Each state should allow same sex couples to adopt children.

My Points______________________________________________________________________ "1. The United States Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1 states, "no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Not offering equal protection to gays under marriage laws is unconstitutional." Constitutionality is the highest law in the land. Denying gays from adoption is directly unconstitutional and if you cannot rebut it, then I will inevitably win this debate. You cannot just ignore the Constitution. 2. The Declaration of Independence said "all men are created equal." And on the front of the Supreme Court building the words are etched in "Equal Justice Under Law." Equality is a basic American principle that should be respected. Equality is a basic American principle. How can you just ignore it? 3. The American Psychological Association and all respectable, unbiased psychological organizations agree that gay couples are just as good parents as straight couples. You did not respond to the fact that psychologists agree that children are not psychologically effected or any less well off if they have two parents of the same sex. Foster care systems have a high chance of abuse and neglect. It is almost impossible to be successful inan abusive environment absent of love. These abuses can also be permanently traumatic. Psychologists agree that having gay parents is not traumatic, while abuse and neglect is permanently traumatic, often. It is in the best interest of these children to allow them to adopted any chance they can. Rebuttals______________________________________________________________________ uj0320-Con>>> "It is overly optimistic view that children would want to be adopted regardless of who their parents are going to be." +++ It is not an optimistic view. The fact is that the American foster care system is oppressive. It involves no love and rarely ever gifts even on holidays. +++ Often children are neglected and abused. Foster care is dramatically less safe and less happy than parental care. In the state of Texas alone it is learned that 48 foster children died in the state's care. Compared to the general population, a child is 4 times more likely to die in their foster care system than in a loving household. And the only way we got these statistics is because Texas is one of the few states who takes action and tries to help these children as much as possible. Many states are less effective, less caring, and more neglegent than Texas. Foster care is unsafe. In 2004, almost 100 children were treated for poisoning; 63 were treated for rape that happened while in state care; and 142 children gave birth. In Missouri, they found that 57% of foster children were likely to be abused and neglected. Foster care is dramatically less safe than parental care. Children with the oppurtunity to escape with a loving family should be allowed to do so. [http://www.window.state.tx.us...] [http://en.wikipedia.org...] uj0320-Con>>> "Most of children will want to stay where they were if it is anticipated that their new family is going to be different from other families." +++ These children will not want to stay where they are. The foster care system is traumatic. Many are abused verbally, physically, and sexually. +++ These children will be in direct danger. And in the best interest of the children, they should be rescued into a gay family to escape from sexual abuse and other abuses. uj0320-Con>>> "The children will have a biased view about gay people because of the pressure that their surrounding environtment gives them, such as ridicules and comments from their friends or neighbors. It is a selfish act for gay people to adopt childeren for their own satisfaction, disregarding the children's opinions, or overlooking the obstacles that their adopted children will get through entire their lives." +++ Many older, more mature foster children (who will have more than likely experienced abuses) will certainly want to go with the gay family to escape the abusive and neglectful foster care system. +++ Discrimination is certainly not a reason to ban children from leaving foster care. The state could not and would not restrict blacks from adopting in racist areas. It is illegal and unconstitutional. +++ It is also arrogant and just incorrect for you to presume that all children will be prejudiced against gays. Many children will want to live in the gay household to avoid the abuses of foster care and experience a loving family for the first time in their life. +++ It is selfish for anti-gay individuals to deny children (especially accepting children) a loving family and pit them into abuses in the foster care system just to reinforce their own prejudices against gays. _______________________________________________________________________________ I've responded to all of your points. It is only fair that you respond to all of mine. Constitutionality is the biggest point I have and is the highest law in the land. You must respond to it if you are to win the debate. -- Thank you for reading and voting.