What constitute a family and the New Civil Code

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Department of English













Title: What constitute a family and the New Civil Code














Janibeth Hernandez Rivera
804-05-3277
English 3202
Prof. M. Medina




The project of the New Civil Code is an important topic for me. I choose this topic because in the last months it’s creating controversy among the government and Puerto Ricans. Many Puerto Ricans like religious leaders are against this new code, but the homosexual community is in favor of this project. They think that the civil code has to be actualized according to the needs of each person. Of course homosexuals want to be accepted and they want to be guided under the laws of normal people.
This project of the New Civil Code is important because topics like this have to be discussed among people who constitute a nation so they can give ideas about how they want to be lead. Like always we are going to have people against or in favor of the proposed ideas, but we can come up with an agreement.
“The Civil Code is the most important law in Puerto Rico after the Constitution” ( Abogados de Puerto Rico, 1930, p.1). The original code was established since the island was a Spanish colony and has been emended too many times that it has turn into a joint of disorganized laws. In this lasted revision, they want to modernize the Code. The Civil Code is divided into books that indicate life aspects of Puerto Ricans. The legislature wants to do drastic changes in the book of the family (Ojeda, 2007).
The Civil Code establishes that marriage is a civil institution that at the same time is a civil contract between a man and a woman. They are obligated to be husband and wife and to comply the laws each other. It is until death separate them. Any other marriage between people of the same sex is going to be judged in other jurisdictions and it isn’t going to be valid in the rights of Puerto Rico. Alike the requirements, the adoptions have laws. “A marriage is supposed to be constituted by a husband and his wife” (Abogados, 1930, p.1). In other words, people of different sex.
The new project of the civil code wants to establish many ideas that they consider innovating. The ideas are contrary of the actual civil code. It wants to establish the book of the family. With this new book they want to teach, since children start school, about the new family concept. I mention “new” concept of family thinking in an untraditional family, but the new project wants people calling and seeing this as a traditional family. This family can be constituted by people of the same sex. It can be a man with a man or a woman with a woman, both with their children. Also they can adopt children no matter the relation that they have.
Religious leaders are against this project of the new civil code because they think on the religious principles and what bible says about marriage and people that can constitute a family. Marque (2007) declares “don’t alternate the traditional concepts about family and marriage institutions, we’re compromised with the millenary positions who establish that the marriage is and it only can’t be a union between a man and a woman. We understand the historic evidence establishes clearly that the marriage institution, like a traditional family, had been and will be the best to protect sons” (p.1). These religious leaders don’t want that the government use models of other countries to actualize the civil code. They think that this new project has a homosexual manifests.
Ojeda (2007) states he’s worry. “The government is choosing by the majority, that is true but when it’s choose, the government is supposed to be for us, and not only for the majority. It has to response for our necessities and protect the rights of the majority and the minority” (p.1). I’m in favor with this statement, but people have to think about the consequences. I’m going to explain my idea. Laws have to cover necessities of all people but what could happen if this project is accepted. Well it’s going to create confusion about what constitute a traditional family. For example: In school all children have their mom and dad. If we accept these news ideas then a child who has parents of the same sex is going to feel different to the other children in school. I think that in this case the child will need to consult a psychologist.
I’m against this new project for many reasons. One of those reasons and the most important for me are that I’m a Christian. I believe in God and what bible says. God established that marriage would be constituted by a man and a woman. He never said that marriage can be constituted by people of the same sex. Therefore families have to be constituted by mom, dad and their sons. Another reason is the stability of Puerto Rican children. I think it would be very hard if people of the same sex will form a family. Their children will have psychological problems. They are never going to understand why they have parents of the same sex and why other children have parents of different sex as we call a traditional family. Until now Puerto Rico has kept under the same established laws from the original civil code. I respect homosexual community but if they decided to be different it isn’t my or our problem. They can do whatever they want, but they have to respect government, laws, and the most important thing they have to respect God’s laws.












New Civil Code

References


Lázaro, F. (2007, May 23). Hay que salvar la dignidad de la persona humana. Retrieved
June 22, 2007, from www.pionet .org/Intranet/dignitashuman.htm-13k-

Ojeda, H. (2007, May 29). Evangélicos Pentecostales se manifiestan en defensa de la
Familia en Puerto Rico. Retrieved June 22, 2007, from
www.cerberea.blogdirio.com/1180332900/-14k-

Ojeda, H. (2007, May 01). Lideres Evangélicos opuestos a cambios en el Código Civil de
Puerto Rico. Retrieved June 22,2007,fromwww.cerberea.blogdirio.com/1180332900/-14k-

Rivera Sánchez, M. (2007, June 22). La católica contra uniones de derecho. Retrieved
June 22, 2007, from www.vocero.com/noticias.asp?s=LocalesJn=89835-27k-

Echandia, L.I. (2007, June 21). El Nuevo Código: Código civil o religioso? Retrieved
June 22, 2007, from www.claridadpuertorico.com/articulo.php?id=6189-22k-

Differents Steps in Life

Blog Entry #4


The childhood kids only think on toys, plays, clubs, cars, etc. This phase is beautiful and the best. When you are a child you don’ have responsibilities so you don’t need to think on the future because you look a fantasy world. Dad and mom do everything for children and they just play and pulp but by the time you are growing up and you sure that you need to do something for being someone in the future.



Since you started to see the world in this way your parents start to teach you and advise you about how you can be an important human for this society. They start to educate you because they know that you need to know and learn during the life. So you start going to school to learn. Since you are in kinder- garden through the senior year teachers are teaching different skills that you need to develop to go to college and become a professional.




In college you put on practice the skills that you learned already and you can go that is easy if you give all about you. Collage is the last step that you need to pass to turn into a professional and feel and important progress because you are such and important person. So when you pass this step you feel better but responsible for finishing.


I’m in this step right now. I hope that I can pass it and turn into a professional to feel that I did the best for me and my family. I want to advice all students and say that never think that they can do whatever you want always and when you do that by you heart

Comparison / Janibeth Hernandez Rivera

My mother has eleven brothers and sisters. They have bad experiences when they were growing up. They have a father and a mother that never understood them. Why I say this? It's because my mother told me how her father raised them. My mother's dad was a religious man that believes all the things are bad. For him the game was bad, the television was bad, having a boyfriend or a girlfriend was bad and some things like that. Those things make that my mother be like her is.

My mother is very serious. The reason is because her dad was very strict with his sons. When she was young her dad didn't wanted her to hang out to any place just to church. This situation caused my mother can't develop some skills to be a talkative mother. She doesn’t understand us because she wants to raise us as the same way her dad did. I can't talk with her about my experiences in my life. She doesn't know about my relationship or about my friends, etc. When I need an advice I never ask her because I know that for her all is bad. This is difficult for me because I'm very close, when I have a problem or something I just cry alone and try to resolve by my own.

I know that this problem is calling learned conduct by physiologists but I think that if people like my mother don't want to change with this chain, they can do it. This is a problem who cause many difficulties in the family nucleus because if communication doesn't exists, people can understand and be understanding. This is a problem that occurs in my family because my mother doesn't want to change. My father is the only person that understands me. I can talk with him. We have a relationship like real friends.

Sometimes I feel sad because I would like my mom can establish a relationship with me and with my sisters but she can't. Maybe she try but then i think she remembered her childhood and all become like before. Also sometimes I feel bad because I acting like a bad daughter because I always say to her that she has to change and be more compressive. I say that for me isn't important because I'm very independent but I think that my sisters aren't like me so they need my mother. I hope mom can understand this as soon as possible.

When I'll be a mother I don't want to be like my mother. I'm going to bring my sons all the trust because I don't know that they going to pass the same. I will be a mother but also I will be a friend because young people have to feel confidence when they want to say something about their lives. I know that for mothers is difficult when their sons hang out but is more difficult if the sons are afraid and they just going to lie for they can hang out. So is more better that a mother knows where her son are but is sad if her son lie her. Also is exist confidence the son can talk about any theme like relationship or themes that the young people have to understand and need some help to raise their achievements. So I just want to be a good and understanding mother and a mother that can help their sons in any problem.

The importance about having a relationship with God.

Blog Entry #5


Humans are creatures created by God. So without the help of God in our lives we aren’t anything. God gives us the gift of life and we sometimes don’t demonstrate gracefulness. Life is beautiful but more beautiful if you bring your life for God as a present.



Why I say this? Well, I say this because I have a relationship with God day by day I speak with him. I share my problems with God and I know that he is listening to me. Why? It’s because when I speak with him I feel peace in heart.


I believe in God because he is gratefulness. He did the story, the sky, the earth the animals. All his love manifested by the nature. God is my best friend. I have friends but sometimes they fail. For example: I have a cousin that always find me when she needs my help but when I need help I can’t find her. God doesn’t fail me. He always there when I need an advice I can feel that God is giving me the advice.



This relationship is something that you need to find because God is there for everybody. He want to be your friend but only if you want him as your friend. God is a gentleman. He is going to feel your respect. If you need a friend think in God is the only true friend.

Classification: Essay #1 Different personalities of boys that I met

During my life I have met a lot of boys. Those boys have had different personalities. Nevertheless, I think that I am a selective girl. I like to know well the person because I have to be smart to know what a man wants of me. These days having a relationship is difficult because boys don’t want to have a serious relationship or maybe they don’t know how to work at it for this reason, I will classify three different personalities of the boys that I have met.

In the first relationship the boy was very serious. I am a person who wants to have fun every time. I like to have fun in class ; I like to have fun every place that I go. With this boy I just spoke seriously and always stayed quietly. This boy wanted to changed my personality. He wanted me going to be bore like him. Well I decided to finish with the relationship because I like how I am .

Then I met a boy that was very lazy. I also am a very active girl. I don’t know if it is a problem. I wake up early in the morning and do all my activities. Alike I have two jobs. During the week I work helping a professor,like a secretary, at the university. In the weekend I work in a pizzeria, so this type of boy was a completely loser for me. I'm independent but he isn't, his mother is always was doing thinGs for him. He doesn’t work he just pass the day sleeping and eating. Oh my God the relationship was a complete disaster, so I decided to finish another relationship
again. .

In this moment of my life I’m in a relationship. This man is undecided, I can’t understand this man because isn’t clear in his feelings. Sometimes I can perceive that he love me but sometimes I can’t feel that. Every day I talk with him, I say to him that I need to know if he really love me, but this man have difficulties to know what he feels. I love him more than any other boys that I met but I’m afraid because I don’t know if he feels the same. I hope that this man can will clear his feelings.

I know that I'm learning during my life. I just want to have a serious relationship with a man that love me and very important to me is that he respect me. This man has to love my personality and alike I have to love his personality. I hope to find this man faster because in this moment of my life I need to feel love.

Blog Entry #2: My first relationship

When I was fifteen I met a boy. I was in nine grade. He was friendly, quietly and very respectful .All the people wanted that we become to have a relationship, but I was not sure about my feelings. Finally I decided to be his girlfriend.

The relationship start but I always considered him as a friend and not as a boyfriend .I meet his family a very good family. He met my family. But I didn’t felt completely in love. The relationship last four years but without real love. I was afraid about tell him that I didn’t felt anything for him. I decided to do something before time pass.

Finally I told him that he never did something for maintain the relationship alive. I explain to him that I didn’t felt much love and I think that it is better to cut the relationship on time because if not it was going to be difficult. He never understood my decision but I understood that it was the best decision because now I can feel how is a true love.

Blog Entry #3: My experience at the university

When I was in high school, especially when I was a senior I thought how I was going to change my life when I started the college. This is a question that many students have to ask themselves. That senior year was much exited because I didn’t want the year to end. The year finished and I was very scared because I was going to started in the university at summer.

The first day in the summer class that was mathematics I didn’t wanted to go but I had to go. When I went to the classroom I was happy because I was took the class with my friend so isn’t bad. I understood that the university life was going to be hard but not impossible. I passed my class and I was ready to start my semester.

My semester was very hard but I can pass it with good grades. I took English, Spanish, Pre-calculus, Humanities, Biology and Biology lab. I really liked the classes and professors. Also I met a lot of friends and that helped me to realize better as a college student. Now I’m in my second year and I’m taking my classes but also having fun in the college.