Prion diseases, though not necessarily a well-known topic, are a pretty big deal in the world of modern medicine, especially because they seems to be able to happen at random, and without warning. The first thing that pops into my mind, though, which has a comparable impact on people despite being significantly less scientific, is the subject of gay marriage. Both topics have a huge impact on society, and gay marriage is regarded as equally dangerous by some members of the current government, as well as many in society on the whole.
Allowing gays to marry under the government would certainly affect society, though exactly how negative, or positive, of an effect it would have is a matter of ongoing debate. Same-sex couples being allowed to join in legally binding relationships would indicate a change in many things, as the effect of the new couples rippled farther and farther outward from them. For example, the politics of the country would change, as well as international politics. Internally, it would mean that a more liberal government was in power, and this would have other ramifications as well. Internationally, the Untied States might be more well-liked by certain other countries, such as those in Eastern Europe, because they resent the U.S. some for having more conservative politics. There are also those who would lose faith in our government if this were to happen, of course, and be very angry about the whole thing – namely the Christian right.
The economy of the country would also be affected, though perhaps not as much. This is due to the shifting demand which would be caused by more homosexual couples living together, and perhaps adopting children, leading to an increased demand for things like baby formula, for example, which the couples would need to purchase as they couldn't biologically produce it themselves. Socially, it would mean more children with same-sex parents, which means societal norms would shift significantly in schools around the country, or at least in certain parts of the country. The scientists of the world might not feel the effects of the change as much as the politicians, but even they would probably have shifting research agendas after the change.
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1 comments:
Actually, it has always bothered me that people make such a big deal about gay marriage. I really don't think it would have that much of an impact on most people's lives.
First, it has always confused me why people find it "dangerous". I understand that some people think that homosexuality is wrong, but gay people who want to get married are probably be living together anyway. All that really changes is that they get certain legal rights, like hospital visitation rights, changes in tax policy, and possibly adoption rights. These only improve lives of the gay people and their families. It doesn't affect anyone else, (especially people who choose not to associate with gay people since they hate them so much), so how can it possibly be a threat?
You mention an "effect" of gay marriage being legalized--that a more liberal government would be in power, but I think that this is really a condition for gay marriage being legalized. I agree that the Bush Administration, which happens to be conservative, has caused a lot of people in the world to resent the U.S. However, this mainly has to do with the war in Iraq, not our moral beliefs or conservatism (although the neocon$ would like to have you think so). If we legalize gay marriage but stay in Iraq, we aren't going to be changing any opinions.
One important point that you do bring up is that if gay marriage is legalized, more children will have gay parents. I think there is an important point in this statement-- more children will have parents, period. There are a lot of children living in orphanages around the world who never get adopted. I have an adopted brother, so I know a little bit about the adoption system. There is a 2 year screening process, and adoption agencies only place children with people who they feel would be great parents. I know that a lot of adoption agencies are Christian, so they might not let gay parents adopt anyway. Whether, on average, gay parents are "better" or "worse" for a child than straight parents remains to be seen, but I hope everyone agrees that growing up with two loving gay parents would be better than growing up in an orphanage.
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