Oyster Bay gay couple denied marriage license

Ben Amato | Educational consultant

Editorial Writing - All Four ELA Standards

"From the equality of rights springs identity of our highest interests; you cannot subvert your neighbor's rights without striking a dangerous blow at your own." - Carl Schurz (1829-1906) German-born, US General, US Senator (MO), Founded the Liberal Republican movement

The struggles for equal rights for gays involving the right of marriage has many similarities to America's recent history of racial prejudice and protest. Today's lesson looks at a non-violent protest at the Oyster Bay Town Hall, by one couple looking to change a New York State law.

TV Component The CW 11 News at Ten had the story of one gay couple's act of civil disobedience. View the video clip twice and then answer the Multiple-Choice Quiz.

Newspaper Component Newsday has the story "Oyster Bay gay couple denied marriage license." Read the piece and then using the facts and details within, complete the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle.

Language Arts Component Critical lens

"One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws, but conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." --Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Situation The arrest of a gay couple in their attempt to marry illustrates the struggle of homosexuals to gain equal status under present New York State laws. Their act of civil disobedience brought the issue into media prominence and will bring the pair into court, where they hope justice might better be served.

Write an editorial on your feelings about gay marriage, equal rights and the concept of non-violently "breaking the law" to protest for change.

The Nature and Structure of an EDITORIAL An EDITORIAL is a persuasive style of communication. Writers present their opinion on an issue and try to sway readers to adopt their position. Typical of all formal styles of writing, editorials follow a set pattern and are usually divided into 3 paragraphs.

INTRODUCTION Editorials begin with the TOPIC, where in short, direct sentences the issue is stated. Details about the SETTING and CAST are presented next. These sentences tell WHO the major players are and WHERE the issue is being played out. The final sentence is where the writer presents his/her OPINION. This is a "grabber" that makes the reader want to read the rest of the editorial to discover why the writer feels this way.

BODY This section contains the facts that support your opinion. An editorial is more than a statement of how you feel. It is a collection of the important information that led you to "feel" the way you do. Begin this section with the details about the gay couple's act of civil disobedience and the way it gained the media's attention. Be sure to organize the information in an ORDER OF IMPORTANCE, with major relevant details appearing early in the paragraph and less important details later.

This section may be longer than just one paragraph depending on how many facts and details you gather from the article and television news story. Use the Comprehension Crossword Puzzle and answers to the Multiple-Choice Quiz as a RUBRIC to see if all the important facts have been included and described.

CONCLUSION This section of an editorial is reserved for the opinions of the writer. These feelings should in the form of answering some basic questions about the protest, arrest and the topic of gay rights and marriage. End this section with a "look ahead," and how just as civil rights barriers dealing with racism has fallen, so might obstacles facing homosexuals.