The Buck and Mike Blog

The arguments about same-sex marriage are all over the map.

Some people say marriage should only be between a man and a woman because the primary purpose of marriage is procreation.

To that I offer this thought: I could live with that, if it were true. It’s not, but we can fix that. If marriage is solely about procreation, then the legally conferred designation when two people, straight, gay or otherwise, merely commit to spending their lives together should be the same. For the sake of argument, let’s call it a “civil union,” since that term is already in use. So a couple who wishes to spend their lives together can receive a civil union license. Once the couple gives birth to a child carrying the genes of both — once this couple has procreated — they become legally eligible to receive a marriage license. » Read the rest of this entry »

same-sex marriage, procreation, civil union

Buckley and I want to congratulate our friends at the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund on the amazing work they do and the results they have gotten thus far. Lambda Legal was instrumental in the legal case that led to the decision yesterday by New Jersey’s State Supreme Court on equal rights for same-sex couples. Equality is like a footrace with lots of hurdles but no discernible finish line. Lambda Legal consistently pushes on, jumping hurdle after hurdle after hurdle. They have a small but dedicated staff who get results.

Buck, in his comment on this blog to an earlier post, mentions desegregation in the ’50s and how we look back on that era now as “quaint and embarrassing.” He and I, like many married couples, often happen to board the same train of thought at the same moment: This morning, as I rode the crowded bus to work and had to stand in the aisle at the back of the bus, I thought of the New Jersey ruling, and I looked around me and smiled. I smiled because men and women of all colors and backgrounds were standing and sitting next to each other on this crowded bus, and I marveled how it was unlikely that anyone else realized how this daily, ordinary commute could not legally have happened in this way in parts of the United States just 50 years ago.

Angie Paccione, candidate for a congressional seat in Colorado, participated in a televised debate on Tuesday night, Oct. 24. Responding to opponent Marilyn Musgrave’s stance against same-sex marriage (she recently said it “is the most important issue that we face today”), Paccione replied:

You want to protect marriage, you know what’s a threat to marriage? Divorce is a threat to marriage. You know what else is a threat to marriage? Infidelity is a threat to marriage. Domestic violence is a threat to marriage. Losing your job is a threat to marriage. Marriage is not a threat to marriage. I support equality.

I’m totally confused by the ruling by the State Supreme Court of New Jersey. The opening paragraphs of an article in the New York Times sums it up this way:

The State Supreme Court in New Jersey said today that same-sex couples are entitled to “the same rights and benefits enjoyed by opposite-sex couples under the civil marriage statutes.”

But the court, in its 4-3 ruling, said that whether that status would be called marriage, or something else, “is a matter left to the democratic process.”

It seems to me that they are saying something along the lines of, “Gays and lesbians are entitled to equal rights under the law, but whether they are called ‘equal rights’ is a matter that we will leave up to the legislature.”

Huh?

It’s election time in the U.S. and once again many Republican candidates are warning about the evils of tax-and-spend Democrats.

The problem with that line of reasoning is that, while the Republican congress during Clinton’s administration balanced the federal budget, the current congress is spend-and-spend. You think you’re not paying higher taxes? Think again. The U.S. National Debt Clock shows that the nation’s public debt is currently at more than US$8.5 trillion dollars, and grows greater by a rate of US$1.59 billion per day.

What does the mean to the average American? Your personal share: $28,475.96. That’s if the debt is divided evenly among the more than 300 million people in the country. So, each of your children also owe $28,475.96. Each Democrat owes $28,475.96. Each Republican owes $28,475.96. Each American who isn’t even registered to vote owes $28,475.96. And that number gets higher by the day.
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Democrat, Republican

I’ve had this thing about checking Technorati.com to see if they show that I’ve got new blog posts. But Technorati says Buck and I haven’t posted anything since August 15! I used to think they were the place to go to check the world’s pulse, but I read all over the place (except at Technorati) that they’re a hit-and-miss proposition unless you’ve got big bucks.

Technorati

Gerry Studds, formerly a U.S. congressman from Massachusetts, died last week. At the time of his death he had been married for two years. But for the first time ever, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, a surviving congressional spouse will be denied pension benefits.
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Gerry Studds, congressman, Massachusetts

Did the Devil make them do it?

Recent news items:

Scott Blauvelt, a 35-year-old Hamilton, Ohio, city prosecutor was arrested this past Monday and charged with two counts of indecency. It seems that Blauvelt had the habit of wandering around his workplace naked after hours. Unfortunately, his workplace is a government building and he was caught on a security camera a couple of times. According to his lawyer, Blauvelt had a traffic accident a year ago and so he suffers from mental illness. “Scott Blauvelt is an American with a disability,” he said. His disability made him do it.
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Scott Blauvelt

This blog post is actually a d’rasha (akin to a sermon) written and delivered by the president of my synagogue, Alex Carter, on Kol Nidrei, the night of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, reprinted here with her permission. It’s quite a bit longer than a blog post normally is, but it’s well worth your time and attention. — Mike
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• Great blog post by the Velveteen Rabbi on sukkot.
• Great article on faith in Time Magazine by Andrew Sullivan.
• Letter to the editor about Angie Paccione, who is running for the U.S. Congress in Colorado.

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Velveteen Rabbi, sukkot, Andrew Sullivan

D. Fletcher is a cool dude. Ask him some questions, he’ll tell you no lies.

As promised I am back with some words you can substitute for the swear words you usually use (i know you are all potty mouths out there…one especially, you know who you are and living in the country does not excuse you! )

So, first here are some commonly used Mormon replacements that my brother has kindly supplied me with: For the “f” word, you can substitute “fudge”. Then there’s “That fetching jerk!” and “That guy’s a freakin’ idiot!” Other popular terms: “Oh my heck!” “H-E-double toothpicks.” » Read the rest of this entry »