Sense!
Tuesday 2 April 2013 - Filed under Uncategorized
It’s rare that a mainstream news outlet will offer the only bit of sense in a very difficult socio-philosophical issue turned KULTUR WARZ issue. Fox News:
With the Supreme Court now hearing cases centering on the legality of a federal ban on gay marriage and California’s ban on gay marriage, the real way our nation should address marriage rights is to get government out of the marriage business, altogether.
It never made sense to have state or federal government intrude into personal affairs by giving it the power to sanction and legitimize the loving commitment of one individual to another. That is a matter for the adults involved, who should share their intentions and vows in a ceremony with family, friends and any religious institutions they choose (or not), then sign any financial documents they see as being appropriate and, perhaps, exchange rings. End of story.
If two adults are mature enough to get married, they should be mature enough to envision and codify how they will deal with their finances, should that marriage end.
The government’s only interest should be in enforcing child support and fair child custody and visitation for each parent, in the event of a dissolution of the (government-free) marital bond. Making certain that children do not descend into poverty, and spouses are not left without parental rights, would then be the only proper function of the state related to marriage—both triggered only when marriages end. This would be no different than the state’s current role in enforcing child support, custody and visitation in non-married couples.
The legal sanctioning of, or refusal to sanction, any loving union between adults is inherently laden with cultural values. And if it is determined that love and commitment should be the sole driving force behind state and federal marriage laws, then it is utterly and completely illogical to deny five people who love one another the right to marry as a group. Heterosexual government-sanctioned marriage leads logically to homosexual government-sanctioned marriage, which leads logically to polygamy. Anyone who suggests otherwise is suggesting that government should play favorites and show prejudice.
Marriage is no place for government. Get the fuck out of the business of consenting adults. It is not the government’s job to uphold or change what marriage means. Let the individuals in that contract decide what it means for themselves.
2013-04-02 » madlibertarianguy