🚀 go-pugleaf

>Dale Anderson wrote:
>> In traditional marriages, gay relationships, and these other banned
>> situations, all of the participants are willing participants, love
>> each other and want to be recognized as being in committed
>> relationships.  What's the difference?  The difference is that the
>> majority of Americans make value judgements about what is morally
>> acceptable to them and these other non-traditional marriages are not
>> acceptable because it cheapens the value, to them, of their own
>> traditional marriage.  IMHO.

Okay, I really don't care all that much about DOMA, but I'm getting
very sick of the idea that the Congress did not look at the legalities
of marriage so much as this "sanctity" concept.  Civil marriage 
and religious marriage should be two different concepts, separating 
Church and State.  

Marriage, legally speaking, is based on property rights and shared 
responsibilities.  Always has been, although I will grant that it
has been evolving.  Nonetheless, eople should be little more 
aware of history.  Modern marriage gives a quick and easy way to 
secure next-of-kin, power-of-attorney, and all manner of legal 
relationships with relatively little cost and paperwork.  

Marriage also has many priviledges that are not easily secured, 
even with a good attorney and lots of money.  The ability to 
easily commit insurance and immigrantion fraud, for instance.  

Anyway, I do hope that some sort of domestic partnership law passes,
giving the civil aspects of "marriage" to those who want it.  I'd
love to be able to handle all my legal arrangements for the cost
of a marriage license.