Another article on gay marriage anyone?
I’m game if you are. Although my thoughts encompass more than gay marriage rights.
My thinking is more along the lines of – -
The government needs to be out of the marriage business altogether.
I mean totally. I mean in a very libertarian way, I want the Gov out of my hair when it comes to my personal social contracts. And yours too of course. As an adult, I want to be able to go to a lawyer, or an online legal service to fill out some stock contracts stating that me and my significant beloved want to be a unit, and check off form boxes to let the world know what we plan to do in case of separation or death, how we want our money and property to be divvied up, and who will get how much time with the kids or Muffy the standard poodle. And any and all other details we want to codify concerning our newly-formed unit. What’s the big deal?
Contrary to popular belief, coupledom was not always sanctified by religious organizations or under rule of governmental laws. Churches were the first to pull a power-grab and take marriage matters under their control. Government then followed, not wanting the churches to have all the fun.
So here we are in America today. The Gov effectively controls marriage rights and benefits. You can’t do a legal end run around the Gov to obtain all these rights and benefits, you can only get the rights and benefits through official government sanction of your male/female unit. Male/male units and female/female units are out of luck here. Gay couples can’t count on estate tax exemptions, receiving Social Security, Medicare, disability benefits, veterans and military benefits, worker’s compensation, retirement plan benefits, and various and sundry other rights and benefits automatically bestowed to married couples.
Come on – it’s simple discrimination. Gays will get marriage rights — they will. It’s gonna happen, so just make it happen now, punk-ass government dudes. Punk-ass religious dudes. Look I know that inter-racial marriage was only fully legalized country-wide in 1967, but things are happening faster now in the digital age, so let’s get on with it. (My parents were an inter-racial couple, married in 1959 – so that means they were breaking the law in a bunch of states – so Ms Positively Radical had radical roots!)
And, befitting of the “radical” portion of my blog moniker, I believe people should be allowed to have units involving multiple spouses as well – providing all parties are consenting adults. But I’m hoeing a very unpopular row with that one. Just letting you know where my head’s at.
Here are a couple of good articles I found about government and marriage:
The Institution of Marriage, by Michael J. Hurd, November 18, 2004
Marriage Rights and Benefits, Nolo Press
Until next time, Carpe Diem! and be positively radical!