From: "iaamoac" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Michael Harney" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Suppose that, in an effort to control world overpopulation > > Everyone is free to marry anyone they want from the > > same sex, but not of the opposite sex. Would you consider > > that "equal protection"? How would you feel about such a thing? > > No, I would not consider it a denial of equal protection. Somehow I don't believe you. I have a hard time believing that you would not take exception to such a scenario had it actually occurred. > In addition, I think that there is a large "common law" disparity > between your analogy and the current situation. Right now, marriage > has always been defined in the United States to refer heterosexual > unions. As Dan Minette has noted, no matter what else you think > about this issue, you have to concede that what is under > consideration is a profound redefinition of marriage. Actually, I don't concede that it is, as you say "A profound redefinition of marriage". I never have conceded that. It is a redefinition, but only a minor one. Marriage has been re-defined for centuries. Only a few centuries ago, the vast majority of marriages were arranged. Parents were the ones who chose who married who, and the purpose of which was usually to form partnerships/alliances between families. The redefinition of marriage as an institution that two people (a man and a woman) who love each other willingly choose to enter, promising their lives to eachother was a far greater redefinition of Marriage from arranged marriages than extending an institution that two people who love each other willingly choose to enter, promising their lives to eachother to include same-sex partners. The "radical redefinition" as you say, is only in your mind. > A much closer analogy would be a society that had always only > permitted same-sex unions... alas, any such ociety would now no > longer exist. I don't know, it seems to work ok with bottlenose dolphins... male bottlenose dolphins typically pick another male bottlenose dolphin that they spend most of their life with, and they even sexually stimulate one another. Of course, they still have sex with female dolphins (or the species would die out) but they partner with a member of the same sex. It can't be too bad of an arrangement, because bottlenose dolphins have been arround a lot longer than our species has. Michael Harney [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
