Gay Marriage

First, I would like to state that my opponent has essentially copied all of her argumentation from online sources. This is a serious accusation, but I have the sources to prove it. She has done the old "copy-and-paste" trick and has literally taken all of her arguments verbatim from online websites. My opponent makes it quite obvious by creating an opening argument containing many grammatical errors and then exhibiting a major improvement in sentence fluency in her second round. Here is the proof: My opponent stated: "And then there's the whole issue of the children. Some argue that children are better off raised in a male-female headed household. Whether there is truth to that argument or not, is not the point. Many couples will marry and not have children: gay and straight. Gay and lesbian couples are having children already without the benefit of marriage. So are single moms, teenagers and drug addicts. Preventing a loving same sex couple from making a legal commitment to each other can only hurt their children. It can send a message, like it did in the case of one Massachusetts couple, that mommy and mommy don't really love each other, because if they did, they would get married. How do you explain the legal system to a five year old? Some churches oppose same-sex marriage. Yet some, like the Unitarians and Metropolitan Community Church, bless gay marriages and perform commitment ceremonies. The Episcopalians are debating the issue right now. Whatever they decide does not and should not matter. Separation of church and state is essential to the freedom we enjoy as Americans. It is also the value our Constitution was based upon. " This argument is taken directly from: . http://lesbianlife.about.com... (The readers may have to scroll down a little bit) My opponent then states: "B) Same-Sex Marriage Provides a More Stable Environment for Children of Lesbian and Gay Couples Some critics of same-sex marriage argue that the purpose of marriage is to provide institutional support for childrearing and that lesbian and gay couples, who (like infertile heterosexual couples) cannot biologically produce children by way of each other, would have no need of this institutional support. But the truth is that, according to the 2000 Census, 96 percent of U. S. counties--no matter how remote, no matter how conservative--have at least one same-sex couple with a child. However one may feel about this, it's happening now--and if the legal institution of marriage is good for the children of heterosexual parents, why should the children of lesbian and gay couples be punished by their government simply because of the sexual orientation of their parents? " This argument is directly copied from: . http://civilliberty.about.com... (The argument is shown at the top of the provided website) My opponent finally states: "C) Kindness is a Moral Value But in the final analysis, the single best reason to legalize same-sex marriage is not because it's benign, or because it is inevitable, or because it is what our legal history demands of us, or because it is more conducive to family life. It is because legalizing same-sex marriage is the kind thing to do. I am constantly amazed at what lesbian and gay couples tell me about the friendships they have with social conservatives have very traditional ideas of what a relationship should be, but who nevertheless treat them with great kindness, generosity, and warmth. Likewise, nearly every conservative critic of same-sex marriage will happily admit that they have close lesbian and gay friends whom they care deeply about. Same-sex couples seeking marriage rights are obviously determined to stay together, or they wouldn't be trying to get married. So why make their lives more difficult? I feel confident that most conservatives wouldn't slash gay couples' tires, or kick over their mailboxes, or prank call them at 3am. So why pass laws that will prevent them from being able to file income taxes jointly, or visit each other in the hospital, or inherit one another's property? Social conservatives routinely speak of their moral obligation to promote legislation that upholds the values they live by. When that becomes a reality, the very kind and loving people who make up the majority of social conservatives in this country will be among those working to help their lesbian and gay neighbors, rather than working to make their lives more difficult. " This argument is direclty copied from: . http://civilliberty.about.com... (The readers should scroll down to about mid-page to see it) My opponent has copied directly from online sources and has not created any of her own argumentation. I have provided the sources from which my opponent copied her arguments verbatim. My opponent has cheated this debate by attempting to plagiarize, without even quoting the sources she stole her information from. I urge a Con vote. Thank you.