"Gays, they're just like us!"

From the Community…

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  Posted by Bernard Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:23am PDT

  I see that all opponents have only moral, religious, or personal feelings as arguments. The big deal came about when a popular vote was overturned, but being that most of the opposing arguements are what they are the vote probably never should have gone to the public.

  So thinking about it I discovered I'm all for it & here's why:

  1) Marriage creates millions of dollars in taxable revenue as well as service based jobs

  2) County fees are collected on Marriage

  3) Money saved because as spouses same sex couples amy be afforded better insurance thus becoming less of a potential for becoming a burden on the state or a credit risk

  If a same sex marriage ends in divorce

  1) Divorce creates millions of dollars in taxable revenue as well as service based jobs

  2) County fees are collected on divorce

  3) In certain states alimony & divorce laws dictate that insurance still be carried still limiting the potential risk of state burdens

  & if those reasons do not convince you same sex marriage should be legal, or at least to accept somebody else's viewpoint that it should be, please, let me site other legal reasons:

  "No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

  US Constitution

  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

  Declaration of Independence

  Feel free to be mad

  http://www.wilvanwinkle.com/; www.myspace.com/wilvanwinkle1

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  Posted by Beth Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:01am PDT

  Nicely put Pie =D

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  Posted by Nena Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:27am PDT

  Ok, I have to share on this as it is a topic in my home as my partner and I have been watching and reading all of the reports regarding this. Yes we are a lesbian couple, we have been together for many years and are as devoted to one another as we can be, with or without a "marriage". Here is our take on it, marriage is about a union of souls and taking a path together in life. It is not about one man and one woman for the purpose of procreation as that is not the right reason to marry (as many of you have already noted about).

  We are very concerned that many gay/lesbian couples are going to run out and get married without really giving it much thought about the real meaning of marriage. In our life together we have faced some very difficult challenges and struggles as we are two different people and therefore as we live we continue to grow.

  This is the challenge that people forget when it comes to marriage - that it is for a lifetime. Marriage is not about let's do it because we get to have a fancy party, get gifts, have benefits concerning tax breaks and such it is about standing by that person when they are very sick, dealing with money issues, watching them grow and allowing them to do so, helping them find their path that falls within the path you both walk. That is what marriage is, the good, the bady and the ugly and not just tossing it aside when it is no longer convenient.

  We are just like everyone else in terms of we want to live our lives for us, we want to be recognized for what we can share and bring to others lives. Our life is really no different than those who are straight (sorry, I hate to use terms ...). We live, we love, we hurt, we grow old and we die - there is really no difference other than we happen to love someone of the same sex, not our choice any more than it is your choice to love someone of the opposite sex.

  So do we want marriage??? Yes and no, we want what should be free to everyone but before we go down the isle we want "marriage" to find it's real meaning of committment and stop being just something you do.

  Thanks for letting me share my thoughts, have a great day. HH

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  Posted by brandi Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:32am PDT

  I think the reason you have a decline in same sex marriages is the same reason straight people divorce. Marriage isn't for everybody and people are uncompatible. I wish people as a whole regardless of sexual orientation would take their time and not jump into any union. One minute people are in love and the next in divorce court.

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  Posted by instrumentjamlord Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:08am PDT

  I'm going with Oohay's explanation. There was a huge (relative to the homosexual population) backlog of same-sex couples that wanted to get married, but weren't allowed to. When it became legal, all of those people were first through the gate. After that, it tailed off to the natural level of constant demand.

  The anomaly isn't the dropoff; the anomaly is the initial spike, which wouldn't have happened, had gay marriage not been illegal for so long.

  Signed,

  Master of the Glaringly Obvious

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  Posted by Susan Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:15am PDT

  I don't understand why these people who are opposed to gay marriage even CARE. What does it have to do with them? If you don't approve of gay marriage, then that's your opinion. If someone's beliefs or religion or opinion or whatever dictates that gay marriage is wrong, then that is their opinion and they can live their life that way, but what right do you have to tell OTHER people who they can and can't marry? It's nothing to do with you or anyone else. How would you like it if someone said you can't marry her because she is...I don't know, presbyterian, or athiest, or black, or white, a different nationality, whatever. Banning gay marriage is outright discrimination. It's denying a set of benefits to one group of people but allowing them for another. Based on what? Based on gender. Joe can't marry John because John is a man. But if John was a woman then Joe could marry her. The equal protection clause of the 14th amendment prohibits discrimination based on gender (as well as race, religion, ethnic origin, etc). So it seems to me that banning gay marriage is unconstitutional. Banning gay marriage treats gays and lesbians as second-class citizens and it is denying them of their basic civil rights. Some day the idea of banning gay marriage will be just as absurd as denying women or blacks the right to vote or not allowing interracial marriage; change just takes time. Today there are still people who don't approve of interracial marriage, for example, but that doesn't mean they have the right to forbid an interracial couple from getting married. They have the right to their opinion, that's all. Just because I was allowed to marry the person of my choice (a man, and I'm a woman) doesn't mean that that is the only acceptable way.

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  Posted by Todd Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:19am PDT

  Are the people doing the study stupid? The reason for the "downward spiral" is that when it was legalized, you had years and years of old couples in line. Now, all the marriages are from new relationships.

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  Posted by Susan Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:29am PDT

  What is up with all these god created man and woman to be together and procreate comments? What does that have to do with civil rights and laws in our country? Just because you happen to believe in that story doesn't mean everyone else has to and they shouldn't have to live their lives accdording to your religious rules. There are a lot of other religions other people choose to follow or none at all if that is their choice. Christianity is not the only religion or way to be in this world. If you think that gay relationships are wrong based on the bible or your religion, then fine, but remember not everyone follows that particular religion or even a religion at all. Religion should have no part in this. Let everyone marry whoever they want for whatever reason they want, whether it be love, to have children, whatever. It doesn't matter!

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  Posted by ~Russian Chick Tatiana~ Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:34am PDT

  Why is it that every topic about gays becomes a great debate? Everyone is writing whole page storys when your just supopose to leave a brief comment about what your thought were ONE THE ARTICLE.

  heh.

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  Posted by Drew Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:15am PDT

  The basic idea of marriage for gays& lesbians is simply ACCEPTANCE & EQUALITY.THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WE ALL LOOK FOR THAT!

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