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Show 4 Wednesday April 10, 2013 OPINION www.dailyutahchronicle.com Same-sex families experience prejudice in Utah 1) % 5CtLA ST IN ,„, t inn) \(-) acUpp-1-e_J__ ou ciont4— c-vAJ , 717 so , ' : etvo civ , // /1 e er doirm "hinestr" Ian ti\D ThiL okA ch 1-Vie,j're ROSE JONES 7 of 4'citn% Opinion Columnist I n1998, my son was 7 years old. His favorite aunts were my exhusband's sister and her lesbian partner, both of whom lived in California with their daughter Angie. But we lived in West Jordan, in one of Utah's most ideological neighborhoods. The neighbors enjoyed having my police car parked near their homes for protection, but when Angie came to visit, the street — usually bustling with kids — was always vacant. In fact, each time our family stayed with us, the neighbors would gather up their children and disappear into their houses. I don't know if Angie or her moms noticed the alienation, and I didn't mention it to them because I was embarrassed. It is good they are raising Angie in California, because Utah is one of the six worst states in the nation to raise children of samesex couples. Utah is in the bottom six because we 0 lack clear mechanisms that create legal ties to both parents for children born to same-sex couples 2) we offer no legal recognition for same-sex couples and 3) same-sex couples face legal restrictions when petitioning for second-parent adoption, according to the Family Equality Council. Justice Kennedy put it best in the recent hearing against Proposition 8 in the U.S. Supreme Court, stating, "[Children of same-sex parents] want their parents to have full recognition and legal status. The voice of those children is considerable in this case." Laws that discriminate against same-sex couples cause "immediate legal injury." That was Kennedy's implication — and he is correct. Utah and Mississippi are the only states that "explicitly" pro- ‘A• 61 • /-,1 4 Ur Q 4t 41 4,64 -NRA I Tout (to oi),v I (JOrACe_y*0 n or ma"r;)1 her bt lop elk cl 0 riN Sb•C 104 kisJteL S ► ndi ire tivIon ca•re. ruclibe- J4J S Ska-t of Ufa &Des n o+ re_yrw v\gL,-\ Mavri _1 cuutA- +0 u -k.s +210 pcor-s Q-QC- 11Wsa i t„ 0.6 \ttkAY c7 C- -17 eCj el ewe 3 ol mks pro CA 1+ rr.a +0 cfso..u. fs NoT- A sTAB\_E -E)ovIKDI\) t4Ev7 da,„ Not reail SALLY YOO/The Daily Utah Chronicle hibit adoption rights for same-sex couples, according to the New York Times. They are also excluded from working in Utah's foster care system. In 2000, Utah passed a law prohibiting people who are not married from adopting or fostering children. There are more than 3,800 samesex couples raising children in Utah, according to The Williams Institute. Same-sex couples, who already face extra legal challenges to have children, should be allowed and even encouraged to adopt children. Utah's same-sex families are stable and loving two-parent homes. The most troublesome part about the legal discrimination is that Utah has the highest rate in the nation per capita for child molestation — both male and female — but no cases involving LGBT individuals. Utah is also the only state where suicide is the leading cause of death for males between ages 15-30 — the vast majority of them from twoparent heterosexual homes and not same-sex couple's homes. The community Foundation of Utah assists with estate planning for the LGBT families, which is good because LGBT families lack inheritance rights. However, life partners are still excluded from benefits given as a standard for opposite-sex unions. On March 21, the Family Equality Council shared the latest statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The results were positive for children who are adopted and/or fostered by LGBT parents. Spokesman Steve Majors stated that, on behalf of 3 million LGBT parents and their 6 million children, the AAP believes same-sex marriage DEA misrepresents iMessage's safety PATRICK Opinion Columnist T his week, the Drug Enforcement Administration released a document to CNET that read, "iMessages between two Apple devices are considered encrypted communication and cannot be intercepted, regardless of the cellphone provider." Although this document seems like a win for privacy advocates, is worded ambiguously and sends consumers the wrong message by letting them overestimate their privacy. The DEA's announcement is misleading. The department might not be able to intercept iMessages directly but can still go to Apple for the data and, chances are, Apple will oblige. What this document does not tell consumers is that Apple controls the iMessage service. Each cellphone carrier keeps data for different lengths of time. Text data such as that of iMessages does not necessarily include the actual text of the message, but includes the sender, receiver, date and time stamp. AT&T holds the text data for 5-7 years, Verizon for I year, T-Mobile for 2-5 years and Sprint for 18 months, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Apple, on the other hand, seems to store iMessages indefinitely. For instance, if you lose your phone or replace it, you can get all your iMessages uploaded to your new phone. This means that not only is Apple storing them in a cloud-based system, but the tech giant also holds the key to the encryption code. Although iMessages are encrypted, Apple can still access the data and can give that data to the federal government upon request. What's more, Apple is not nearly as transparent about the ins and outs of its data storage as companies such as Google. Apple does not tell its users when a law enforcement agency requests their data or even about how many government requests they receive RORY PENMAN/The Daily Utah Chronicle for data. The DEA's document is meant to mislead consumers. It lures them into a false sense of security about their data. We think that since the message is encrypted we are safe — nothing could be further from the truth. Considering the indefinite nature of iMessages, perhaps we are less safe using Apple's exclusive service. This is possibly a gambit law enforcement agencies use to catch criminals who use iMessages. Perhaps the DEA wants cyber criminals to think they are safe using iMessage for criminal activities. But can we trust the DEA that much? Politics is another motivation for the document. With Congress' recent attempts to pass new information laws, such as CISPA and SOPA, the DEA's statement regarding iMessages could be an attempt to generate political fear among lawmakers, who might see this as a reason to escalate digital surveillance. Encryption does not necessarily imply safety from surveillance, especially when Apple maintains the code. letters@chronicle.utah.edu letters@chronicle.utah.edu Workaholic mindset produces damaging stress in Americans w BONER strengthens families — not diminishes them. There are more than 3o years of research determining that children from same-sex families grow up with the same positive development that opposite-sex families' children do. The tide is changing, and it is great to see same-sex families openly raising their children in more positive settings. There is still a lot of work to be done, especially in Utah, but hope is high that we can create an atmosphere of equality for all human beings. orshipped weekends are no more. It is not uncommon to see people grasping for their phones and laptops in a work environment that increasingly lacks boundaries and real time off. Unsurprisingly, stress is a theme in the lives of workaholics. A shocking 75-90 percent of Americans are sent to the doctor each year for stress-related illnesses, such as headaches, heart problems and type 2 diabetes, according to WebMD. Furthermore, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration acknowledged stress is a danger in the workplace, and large medical distributors spend about $300 million a year because of stress-related illnesses. Why do workers feel it's necessary to subject themselves to such rigorous schedules rather than compartmentalizing work and leisure? Part of it is our capitalistic economy that rewards overworking and punishes leisurely lifestyles. Our way of life calls for perpetual production, expansion and reinvention. "More" has become the expectation in our society. Large corporations compete to win market share, and in the process, workers are tasked with producing more, more, more. The idea of climbing the ladder to the top stems from a rigorous by-thebootstraps creed. However, is it leading to a decline in our health? Other quintessential American precepts are self- LAUREN KEOGH Ak Opinion Columnist reliance and self-fulfillment. Do these suffer because of stress-related illnesses induced by a workplace that demands productivity but discharges few of the fruits of more labor? Our creed derives from Protestantism, a foundational religion to the American work ethic and creed. Stress should not be a force that has to be endured. We need to find a way to reduce its effects in the workplace. Although the effects of stress affect many of us, the stigma attached to time off and leisure activity perpetuates the consequences of stress at a great cost to health, which is the real source of productivity. We are expected to succeed, and if not succeed, then to try harder and better ourselves though hard work and dedication, but not at the expense of our health. No, that was never the capitalist intention. The ultimate goal in life should be happiness. Definitions of happiness might vary, but lifestyle choices should revolve around it, not around production and supply and demand and consumption. Can we really be said to be happy when we do not even have our health? The answer is a resounding no. letters@chronicle.utah.edu |