Appealing the Will of the People, Part I

Let me start by saying that even though Heather and I go back and forth on marriage debates, we’re not fighting or trying to “one-up” each other. I know it may seem that way to some, since one of us usually comes along quickly to counter the other’s arguments after such issues are posted. Heather and I have very different views on these issues, (obviously) yet we agree to disagree. One thing we do agree on is that it’s important for both sides to be heard, so with that said, let me address Heather’s latest article, Marriage Debates: California Gay … Continue reading →

Marriage Debates: California Gay Marriage Ban to Be Appealed

It’s not surprising, after the votes last week it was only a matter of time before the laws would be challenged in state courts. Advocates in California have asked the California Supreme Court to consider their legal challenge on the California Gay Marriage Ban. The briefs filed with the court argue that banning gay couples from marrying violates the California constitution and they are requesting the justices address this immediately. The appeals court in California upheld the law last month that restricts marriage to a union between a man and woman and offered the response that it is up to … Continue reading →

Marriage Means No More Dating Others (or Does it?)

Why do people bother getting married if they are still interested in dating others? Please clue me in. I’m one of those fuddy-duddy, conservative, traditional people who thinks that vows actually mean something. Granted, I generally defer to a position of “to each his own” – if no one else is affected. Yet, when you find married people on dating sites, saying things like “married but still looking,” I think it’s a little much. I was looking around for information on dating sites to write about when I came across some of these ads. I’m not going to link to … Continue reading →

Marriage Debates: Election Round-Up

You knew I’d have something to say here. Yesterday’s election and votes on various measures was considered controversial going in and didn’t fail to deliver as voters made themselves heard on a variety of issues. Three key votes in three different states that I was watching. The first in South Dakota was the ban on virtually all abortions. It was defeated. In Missouri, it was the measure backing stem cell research. It passed. Finally, the voters in Arizona rejected the amendment banning gay marriage. Yes, it looks like the other states might be close to passing those measures, but I’ve … Continue reading →

Marriage Debates: Ballots Banning Same Sex Marriage

Even though not all the votes have been tallied yet, in every state that had a gay marriage ban on the ballot except for Arizona, those who disagree with redefining marriage are winning. In some cases, they are winning by huge numbers. What is interesting is that so many conservative ballot initiatives won or are winning, yet Democrats took over the House and may still take the Senate. Why would social traditionalists vote liberal? Many people are touting this as a huge victory, despite the ballot measures. I think liberal Democrats should be very careful. This is obviously not a … Continue reading →

Make Your Voice Heard on Marriage Debates and More: Vote!

There’s a lot going on this election season, and some voters are finding themselves confused. In fact, that may be the whole idea in some cases. When ballot initiatives are written in legalese and doublespeak, it should probably send up a red flag. If a referendum or ballot initiative is a good thing, why hide the true meaning in unclear language? Why not use plain language, so every voter knows exactly what it means? Too often, the title, description, or first few paragraphs sound good, but the “meat” of the proposal is hidden within definitions as used in a particular … Continue reading →

Marriage Debates: Today is Election Day

Today is one of those days that will go down in the history books. Forget about the candidates who are running for office. Forget about the fact that there is a great deal riding on whether the House and the Senate will be controlled by the Democrats or the Republicans. But this mid-term election is about more than Governor, Senate and House races, but about the multitude of hot-button topics and measures that will be voted on from illegal immigration to affirmative action to abortion to gay marriage. There are a total of 205 measures being voted on 37 different … Continue reading →

Is Divorce What’s Wrong with Marriage?

Some may read the title and think, “Well, duh!” Divorce, or more accurately, the ease with which people can now be granted a divorce may very well be one of the main reasons marriages fail. You might wonder if I got it backwards. Marriages –particularly bad ones- lead to divorce, but divorce doesn’t lead to a bad marriage, right? It depends. Easy or “no-fault” divorce may in fact lead people to look at marriage with the attitude of, “If I don’t like it, I can always get out of it.” That’s not the way marriage was intended to be undertaken, … Continue reading →

Would You Want Your Spouse to Remarry?

If something happened to you (God forbid), would you want your spouse to remarry? This issue has been the subject of many jokes and even some rather lengthy discussions for married couples. There are people who absolutely cannot stand the thought of their spouse being married to someone else, even after they’re gone. I’ve heard people joke about coming back to haunt their spouse if he or she remarries, but I’ve also heard people try to make their spouses promise never to remarry. I think it’s more a matter of imagining a mate with another person now than actually not … Continue reading →

New Jersey, Marriage, Rights, and Effects

Like you didn’t see this one coming… Since the New Jersey Supreme Court clearly (and correctly) stated that it found no fundamental right to gay marriage, it is rather curious that the Court would still demand that same sex couples be included in existing marriage laws or be given the same benefits as married couples through new legislation. If there is no fundamental right, how can the Court force the legislature to create a special statutory right that includes marriage benefits? Make no mistake; the New Jersey Supreme Court is indeed an activist court. While it may technically sidestep violating … Continue reading →