Gay Marriage Being Counted in the Census Bureau

In blog “Gay Marriage Being Counted in the Census Bureau,” written by Danielle Zamora I found it very interesting that she states in her article that the census bureau was for the first time deploying professional field workers to reach out to lesbian and gay couples and encouraging them to file as wife or husband on their census forms. The question in her article was should gay couples be counted as being married. She also goes on to quote our pledge allegiance “one nation under God” and that God created marriage to be between a man and a woman. That legalizing gay marriages goes against what God created marriage to be. That there are some people who argue that gay couples have the right to marriage just like everyone else and others who say that it will redefine marriage. So should gay couples be counted as being married?
My answer to the question “Should gay couples be counted as married,” is “No.” I agree with Danielle’s argument in her article that “God created marriage to be between a man and a woman.” This is written in bible scriptures and it is something that I strongly believe in. Marriage is between a man and a woman that is why GOD created Adam and Eve. I believe that anything else just brings more evil into this world. Our Pope Benedict, stance on homosexuality is that it is a moral evil. He states that the inclination toward homosexuality is not necessarily a sin, it can be considered a "tendency toward an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder." He continues by stating that, "A person engaging in homosexual behavior therefore acts immorally," because sex is only good if framed in the stance of being for procreation between a married man and woman.
See http://christianteens.about.com/od/homosexuality/f/RomCathHomosexu.htm

Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

In reading the article found in Newsweek “Taking the High Road” written by Jessica Bennett, she explains that a November ballot initiative could make California the first state in the nation to legalize marijuana. She explains that if approved by voters, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act, would make California the first state in the nation to make pot legal, which would allow Californians 21 and older to grow and possess up to one ounce of marijuana. She reports that in downtown Oakland the locals call a nine block stretch in the center of Oakland “Oaksterdam”. You can find shops that already sell marijuana as a medicinal drug. The concerns are that anyone can get a doctors note for any type of ailment such as headaches, cramps, anxiety, etc. if you have the money. The article talks about how Oakland has embraced the medical-marijuana industry. There hopes are that local jurisdictions would be able to tax and regulate the marijuana trade and tax the individual.
“Harvard enconomist Jeffrey Mirion has estimated that the cost to the country of cannabis prohibition is $13 billion annually, with an additional lost in potential tax revenue.” Based on this information, Oakland voters became the first in the nation to enact a special cannabis excise tax—$18 for every $1,000 grossed that the city believes will generate up to $1 million this year. With the hope of creating new jobs, improving the city, and occupying empty store spaces. I believe that although this is a controversial subject to cover that this article was well written. I found it to be very informative, although, I feel that Texas should not take this stand.