United for Marriage
It baffles me that people are so weirded out about letting gays and lesbians get married. Their arguments are ridiculous and illogical.
Today I saw a new one. If you want to let everyone get married, then brothers and sisters could marry each other.
First of all, gross. Second of all, that’s a genetic time bomb waiting to go off. Third of all, and most important, that’s like 0.000000001% of the population. Of course, I didn’t do the math. I don’t have to because it’s common sense.
Marriage is a secular contract. Religion is part of some people’s experience, but not everyone’s and the question here is a legal, secular one. What’s at stake has to do with equal rights.
When a man and a woman get married now, the government recognizes it as a contract. It’s an agreement to be a household. What’s mine is yours and vice versa. In California, we have community property. It can only be between a married couple. You have certain legal obligations to one another. You have a say in that other person’s life from a legal standpoint. The marriage license on file at the county recorders office says so.
How is it a legal contract? Here’s how our government reinforces the idea: Married people have rights to their deceased spouses Social Security benefits. That right there shows you the “domestic partner” status is NOT equal to being married. What about the tax breaks married people receive? If a “domestic partner” dies does the remaining partner automatically get to own the house they’ve shared? Even if both of them held title to it? Not necessarily, but with married people, there’s no inheritance tax obligation if one of them dies. They can thank community property for that.
And of course if the “domestic partner” gets sick, there are no protected rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for them. Married people have that protection.
Marriage has traditionally been about economics anyway. Think about it. Dowries are not religious, they are quite secular. They are about stuff, things, and sometimes livestock, but not your eternal soul. Common sense dictates that it’s easier to survive with a helpmate than it is to go alone. Marriage is a contractual agreement between two people. It’s very simple. People’s ridiculous fears are what complicates the matter. Grow up and get over yourself. Who cares if two adults (or even three or four) want to create a household together? Do you want someone telling you who you can and can’t marry? I sure as hell don’t.
Fabulous post Amy!! Not to mention that California same-sex married couples can file their taxes jointly in California but cannot for the Feds. BUT, since CA is a community property state, they have to figure out how much of their spouse’s income is theirs and vice versa then report that on their “Single” federal return. Creating a HUGE tax preparation bill and often to their financial deficit. Almost always triggering an inquiry from the IRS, who doesn’t seem to understand their own rules, racking up more accounting fees, etc etc. Sucks the big one if you ask me.
Thank you! I knew in my gut that marriage equality is the right thing, but I never really realized the financial impact it can have until I started researching.