Gay Marriages

[Al Newman]

I used to be against gay marriage - but not any more. I suppose the reason I changed my mind has been the slow realization that you encounter gays in every walk of life, and many of them are pillars of the community. So why not, if it makes them feel better?
The real reason? Probably because I've come to think of gays as 'us' rather than 'them'.
[ December 01, 2003: Message edited by: Alfred Neumann ]

[Paul McKenna]

Originally posted by Michael Ernest:
You can just link opinion papers in, please.

Michael, you need to be a paid subscriber of WSJ.com to access these. As for copyright, the agreement states that I can occasionally share these articles with others.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Paul McKenna:

Michael, you need to be a paid subscriber of WSJ.com to access these. As for copyright, the agreement states that I can occasionally share these articles with others.

I deleted it because you violated the copyright by postiung it here. Here is the subscriber agreement:

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[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Sonny Gill:
ps. I am really surprised at the number of ppl opposing the gay marriages on Map's poll!!

Why? 60% of Americans oppose gay marriage.

[stara szkapa]

Because the purpose of a man is to fertilize a woman and help her raise a child. Who cares what makes him happy, unhappy, and what is his sexual orientation.

[fred rosenberger]

So am i not a good man because i'm not "fertilizing a woman and helping her raise a child"? My wife and i don't want kids - are we bad people?

[Frank Silbermann]

It's not that you're a bad person if you're not a breeder. It's that the need for breeding, and the challeges of it motivate marriage as a social institution. Otherwise, there would be no reason for public recognition and subsidy of anybody's sexual relationship.

[Al Newman]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
Why? 60% of Americans oppose gay marriage.

I suspect that 60% of Americans oppose class-action lawyers also. Some things aren't subject to a vote.
What gets my back up is the kind of activism (and activist) who are usually behind this sort of thing, at least at the beginning. And the kind of argument that they tend to make. Such as 'Only uncivilized countries impose the death penalty. Therefore the US is uncivilized.'.
I hear this kind of thiung all the time in the UK and am constantly tempted to challenge their premises, beginning with the assumption that this is the business of a national government at all. Or THEIR business at all! There are things about the UK which I dislike but would never attack. Perhaps a 'truly civilized' people would know not to attack others?
What changed my mind about gay marriage was learning that many of the gay advocates were people like me sharing most of the same concerns as I do. And memories of all the 'maiden aunts' 'bachelor uncles' and such who have done a damned good job of raising kids over the years. Presumably these were often lesbian and gay. None of my business of course.
I don't want people unable to tone down their lifestyle a bit raising kids. But it seems to me that is a heterosexual problem as much as a gay one....
[ December 01, 2003: Message edited by: Alfred Neumann ]

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Alfred Neumann:
I suspect that 60% of Americans oppose class-action lawyers also. Some things aren't subject to a vote.

If not a vote then who decides? Some really smart person who gets to make the decisions for the rest of us? OK, I volunteer!

[Sonny Gill]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
Why? 60% of Americans oppose gay marriage.

That wasnt based on any kind of research. I just thought that fewer people would oppose it, or atleast be non-committed. Guess, i was wrong.