Young 1

Zachary Young
Chapter 1
FHS 2400
Polygamy & Civil Unions
If I was required to vote on a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, I would vote for the legalization.
My personal belief is having a same-gender attraction is incorrect, but prohibiting the right for said people
to be legally protected and united in marriage wont change how they feel. I will continue to love and be
friends with those who have same-gender attraction because I believe that having differing beliefs
shouldnt give us permission to discriminate or abuse. If we only gave people who had the same beliefs
as us the same rights and privileges that we have, our country would not be able to function. Having
tolerance for those with differing beliefs is what made the United States unique in days past, and
continuing that practice of tolerance is what has led us to the country we have today.
If I was required to vote on a bill legalizing polygamy in the United States, I would vote against the
legalization. Same-gender attraction and having more than one husband or wife is a completely different
scenario. Polygamy was prohibited because it was considered a potential threat to public order (Strong
9). Not only that, but it wasnt a matter of love, it was a matter of sustaining widows or multiple women
without husbands. In our day and age, gender roles have become adaptable enough for women to be
able to take care of themselves if necessary. Polygamy was seen as a necessity, but now it isnt. There
are so many programs that can be taking advantage of in order to provide for ones self.
Who am I to restrict the love of another, but restricting something that isnt necessary and is
potentially harmful is something I plan to do. Marriage is dedicating yourself to another person legally,
sensually, and economically. Polygamy is dedicating yourself to two or more people economically and
partially sensually. It was created in order to provide widows with someone to rely on for economic and
emotional support, not out of love. There are now other means of acquiring economic and emotional
support besides legally binding marriage, including the government, extended family, and neighbors.
Showing love and compassion for all those around us with different beliefs is important, we must
continue to do so. Giving same-gender couples the rights and privileges of a legally binding marriage that
opposite-gender couples enjoy is an act against discriminating against those with differing beliefs than the
majority. Discrimination is not the way to solve the problem, loving and caring for those around us is the
only way to ensure that our love for them will cycle back to us, making our community as a whole better.

Young 2
Works Cited
Strong, Bryan, and Theodore F Cohen. The Marriage and Family Experience, Custom Edition. Cengage
Learning, 2014. Print.