Intertextuality. Choose artifacts that demonstrate the intertextual nature of your writing.

Your description and reflection should consider the difficulties of relaying others' voices and how you resolved that difficulty in your work. Also, how did you mesh the multiple voices you were relaying with your own voice? (2)

Position- This one was very similar to the last one except in this one I was trying to disprove peoples opinion. I had to think about how they were seeing the subject and try and show how that logic was flawed. I also used some of the peoples thoughts who agreed with me in this one as well. Adoption in the United States is often an overlooked subject despite the fact there are over 127000 children waiting adoption and 520000 that are foster care in the United States and even more awaiting a loving family in orphanages. On average only 50000 of those children are adopted every year and every year more and more children are forced into foster homes (Chittom, Lynn-noreWagner, Geraldine). Also in many states it is illegal for gay couples to be able to adopt these children. Why is it that some states would rather see children homeless then in a family with homosexual parents? This, I find, is not acceptable I understand it is against some peoples religion for gay couples to even be together but the fact that some peoples beliefs are forcing children to be without homes is hurting these children. Gay couples should be able to adopt to help children stay out of foster care and to have the same rights as every other person in the United States. In 2006 five states made it illegal for same sex couples to adopt. These states are Nebraska, Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. Furthermore in North Dakota there is

a law that is phrased so that child-placement agencies may discriminate based on religious or moral objection. In Utah only married couples can adopt and gay marriage is illegal there so therefore so is gay adoption. The issue of gay marriage and adoption are fueled by one another. All the reasons someone is against gay marriage can also be used against gay adoption. Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, Tennessee and South Dakota, and recently North Carolina have all banned gay marriage. Iowa, New Hampshire, Washington, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Minnesota all allow same sex marriage, and California, Connecticut, Washington DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Vermont allow both gay marriage and gay couples to adopt. In Mississippi single parents are allowed to adopt children but not gay couples. In the United Kingdom gay adoption has been legal everywhere since 2002. (Driscoll, SallyStingl, Alexander) The states that have made it illegal for gay couples to adopt and marry are imposing on their constitutional rights in the first amendment which states everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness. Because they cant get married and start a family they are being denied that constitutional right. The foster care system in the United States is very much flawed. It has the mentality of out of sight out of mind meaning once a child is placed in foster care they are no longer in need of help however this is completely untrue. Many children each year are sexually, physically, and emotionally abused while in the care of their foster parents. Since there is such a high demand for foster parents the system will take almost anyone who applies without knowing if it is a safe environment for children which is why children keep being put into bad homes even if they are temporary. In the state of Texas alone fourteen children died of abuse in foster care and only one third of the families were inspected to see if it was a suitable environment for

children to live. (George, Patricia Walker, Katherine) It would be in the best interest of the children to be place in a permanent home even if it is with homosexually couples so they dont have to go through the foster care system. Social scientists have also studied the effects on children who are raised in homosexual families verse straight families. Their results showed that children that are in homosexual familys parental discipline, intimacy, intelligences, ethics and growth, and involvement in their childrens life is the same as heterosexual families. In addition to that homosexual families tend make more family rituals then other families to help strengthen the bonds between their children and themselves and they seem to be more dedicated to maintaining the familys integrity(Farrell, Courtney Simone Isadora Flynn). On the other hand research conducted in Spain shows that it is not good for children to be in homosexual families. Their research suggested that children from these types of families tend to have lower self-esteem, higher stress levels, and an increase in mental disorders. This research also showed that kids in homosexual relationships struggle more with identifying their own sexuality. However this fact was quickly disproven by the American Sociological Association saying that there is not an elevated rate of children being homosexual because their parents were gay and that children raised by lesbians or gay men were as well-adjusted emotionally as their peers. Furthermore the lower self-esteem, higher stress levels, and an increase in mental disorders is only an issue when the children are raised in environments that shun homosexually in general (Farrell, Courtney Simone Isadora Flynn). Due to the imperfections in the foster care system and violation of rights there is no reason gay couples shouldnt be able to adopt. Children are suffering in the foster care system and homosexual couples are being denied a family. All the research has proven that isnt harmful

for children to be in an environment with homosexual couples and that it is more harmful for them to be in the foster care system. Everyone should have the right to start a family. .

Works Cited Chittom, Lynn-noreWagner, Geraldine. "Point: Children Suffer With Same-Sex Couples." Points Of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. Driscoll, SallyStingl, Alexander. "Counterpoint: Sexual Orientation Should Not Be A Deterrent To Adoption." Points Of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption (2013): 3. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. Farrell, Courtney Simone Isadora Flynn. Gay & Lesbian Adoption: An Overview. Points of View: Gay & Lesbian Adoption (2013): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 14 George, PatriciaWalker, Katherine. "Point: The Foster Care System Is Flawed And Should Be Eliminated." Points Of View: Foster Children Programs (2013): 2. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. Oct. 2013.