Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Alan MacHett" <machett AT ibiblio.org>]

hmmmm... so many issues to address, and me off work with all day to rant
about them....

Someone asked earlier for anyone to present a reason why gay couples
should not be allowed to marry.  I haven't seen a valid argument
presented, neither here nor anywhere else.  To compliment that request, I
also ask, exactly how would gay marriage affect you?  As in, how would gay
marriage hurt you?

I ask because of a notion I learned long ago:  your civil rights end where
mine begin.  In other words, do whatever the hell you want so long as it
doesn't hurt anybody else.  So, exactly how does gay marriage hurt anyone
else?

God says so?  Sorry, KJ's not Christian, so your religion doesn't apply to
her.  If it bothers your religious sentiments ... too bad; I asked how it
would *hurt* you.  Does it interfere with your life somehow?  Does it
violate your civil rights?  I really cannot stand to hear Gary Birdsong,
the Pit Preacher at UNC; sometimes I'd like to punch him in the face.  But
guess what?  He has every right to be there saying the things he says. 
Good for him.  I don't have to listen to him; I can walk away.  I think
owning stockpiles of guns or your own cruise missle or jet fighter is
awfully silly, but who cares?  So long as your not gunning people down or
strafing the city, you can have guns out the wazzoo for all I care.  So
just how the hell does gay marriage hurt anyone?

Taxes maybe?  You shouldn't have to pay to support an institution you
believe to be an abomination?  Too bad.  Your taxes already go to support
a whole list of crap you don't like.  Besides, if that's really the issue,
then we can just amend the tax laws so that you can specifically list on
your IRS forms whichever "abominations" you don't want your money going
to.  But this is a really weak arguement; you pay taxes regardless.  Taxes
aren't being raised to support gay marriage.

It doesn't affect you, but it will ruin the minds of your children... 
What a crock!  I guess all these anti-drug "talk to your kids; they'll
listen" ads are all bogus?  If I recall my sociology/psychology studies
correctly, kids learn the most from their peer groups, then from their
parents, and they learn the least from society at large.  Honestly, if
your parenting is that bad, then maybe you shouldn't be contributing to
the gene pool in the first place.  Besides, how do you know your kid's not
gay anyway??

Gay marriage isn't violating anyone's civil rights, but we currently sure
as hell are violating theirs.  I mean, as a proud member of the "Men who
like to take women from behind" group, if I woke up tomorrow to discover
that I was barred from marrying said woman, or being listed on her
insurance, or visiting her in the hospital when she's critically ill or
dying, or any of the other things that "missionary style" folks get ...
well, now you're violating my civil rights.

Life
Liberty
and the Pursuit of Happiness

Alan MacHett