Rhetorical Source- Andrew Anderson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgkf47t9v3E

This source is an interview conducted on CBS between Mr. Obama and Scott Pelley and the clip is just a portion of the interview where they bring up the topic of whether or not Boy Scouts should allow gay people in as members or not in the organization.  Mr. Obama overwhelmingly supports the idea of homosexuals being members and leaders in the Boy Scouts of America.  He says that gays and lesbians should be allowed to do any and everything straight people can do and they should be afforded all of the opportunities that all other people have.  He mentions that scouting shapes people into leaders and he believes that everyone should be allowed to have that opportunity.

I chose this source because I think it shows a very good summary of what one side of the argument is.  Mr. Obama represents the head of the gay activists in this issue so having an interview with him as a primary rhetorical source is an obvious choice for my paper.  Seeing as how my topic is whether or not homosexuals should be allowed in the Boy Scouts of America, this source directly relates to my topic.  I still feel the same about my argument, being that homosexuals should not be allowed in the organization, but Mr. Obama does bring up some valid points.  Scouting in America was started with one of the two rules being no homosexuals; I think that the beginnings of this organization should be respected and keep the rules the same.  At the same time, gay and lesbian people should be able to have similar experiences and opportunities in their life as straight people have.  There should be organizations that cater to them and afford the learning and leadership experiences just the same as scouting does for other people.  This issue has great social and cultural implications because this is a time of change and transition for all of us and the scouting issue is a way for us to have a glimpse of what is going on in our society as a whole.

This argument presented is completely against my own but I feel that it is important to show all that the other side has to offer so that I can properly understand and deal with their arguments and show I believe my argument is better.

"Obama: Scouting Should Be Open to Gay Members - YouTube." YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb.                   2013.  <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgkf47t9v3E>.