SOAPS #4
Forman, Seth. “Five arguments against gay marriage: Society must brace for corrosive change.” New York Daily News 23 Jun. 2011. NY Daily News. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Subject – same sex marriage and its effects on our culture
Occasion – the legalization of same sex marriage in multiple states, talk of its legalization in New York
Audience – same sex couples, people who oppose same sex marriage, anyone interested or affected in the development of the issue, legislators debating the issue
Purpose – In his editorial, Forman degrades the validity of same sex marriage with five arguments explaining its “possible consequences” and why those will “radically alter our culture” (Forman). To prove his point, he argues against those who support marriage equality, expressing his dislike of the idea that “marriage is foremost about sexual choice, not reproduction” (Forman). He rejects this change in marriage, as he believes it is degrading the institution as a whole. As he realizes that his opinion is unpopular, he defends those who share it, saying their belief “in the sanctity of traditional marriage” will cause them to “wind up on the wrong side of ‘enlightened’ bigotry” (Forman). This, he believes, will impede their freedom to express their religious opinions, turning them into the victims of oppression instead of the other way around. He further condemns gay rights by using children, explaining that children with gay adoptive parents will be “living lives absent a relationship with at least one biological parent” and that this will cause them “emotional pain and confusion” (Forman). He demands that people not be “deluded into believing that nothing will change” (Forman).
Persuasion – Pathos – speaks to many abstract yet emotional topics; traditional marriage, freedom of religion, intangible and unstated rights of children
Persuasion – Pathos – Marriage is a basic right that we should not be debating anymore. Forman’s arguments are flawed, such as
