Wolfson begins this article with an extended definition of marriage. He does this to show what marriage means to people and civilization. Society says that marriage is a relationship between two people who express their love and dedication to the other each other. It is a personal commitment that is an important decision in one’s life. Marriage needs the government to approve it so it is a legal or civil institution. He is also showing how marriage gives couples access to “health care and medical decision making for your partner and your children; parenting and immigration rights; inheritance, taxation, Social Security, and other government benefits...” Wolfson explains what a married couple can do and what rights they have. One of his main points was that marriage is a choice.
He is trying to set up the background before he makes his main point about marriage for two people who are the same sex. He wants the audience to know all the benefits of being married and for what reasons people get married for. I think his explanation of marriage is pretty fair and sensible. He just talks about individuals and doesn’t specific the sex of the people so the audience can understand his main points without thinking about the sexes of the couples. Wolfson wants them to understand the big picture of marriage and see its meaning. However, I think he left out the point that some people get married so they can have kids and start a family.
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Katie
I agree with your points, i think you gave a pretty accurate summary of what Wolfson was trying to accomplish. I also believe that he left out the same sex marriage until after he defined marriage on purpose. Some people may have been "turned off" by the idea of sex marriage and never would've given his argument a chance. The importance of what marriage means, not just legally binding two people and recognizing them as a couple, but the importance it has on lives was important to portray if trying to get people to believe that all people, no matter what sexual preference, should be able to marry.
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