most Influential Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2004. Print.
The important material I got from this book is the comparison of the U.S Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas and other cases regarding gay marriage that are being passed today. I used this source in the second last paragraph of the paper. This source provides excellent information in explaining why the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Will we solve anything by eradicating this legislation? Phrase, democratic accountability.
Jost, Kenneth. "Gay Marriage Showdowns: Will voters bar marriage for." in Social Problems: Selections from CQ Researcher by CQ Researcher. Pine Press, New York: 2009.Print.
The vital information that I obtained from this article was the current statistics of states and how they view gay marriage today. I used this source in the introduction of the paper. This source gives a comprehensive analysis of the all states and all the moves and constitutional amendments they have made regarding gay marriage up to date. Are these statistics going to change over time? Phrase, accenting a bill
Kimberly, John. "Goodridge, et al. v. Department of Public Health." Lawyer's Weekly Press 24 Nov. 2003: 4. Web. 5 June 2011.
<http://masslawyersweekly.com/fulltext-opinions/2003/11/24/goodridge-et-al-v-department- of-public-health-et-al/>.
The important information that I derived from this source is how states deny gay couples some fundamental rights like health insurance due to their social affiliation. I used this source in my third argument in the first paragraph. This source provided excellent information about the court cases that have been filed by gay couples in response to this oppression. Is filing court cases really helpful to gay couples? Phrase, devolution of power
