* * *
I spent a long time reading through Mac‘s archives last night. Why have none of you people directed me to this woman’s blog before now?
Bad, bad readers.
* * *
“I feel like this country is going to hell in a handbasket and picking up speed!” I said to Fred on the phone this morning.
He half-laughed and said “What do you mean?”
“We’ve got a goddamn President who wants to amend our constitution to ensure that gay people can’t marry! Any time I buy an airline ticket, those fuckers are going to
do a background check on me and DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I GET TO FLY! They’re passing spending bills that allow companies to
cut the amount of overtime they pay! There are an assload of people in this country who DEPEND on overtime to LIVE. This DOES NOT STRIKE ME as a government that is staying the FUCK out of my face!”
Fred agreed and pointed out that Republicans, so the rumor goes, are supposed to be the political party that doesn’t believe in big government.
“Oh, I think I KNOW what’s next,” I said. “With all the news stories about how fat this country is? They’re going to come haul my fat ass away to the Dr. Phil and Bob Greene Internment Camp, where they’ll feed me Dr. Phil’s Shape-Up bars and drinks and make me run around in circles until I look like Lara Flynn Boyle!”
“Know what’s funny?” Fred said. “When you said this country is going to hell in a handbasket?”
“Yeah?”
“The people who believe that gays shouldn’t marry feel the same way, that we’re going to hell in a handbasket.”
“But THEY are WRONG,” I said.
He just laughed.
Seriously, it makes me want to sell everything I own, buy a
yurt, slap it down in the middle of nowhere, and live off the freakin’ land.
You can oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment
here, if you’re of a mind to.
This is what I hope. I hope that when the spud is my age, she can say to her children “Did you know that there was a time when gay men and women were not allowed to marry the person they loved?” And that her kids will feel the way I feel when I read about how people of different races once upon a time were not allowed to marry each other, that they will laugh in disbelief and say “No way! They weren’t? But why? That’s so ignorant!”, and that the spud will have to shrug and say to her children “I don’t know. It was a different time then.”
And then that my grandchildren will pause to be grateful that they aren’t living in those backwards times.
(Many of those above links (except for the yurt link) were taken from Mac’s
blog.)
* * *
So,
American Idol. You know, I really really wanted to like Jon Peter Lewis, and I LOVE that song, but when he came out and started singing
Tiny Dancer, I cringed and turned to Fred and yelled “What the fuck is he DOING?” “Baby” sounded like “bay-hey” and “lady” like “lay-hey.” What the hell is that about?
I would have a video clip right here to illustrate my point, because I taped the show with the DVR and then taped it from the DVR to the VCR and tried to dump it to the camera, but messed it up. Maybe tomorrow.
LaToya London kicked ASS. If she doesn’t make it through to the next round, I’ll eat my hat. (Which is a trick statement, since I don’t have a hat. Ha!)
* * *
IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE OF SCRUBS, SKIP THIS SECTION. SPOILERS INSIDE.
How many fucking times am I going to be suckered in by the “Oh, wait! He’s dead!” thing? I’m thinking of two different books and of course the one big movie with that ending, and yet I still get completely suckered in.
When Dr. Cox walked in and JD said “Fifteen minutes after you left, he went into cardiac arrest and died”, I actually laughed, because I thought that Dr. Cox was going to misunderstand and think that JD was talking about his friend and there would be a whole brouhaha.
ARGH. ARGH, I SAY.
I dumped the whole show to the DVR so I can watch it again, because I’m a freak.
Yes, I got all teary-eyed when it came clear what was going on.
Again, I say ARGH.
* * *
Public service announcement: Should have. Would have. Could have. Not should of, would of, or could of. Should’ve
sounds like “should of”, but it’s not spelled that way.
(Public service announcement brought about by reading Pamie’s comments earlier.)
* * *
What the kitties spend most of their day doing.
]]>
Yes….why is that about what you can say on televisioin. We either have freedom of speech or we don’t. They can say “God Damn” but not “Bitch”. What is up with that? I much prefer bitch to seeing “bitch” but hearing “witch”. I also noticed that some stations will allow “ass” but not “shit”. They are both related, what up with that?
ANYONE who gets teary-eyed at SCRUBS has GOT to be PMSing. I’m just sayin’.
::sniffle::
But Kate, didn’t you watch it? How could you not get teary-eyed at the end. Any time Cox gets emotional I’m a goner.
Sorry Robyn – not to turn this into a Scrubs comment section, but did anyone else get teary-eyed when Dr. Kelso was actually kind to Carla? ; )
Hey, if that’s a yurt, then I want to live in one too! Very nice! Small though – would be interesting with you, Fred, the Spud and all of the kitties….
I just wanted to say “Hell yea!” about the yurt. The ogrehubby and I have been in the process of getting materials together to build our own for camping. We have all of the wood, now we just need the canvas (that’s the expensive part).
I always thought marriage was a “religious” rite. If so aren’t we supposed to have separation of church and state? Mr. Bush can put his same sex marriage amendment where the sun don’t shine and let the government stay out of religious rites as well as state rights. Thanks for letting me sound off.
Public Service Announcement Continued: You’re is contracted for You Are. Your is possessive as in, “That’s your book.” Also, it’s supposedly, not supposebly. Thanks for helping us all out Robyn.
In that picture of all the sleeping kitties, The Bean looks like he’s winking at you.
when I die, I want to be reincarnated as an And3rson cat.
I don’t agree with the whole same sex marriage thing at all. And on top of that I’m not being ignorant as you say to want one thing to stay pure and as it was intended and not have to be “politically” correct to accomodate people who on one hand say they’re born that way and then on the other say it’s an alternative life style. You have to look at it this way, if one state honors it then they’ll expect every other state to honor it and let me tell you there are plenty of people out here in the “real” world who don’t agree with it and aren’t afraid to say so. And I’m not being a bigot, I’m not saying I hate gay people, but I don’t have to jump on the whole gay band wagon and agree with it. Thanks for letting me sound off. I love reading you, but I don’t have to agree with everything you say and I usually don’t sound off, but I am on this one.
I also read Mac’s blog. It is insightful and informative, but after reading blogs and articles by liberally minded people (i.e like minded to me) I feel so frustrated with what is going on in this fucking country. Being 22 years old there’s really not a goddamn thing I can do–because I’m just a “kid” and a female. I know what everyone says to that, that there are things to do, like sign petitions, etc. and I’ve tried that. Not once have I seen the effects of a petition I have signed, be it nationally or even on a local level. I guess it’s because I live in Alabama. I wish I could move to New Zealand!! God, I hate being irate at work!
Well Kay, there are pleanty of people in this “real” world who do agree with it and are not afraid to say so. I don’t understand why people are so against two people who love each other wanting to be married. My partner and I have been together for over 5 years. We love and care about each other just like any heterosexual couple would. If we get married, how is it going to effect your life? How is it going to effect anyone’s lives but our own?
Not that anyone cares or asked, but I had to throw my two cents in. So many people can’t believe that it’s even an issue that homosexuals aren’t permitted to marry. I can’t understand how the young people of this country are NOT outraged at the thought of NOT opposing gay marriages. If you start letting homosexual couples marry you take away from *MY* social security/retirement benefits. You start raising *MY* insurance rates. The big argument is “It’s no one’s business what goes on in our bedroom.” I don’t have a problem with homosexuals and what they do or don’t do in the bedroom is not my business. What I do have a problem with is our country paying for them to have benefits that I, as a single woman, do not even have. Sorry.
Holy Crap! (sorry Robyn) No one told me that there was a homosexual club that I could join that didn’t have to pay social security or insurance! All I got was a toaster oven!
So, Cheryl, does that mean you’re also opposed to married hetero people having benefits that you, as a single woman, don’t have?
regarding the “gay bandwagon” that Kay mentioned: where is this “bandwagon?” is it new? is there also a black bandwagon? an asian bandwagon? do all minorities have bandwagons? the gay bandwagon sure does sound like a party, though. fyi kay: homosexuality isn’t new, and it isn’t going away. ten percent of the population will not be denied their civil rights. sorry if you don’t like that, but it’s the price you’ll pay for living the the united states.
Martha, I’m offended. I’m SURE you meant to say “Holy shit”.
Fred, I don’t know that I’m “opposed” to them having more benefits. It’s simply a fact that married people reap more benefits than single people. I read an article in Newsweek earlier this year that said single people make about 25% less than married co-workers due to health care, retirement and other benefits. Pensions can’t be designated to a surviving family member, only a surviving spouse. Singles pay more for auto and homeowners insurance and are shut out of discounts offered by health clubs, hotels, and other establishments offer. I suspect that all of this has a HECK of a lot more to do with the reasons behind gay individuals wanting to get married than just a religious bond or piece of paper.
Don’t feel bad Robyn, I bawled when I watched Scrubs last night, even though I had a inkling that his brother-in-law was the dead one until I saw him talk to him later. I was wondering why Dr. Cox (LOVE the name) was so pissy over someone dying that he didn’t even know!
Argh, but I am pg, so maybe that is why I cried like a big wuss!
Cheryl,
It IS a fact that being married carries benefits, such as the ones you mention. Yet I didn’t see you point out that you were against heterosexual marriages, only homosexual ones. Why the discrimination?
Probably because I am homophobic. That’s what you’re waiting for, right? π I personally happen to think that marriage is a sacred institution that should be entered into by a MAN and a WOMAN. Woman was created to be man’s companion and life partner. My best friend is a lesbian and I love her to death, but that does not mean I have to agree with how she chooses to live her life. I do agree with Robyn. This country IS going to hell in a handbasket and it is because we have become so sensitized to sin. Unfortunately it is only going to get worse.
Have you not heard of this gay bandwagon? Well my dears, jump right on, it’s divine. We have all the best music, fashion, and don’t get me started on the hair. FABULOUS hair. Oh and let’s not forget the fear of holding hands in public with our partners because some insecure jerk might bash our brains in, the shame we feel in the workplace when co-workers make seemingly “innocent” jokes about fags and the like, or the insecurity we feel around some of our family members that don’t know about our “lifestyle.” Don’t get me wrong, I am not putting on the “poor me” act. I am sorry, this whole debate just sickens me that I am having a hard time formulating a coherent comment. It seems like there are many more pressing issues that our leaders could be spending time on. Robyn—thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. It helps to know that there are people out there like you!
There are far more important issues for Mr. Bush to worry about than people who want to make a personal commitment to each other, no matter what their sexual preference.
And so what if it is the reason Cheryl? Why shouldn’t they be allowed these benefits. Just because they love someone of the same sex? If you have such a problem with it then get married yourself so you can reap the same benefits. I’m technically single but have been with my man for 8 1/2 years. I don’t have any of these benefits and I’ve tried to show him it’d help us more to be married but he won’t listen, not yet anyway, heh. But just because we aren’t married and I’m living the “single” life doesn’t mean I’d want anyone else not to benefit. More power to ’em if they can. I do not and will never see why/how it can hurt hetero’s to have gay people marry, adopt kids, etc. etc.
Who are we (and by we I mean absolutely everyone on this green earth) to judge anyone else? I’m one of those people who are the maybe/maybe not’s of whether there’s a God, but if there is isn’t he the only one that’s supposed to be judging?
I hate to use Robyn’s guest book to ask this but as no e-mail address was left, I have no choice. Cheryl, could you please explain how it is that if gays are allowed to marry it would have any effect on *YOUR* Social Security, *YOUR* retirement and raise *YOUR* insurance rates? I seriously do not understand….
I do not happen to be gay. I do happen to be married. Do I think that two people who happen to be gay should also be able to exercise the
*very basic human right* of being able to get married? Hell YES!!! Do I feel that gay people getting married will “destroy” the “sanctity” of my own marriage? What, are you CRAZY??? That’s about as riduculous as thinking that my neighbor getting a Mercedes will devalue my Mercedes. What a joke.
I have yet to hear any coherent argument against allowing two consenting adults to get married.
Come on, IΒm waiting.
Where’s the Christian love and tolerance? May God Almighty have mercy on your poor hate-filled souls.
Yours in the 14th Amendment,
C.
I heart the Yurt Robyn! I have deliciously squandered away the last hour of work building, and fantasizing about my own Yurt. Thanks for providing this Fabulous Public Service! π
Robyn,
I beg of you: send me a copy of your tape of Scrubs? I don’t know how I missed it, but ever since they switched the nights around, I never seem to catch it. I’d offer to give you my firstborn in return, but I’m pretty partial to him. Instead, I offer you my undying gratitude. And I promise to buy you something from your wish list. Pretty please?
One more thing, in response to something the other Cheryl said in an earlier post:
“Fred, I don’t know that I’m “opposed” to them having more benefits. It’s simply a fact that married people reap more benefits than single people.”
You know what else? People with KIDS reap more (financial) benefits than people without kids, too! Where’s my tax cut for NOT having kids? After all, I’m not the one using up public resources by having kids. So where is it? I figure NOT having kids is worth at least 15K in tax credits a year.
Please tell me where I can send my address so a check may be cut to rectify this inequality.
Regarding Cheryl’s comments: “my best friend is a lesbian but i don’t think she should be able to get married” in the year 2004 = “i have black friends but i wouldn’t want them to go to the same schools as my kids” in the year 1950. also, if this woman is your “friend,” i’m surprised she never mentioned to you that she does not “choose” to live her life that way. she was born to it.
Somehow, I feel my comment is against the grain here and somehow I’m living an alternative comment lifestyle, but LaToya did rock last night. Oh man! She was so good. I also really liked Amy with the pink hair and one other girl who they all said had a lot of potential… I really wanted to like the Hawaiin guy (since I liked his audition) but he sounded as if he was speaking the words more than singing them. Maybe he was out of breath or something. Just my 2 cents on American Idol! Oh and the pen salesman guy totally messed up that song. I cringed.
Jennah – we call Amy with the pink hair “Betty Boop”, because she just LOOKS like Betty Boop, doesn’t she? Or is it just me? π
Amy’s face resembles Betty Boop–it’s all round & cute. I’m glad you said that ’cause I was trying to think of who she might remind me of.
Thank you SO FUCKING MUCH, Robyn, for clarifying the “could’ve” vs. “could of” thing. It always drove me NUTS!!!!
It has always seemed to me that folks who adamantly fight against an issue such as whether gays should marry or not have fear as their underlying root for their cause. Usually fear’s twin is ignorance. Or else uncertainty about one’s own self pertaining to the matter at hand.
Okay, I don’t usually get into political debates online, but I want to comment about the gay marriage thing. I don’t see how people can use the “sanctity of marriage” argument. Do you think it’s okay for Britney Spears to get married and divorced within a week? Was that a marriage based on love and commitment? Nope. What about people who get married and divorced like some people buy cars? No, that is just fine, but a gay couple who have been together for years can’t be legally wed. Whatever…
This whole gay marriage controversy makes me shake my head (especially after reading Cheryl’s comments).
I am a female, heterosexual in my late 30s, never been married, never had kids. I got engaged last week after being in a 7+ year relationship. My boyfriend and I were as committed to one another as any married couple. The reason we decided to go ahead and get married was, in part, because of the “benefits” and the fact that we plan on being together until we are old and, inevitably, sick (my bf has a degenerative condition that will lead him to classified as “disabled” in less than 10 years). We want to protect each other and be able to make medical decisions, if and when it comes to that. I am allowed to make that decision because I fell in love with a man. A good friend of mine, who is gay, cannot enjoy the same right ONLY because he fell in love with another man.
There are heterosexual married couples who do more to devalue marriage than anything gays or lesbians could do.
How exactly, does allowing gays and lesbians to get married affect Social Security/insurance etc? Aren’t homosexuals eligible for such things even when they are single?
If you have moral/religious issues with allowing gays and lesbian to marry that is one thing. But to claim that your benefits will somehow be affected by it confuses me.
Have you seen this?
http://www.myshutter.com/flash/smiley-back.swf
When I saw it, I thought of you since you’re crazy about smiley faces. It’s cute.
Please note that Kay and Kay R are NOT one and the same. I have been reading here along time and used to put just Kay but lately have been using Kay R. I am in total agreement with the gay marriage thing, just for the record in case people think I have flipped my lid and say one thing and now another LOL!
I, Kay R. believe in equality for all!
Now with that out of the way, I think Shit sounds better than crap too. It just rolls off the tongue better.
And I would of never known what a Yurt was if you had not provided that link.
See Bitchypoo is fun AND educational!
Oh and Robyn I meant to add that the Bean looks so cute in that last pic. He looks like a itty bitty kitten! So so cute!!!
You know, the only real argument that I’ve heard against gay people being allowed to marry is a religious one. Therefore, considering the separation of church and state, how our president could be in favor of a constitutional amendment defining marriage in the narrowest possible terms is beyond me. And his statement about gay marriage shaking the foundation of western civilization – what was THAT about?
Robyn! Why have I never been informed of the existence of yurts before now?! Thank you! After pouring over that website, I yelled to Morgan in the other room, “I wanna live in a YURT!” He gasped in horror. “NO!!” “Why not?” “Damn hippie!” heh. I think he’s been sheltering me from yurts out of fear…
I posted my comments on the same sex marriage issue in your entry for earlier in the week, I didn’t realize I was a few days behind. Canada has had same sex marriage in place for a year now.
Our spoiled kitty Screechie, is watching her Cat Sitter DVD. actually she watches for a while , then wanders off, but comes barreling back if you try to turn it off. So I guess I’m watching it. Anyway, at the beginning they have kitties meowing their approval of this wonderous bit of movie making. One of these kitties looks exactly like Miz Poo!
Pat
Oh, and speaking of benefits for NOT having kids, when is the government going to start paying for my condoms? My employer (the govt) would pay thousands and thousands of dollars for prenatal care and labor/delivery (not to mention treatment for possible complications), what’s a measly $7 or so a month for condoms?
Just checked out the Yurt thing. I love it! But I can’t see how the guy in Vermont is holding on. A chad nippy, even without worrying about blizzards and such.
Pat
Sacred institution? To use that, marriage practiced now would have to be a sacred institution. Two different sexes is not the ingrediants of (what would make marriage) something sacred. I think marriage would be more of this sacred institution that some people want it to be if instead of a man and a woman, for marriage to require two people in love.
Honestly, we don’t have either.
If the kind of marriage that many people are arguing here is something that the government is required to protect against, it would mean that the government is taking measures to ban straight people who violate this view of “marriage as a sacred institution” too (such as Britney Spears).
We don’t have that.
Cheryle said “Do I feel that gay people getting married will ‘destroy’ the ‘sanctity’ of my own marriage? What, are you CRAZY??? That’s about as riduculous as thinking that my neighbor getting a Mercedes will devalue my Mercedes.” I think she hit it right on the mark. What makes a marriage sacred is how the people in the marriage regard their relationship. To someone a mercedes might be a symbol of hardwork, status, and/or personal worth. To someone else, it might be a heap of metal.
Sure some gay couples might be getting married for the benefits marriage reaps. So what? Straight couples do too. I’m sure there are gay couples who treat this legal contract called marriage differently as well as some straight couples.
My point here is this: THERE IS NO POINT IN ARGUING FOR OR AGAINST THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE. The point is that this kind of discrimination is against the constitution/law. That should be all that matters.
As it stands legally, marriage is a contract. (mostly financial, etc… for means of security) Not allowing gay couples to take part in this contract is absurd. Let’s just take away their right to to act polically and socially in this society then. Don’t let them use credit cards, rent cars, open accounts, get certain jobs, etc…
Eesh.
Damn, you single, childless people. Is being able to sleep in on the weekends not enough of a benefit for you?
(Kidding!)
I agree with the majority on this board, (although, remember, we’re in the minority in this country!!), that gays should be allowed to marry.
The one argument that has been brought up that I do take issue with is the comment that “politicans should keep in mind the separation between church and state.” If the government is going to sanction gay marriage, they ARE going to be intervening in the religious arena.
If it were left up to the majority of churches there would be no gay marriage. The state is going to have to intervene on this issue if there is ever any hope of bringing about this instituion. And many religious organizations are going to see it as an infringement on their religious rights if they are expected, under law, to marry homosexuals.
This is the basis for one of the arguments for “civil unions” rather than “marriage.” Civil unions don’t imply any religious connotaton. They are government-sanctioned unions rather than a religious rite. Civil unions avoid mixing religion and politics.
I’m not saying this is my belif — I’m just sharing the argument that I heard Kerry make recently. He is for gay civil unions, but not gay marriage.
A co-worker of mine (who obviously didn’t know my opinion regarding the gay marriage debate) claimed “Wouldn’t you be horrified if your son [who, BTW, is eight months old] grew up thinking that gay marriage is NORMAL?!” I told her that gay marriage was a civil right in my book, and that when my son and his boyfriend got married, I would dance at their elegantly tasteful wedding. I think that she may have burst an aneurysm afterward…she doesn’t talk to me anymore. Hee!
My husband and a coworker had a conversation Wednesday, I’d like to tell you about it as my husband recanted it to me…….
We’ll call the coworker “Tim” and my husband Stephen – “Stevie”
(HAHAHAHA)
Tim:
So wadda think about Bush’s thing about the fags?
Stevie:
I think he’s 100% wrong.
Tim: Why? Fags are the reason we have AIDS.
Stevie: Umm no, we have AIDS because some men over in Africa fucked monkyes.
Tim: Really?
Stevie: Yeah, I think I seen something about it on tv.. maybe Discovery, I dunno…
Maybe not I’ll have to call Denise. **
**He didn’t call, so I have NOT researched the statement he stated to Tim**
Tim: Well, even if it WAS “bushpeople” fucking monkeys in Africa, it’s all the queers that was responcible for spreading it, fuckin’ each other up the ass and all that and not caring…
Stevie: Well, back when Gonareah first came about women were usually the ones carrying it, should a man not have been allowed to marry a woman because of that disease? Um, cause you know that the wife could / would spread it to the husband .. and if he or she had an affair.. well that would be like the snowball effect like you’re blaming on the gay and lesbian community.. Right? …
Tim: Um, yeah, but uh, …uh, I outta be able to grow marajauana in my back yard without being afraid of getting arrested for breaking the law.
Stevie: Yes, you’re right. You SHOULD have that right.
Tim: I don’t agree with your views on the nancyboys & the marriage deal.
Stevie: That’s ok, it’s America- you don’t HAVE to agree with me.
Stevie: Ya see, before long they are gonna start telling people they can’t
watch /or particapate (act, direct, create a soundtract, ect…) in an NC-17 movie or an X- rated movie.
Then they are gonna say you can’t buy a certain book because of the authors’ views…
Then it might then lead to them to telling you where you can and can’t work….
What about them ( the goverentment ) telling you, you MUST be a Christian and you MUST believe in God… but you CAN’T be Jewish, Prespitarian, or Catholic… But that THEY voted on YOU & YOUR FAMILY being a BAPTIST because THEY thought it was right..
Then with the power they are weilding, they might, might, even be lead to say something along the lines of “You’re from a German decendent you are NOT ALLOWED to marry a person of Swedish decendent.
OR
Perhaps “You are from Maine you can’t marry anyone from Alabama”
***** I added the Maine / Alabama reference. I believe Stevie said Tennessee and Georgia *****
Tim snorted but didn’t disagree or agree. And guess what? TIMs’ BEST FRIEND for the past 12 YEARS is G A Y and has had the same “roommate” for the past 15 years.
Tim & his wife don’t go to certain parties when “Donny” & have their friends’ over. But they DO go camping with “Donny” and his “roommate” “Evan” and they DO let their 2 sons socialiaze with them both.. But yet why is Tim so afraid to let strangers he doesent even know get married and have a “Wonderful Life” since he’s best freinds with “Donny” & “Evan”?
This is me talking, shall we call me “Denise” since it IS my name?
Denise: “Let’s move to Canada or that place where that have tobacco shops that sell pot !
America is great, but it sucks at some things. I guess we can’t have our fags and pot too huh?”
* NOTE *
I DO love America, but there are some things that are pretty fucked up in our country.. don’t even get me started on Medicare and the fact that my granny lives on less that 525.00 a MONTH and that her husband ( my papaw died in a V.A. hospital because they REFUESED to give him the treatment that could have possibly saved his life.) My papaw was in the military for over 40 years and my grannys’ got a grave plot and a house in a fucking hidiouse part of town. So please don’t send me any “I have a great thing to tell you about America E-mail.”
‘Cause if I don’t have you on my E-mail list you are already blocked when you send it.
Robyn,
I can’t wait until you get your Beetle next year ! I’ll send you a Happy Bunny air freshner !!
~Denise~ in Live & Let Live Georgia !
:o)
Denise – Tim’s real name isn’t “Tex”, is it?
While being straight works for me, I think Cheryl is forgetting something very important. You live in America, which allows you to have your own opinion. What works for you may not work for everyone else.
You want to talk about marriage being a sacred institution, how sacred was Bill Clinton when he got a *hummer* from Monica, (who by the way has her own clothing line?!?!?! WTF??). How sacred is a fat rich man buying a wife from another country??
Yes, I value the fact that marriage (when taken seriously) should be a holy union between two people, but if America is the “melting pot” it boasts itself to be, and you are allowed freedom of religious beliefs, why can’t gay people be free to love someone of the same sex??.
Benefits Shmefits! You are worried about gay people “reaping” in the benefits? How about worrying about the 43% of people on social assistance that are caught ABUSING THE SYSTEM??? What about worrying about the fact that last year your President let 300,000+ children (FROM YOUR OWN COUNTRY) go hungry, but spent 600-billion dollars to find out that 300 million light years ago Mars had a trickle of water??? (Sorry Robyn) but who the fuck cares?
You Cheryl are a disgrace to your country, once again making me proud to be Canadian!! (Plus our beer is betta!). You should be ashamed of yourself that your biggest worry is having your benefits taken from you one day, try thinking about someone other than YOURSELF today, why don’t you donate that dollar you use to have donuts or coffee, to a kid born addicted to crack, or a mother with three kids living out of the backseat of her car. Try donating some of your *precious* benefits to someone who deserves them, you obviously don’t!!
I donΒt normally like to get involved in religious or political discussions. Frankly my opinion is that, itΒs MY opinion. I am proud to be raised as a roman catholic. Proud that one day soon I will marry the love of my life (who is male) in a catholic church, but frankly if some girl likes another girl and can be in a serious relationship without cheating on her, or abusing her, but being respectful and nurturing of her, then LET THEM BE.
How come there was no Bacherlorette spoiler? I really wanted to know what you thought!
Joy – Because this is yesterday’s entry, and the Bachelorette hadn’t been on yet when I wrote it. π
All this talk of Scrubs, and no one mentions “gay chicken”?!! That’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in the longest time. (And yes, I am one politically uncorrect mofo…)
Also, the last time I paid any attention to public polls, the approval/disapproval rating for gay marriage was split evenly, 47% to 47%.
Democracy is NOT majority rules. Who says that your 47% is better than MY 47%?
“Sanctity of marriage” is a weak homopobic argument, but “sanctity of wallet” (e.g., descriminating against gays to keep your insurance rates down) is just laughable.
Lisa, I have to entirely disagree with your religious institution argument. Basically, it’s a crock of shit. With any hetero marriage, there are churches that will and will not marry you. For example, the catholic church would not marry my mother and her boyfriend. Why? Because she divorced my dad. Plain and simple. You’re divorced? Sorry – but we’re not marrying you. She could have gone to any protestant church and probably have been married but chose Vegas instead. π Anyway, the point is, no church is going to be forced to marry a gay or lesbian couple. They have the choice now, with the current laws, to turn people away anytime they choose based on their beliefs. There are churches who openly support gays and lesbians and would love to marry them in the legal sense and already do in the spiritual sense. I still haven’t seen a good argument for not allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. While my religion (Catholicism) doesn’t allow it – that doesn’t mean a “free” country that has “separation of church and state” should ban it.
Holy cow Robyn, you created a shitstorm! LOL
I just had to respond to your comment though:
>>>Damn, you single, childless people. Is being able to sleep in on the weekends not enough of a benefit for you? (Kidding!)
I’m married, and childFREE. And yeah, I love being able to sleep in, although I usually don’t. π
Totally agree about the birth control thing raised earlier. It pisses me off that my insurance company won’t pay $20 a month for birth control, yet they’ll shell out THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars for my coworker to have kids, not to mention what they’ll pay out for the kid’s health care.
On another note, I am so fucking tired of people trying to inflict their religious beliefs on other people. You want to believe in a god? Fine. Good for you. But don’t let YOUR beliefs infringe on YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS’ life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. You know, atheists and gay people work and pay taxes too, and have a right to receive equal protection under the law. For it to be any other way would be against the very principles that made this country great. However, I’m afraid that this is EXACTLY what is happening to thie country. And that makes me very, very sad.
C.
Nina, I DO think gays should be allowed to marry. I’m totally on your side on this issue!
As for churches being required to marry gays or not marry gays it is going to depend on how the legislation is written. They will have to include an exemption for churches, or churches could potentially face law suits regarding this issue if they choose exclude gays. As this issue has played out in Canada, this has been a topic of discussion (and probably great concern) among religiois leaders.
Any Canadians want to address how Canada handled that?
In Canada, this played out as was assumed above. The churches already have the right to determine who they will marry. So this is no different. No church can be forced to marry any couples they don’t want to. It is a civil law, about a civil union. Some churches will marry gay couples, but it is the clergies decision. Many churches say outright that they will not marry gay couples.
Pat
Does it piss anyone off here that NONE of the viable presidential candidates are in favor of gay marriage? Bush, Kerry, and Edwards have all gone on the record against it.
And one other sad fact…a poll taken this week asked Americans if they support a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Sixty-one percent said yes.
I’m sorry if I’m being redundant.
Lisa: If the government is going to sanction gay marriage, they ARE going to be intervening in the religious arena.
I disagree with that statement. Marriage, in today’s world, has become an entity seperate from religion. Marriage is not something that has to take place within the bounds of religion. For example, you can get married without a priest or in a church and atheists can and do get married. Yes, there is the idea of a civil union. However, I think this idea goes hand in hand with “seperate but equal is not constitutional,” because oftentimes it is not equal. There is no need for segregation. It implies discrimination in the eyes of law. Also, since there is such differences between different religions, you aren’t going to come to one answer that is acceptable. It’s been mentioned but that’s why all churches have the right to choose to allow people to marry in their church. Churches who do not support gay unions will just not allow them in their church.
I hear what you’re saying, but keep in mind that churches are not automatically exempt from laws that are passed. Again, it would have to be written into legislation that churches are exempt.
I’m getting my info on this from an attorney friend, (who is gay and pro-gay marriage), and this is an argument that John Kerry has made in favor of gay civil unions and against gay marriage. (Which AGAIN, is not my belief — I AM FOR GAY MARRIAGE!) I don’t THINK they could both be wrong, lol, but possibly I’m misinterpreting what they’re saying. They have said that, unless exemptions are written into legislation, technically a gay couple could sue, say the Federation of Baptist Churches, for discriminatory practices.
If someone has better info, please straighten me out and I’ll pass it onto my attorney friend, (AND John Kerry while I’m at it!) π
Ah, I understand…
Honestly, I am not exactly sure how the church would play a role in the law making process. I think there is no conflict to writing that portion in, personally, if it needs to be written in. (I mean, there are churches that support gay marriages too…) I know it’s not that simple, though. I see how this aspect might be a sticky place for lawmakers.
I had thought that since churches can be selective now about who they want to marry, it would carry through to gay marriage. I should look into this, though.
As a seperate issue, I am still not convinced (I know that you’re not necessarily trying to convince me as much as just you are pointing out arguments and playing devil’s advocate.) that civil unions would a good idea. I think if they were to try to push that idea, they would have to be consistant and establish that marriage is a purely religious thing. They would have to assert that atheists and those that churches/priests refuse to marry are in civil unions instead of marriages.
I’d be interested too if someone has more information on this particular aspect.