Ravenwood - 02/05/04 06:00 AM
Fox News reports that the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that state Lawmakers must "give gay and lesbian couples full and equal marriage rights", and the reaction from Republicans and many Democrats is disturbing.
"We've heard from the court, but not from the people," [Republican Governor Mitt Romney] said in a statement. "The people of Massachusetts should not be excluded from a decision as fundamental to our society as the definition of marriage."As a non-gay unmarried person, I stand at odds with most people on this issue. First, I think it's foolish to try to deny gays the legal protections and perks that conventionally married couples enjoy under the law. Frankly, I'm a little sick and tired of couples and people with children enjoying their elite status at my expense. (Where is my child tax credit?) When a gay couple seeks to commit themselves to each other, they don't cause any harm to me or anyone else. Other than being different, or a little gross, their behavior doesn't deprive anyone else of life, liberty or property. Conservatives will undoubtedly try to argue differently, but they have yet to be able to prove it.
Second, I don't like the idea of government sanctioned marriage to begin with. Marriage dates back thousands of years. In the old days, marriage was defined under common law. If you presented yourself as a married couple, townspeople generally accepted you as married. Today, you have to beg the state to sell you a piece of paper that says they've given you the right to marry.
Romney's attitude that the sanctity of marriage, gay or otherwise, should be put to a popular vote is horrifying. Basic human rights should never be subject to the horrors of majority rule. It is majority rule that brings about progressive taxation and other pillars of communism. Enjoying your freedom of expression sometimes means putting up with idiots that desecrate the flag. Enjoying your right to a trial by jury sometimes means that people who commit double murder will walk away free. But we take the good with the bad, and our basic freedoms of life and liberty should never be put to a vote.
Category: Fall of Western Civilization
Comments (3) top link me
What legal protections and perks are you talking about? The perk to get taxed at a higher rate than non-married couples? The legal protection you get when she decides to run off with her boyfriend AND the kids while her lawyer fucks you raw in Family Court?
If you're talking about property or inheiritance rights under Probate just file a will. You don't have to be married to have a will. You can bequeath anything you've got to whomever you want. You can name anyone the benficiary of your life insurance, too. There're more than a few million-fucking-aire cats out there because some old spinster biddie kicked the bucket. You don't have to be married to buy property jointly, either.
You don't have to be married to have a Living Will or to sign a Power of Attorney. You can designate anyone you want to have those rights over you in case of incapacitation. Just make sure they're not gonna pull your plug too early (or maybe you WANT them to pull your plug!)
I've never had an insurance company ask for my marriage license, either. All they ask is the name of your spouse. If Pat "marries" Chris I guess they'll get by with it but if Jessica "marries" Jennifer it might raise the red flag.
The way I see it the Gay community is pushing this for two reasons. One, they want to "cherry pick" insurance coverage (which I'd disagree with even for working couples) and two, they want to throw "marriage" up in the face of Middle America.
If you want to play Rump Ranger Rick, be my guest. Just keep it in the closet where it belongs.
Posted by: Ralph Gizzip at February 5, 2004 12:40 PMSteve,
Morally, I believe you are wrong.
Constitutionally and legally, I know you're wrong.
Posted by: Owen Courrèges at February 5, 2004 5:37 PMI'm just sick of the "gay agenda" (or the "black" or the "whatthefuckever special interest agenda") being shoved down my throat.
You're gay, you wanna get married, do it. There are several churches and institutions that will accomodate you... go there. Stop parading it around like it's a majority issue... face it, being gay is STILL and always will be a minority... live with it and stop forcing your agenda on those of us who don't really give a flying fuck.
Posted by: Jim S at February 6, 2004 12:36 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
