HMMM......I'll look into it..
Ok, I personally do not agree with most who have posted. So you can welcome my comments or not. I will be mum on this topic after this anyway. I do not judge, that job is already taken. I am a Christian whether anyone likes it or not. It is my conviction (not opinion or belief) that makes me anti-gay. But I am also an American so therefore I respect the laws of our individual states because afterall we are the United States of America. If gay marriage is legal in a particular state then the couple should have all benefits and rights afforded to any other couple. Wherever you stand on the issue, if you don't like your state's laws then you can move. Yes, easier said than done more often than not. Take community property states, for instance. If you live in a community property state and you start accumulating wealth and you are married but you are into something that might cause you to get a divorce (adultery for instance). You might want to move to a non-community property state and stand less chance of having to split a lot of money with your future ex-spouse. Take capital punishment states as another example. Not a good place to lose your temper and kill. You will be judged in Texas before you meet your maker if you get convicted. That is just the law. Growing medical marijuana is legal in some states but not in others. I could go on and on. The legality/non-legality of gay marriage is at this time a state issue. I have a cousin who is gay. He knows I love him and it does not come with a seal of approval just as it does not come with a lecture. Going mum now.Personally, I am glad that we have started a new thread. The other was getting a bit annoying...
The problem now is unless we get new people to comment, this thread won't go anywhere. Most of us have said what we wanted to say for the most part and generally agree that gay marriage and adoption should be legal (notice I said "most").
I do welcome more comments and different points of view, so let's hear from you...
I hate that don't ask, don't tell policy - I have several friends who chose not to reveal their sexuality simply for fear of a closed-minded general public. However, my feeling is, for those who are brave enough to ask, as opposed to simply presume, I will openly answer.
I respect your opinion, but have something to add as you commented on states and their particular rights. If every state has very different stances on a particular subject, then are we really the UNITED States of America or simply a bunch of people with similar ideas living in relative proximity to each other?
There is a federal law that marriage in one state must be honored and recognized in another. This law extends to specific state-issued licenses, like marriage and drivers licenses, and is the reason why we don't have to get remarried when we move to the other side of the country or just across the state line, and why you are allowed to drive in other states with your out-of-state license. This is also the reason for the heated debate. Opponents don't like the idea of states issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples because this would open the door for the Fed to require other states to honor that license. This is why many states have been amending their constitutions to not allow - specifically - same-sex marriage. It is a shame, because much like prohibition was a black mark on the US Constitution, I believe any state that has passed this amendment or has it on their ballot and may pass it will find themselves with that same black mark on their governing papers.
I don't know. How do we currently stop male-female friends from doing this same thing? Or from marrying for citizenship reasons? ??? The law of averages tells me this happens more often with male-female unions than same sex unions.
Would these places suffer from this? Maybe, maybe not. It is not really a two for one thing. Companies get group rates for people who are bound only by employment. most of the time when you add a spouse, you pay more money. Retirement seems to be phasing out anyway. If you paid into all of your life, why not be able to give it to someone you care about. Social Security is sort of the same way. it was created back when most of the time only one person worked. Now most of the time both people work and you can choose which one you draw from anyway.
