I am not opposed to gay marriage per se. I think States are free to define marriage any way they want. However, I am concerned about the continuing dissolution of the nuclear family as a stable basis for raising children and preparing them to become responsible self-supporting adults.
Towards this end, federal tax laws were designed to reduce the financial penalty of one parent staying at home to raise children by 1) allowing married parents to "average" their combined incomes in order to remain in a lower tax bracket; 2) giving nonworking spouses an additional 50% of their working spouses social security benefits; and 3) allowing spouses to double the inheritance tax exemption amount through an AB Trust. This was based on the assumption that most parents would conform to this model.
This assumption is becoming less valid and we are paying an undeniable social and financial price for this trend, which is being ignored in the current debate about gay marriage. (Even within a civil rights context, the larger issue may be the ineligibility for these tax benefits due to fewer marriages within Black families.)
What is the solution to this growing problem? One idea would be a two-tiered marriage contract: A "civil union" for childless couples and a "civil marriage" for couples with children which would include the aforementioned tax benefits (as well as ineligibility for "no fault" divorce). I would gladly support gay marriage under these conditions. How about you?
Towards this end, federal tax laws were designed to reduce the financial penalty of one parent staying at home to raise children by 1) allowing married parents to "average" their combined incomes in order to remain in a lower tax bracket; 2) giving nonworking spouses an additional 50% of their working spouses social security benefits; and 3) allowing spouses to double the inheritance tax exemption amount through an AB Trust. This was based on the assumption that most parents would conform to this model.
This assumption is becoming less valid and we are paying an undeniable social and financial price for this trend, which is being ignored in the current debate about gay marriage. (Even within a civil rights context, the larger issue may be the ineligibility for these tax benefits due to fewer marriages within Black families.)
What is the solution to this growing problem? One idea would be a two-tiered marriage contract: A "civil union" for childless couples and a "civil marriage" for couples with children which would include the aforementioned tax benefits (as well as ineligibility for "no fault" divorce). I would gladly support gay marriage under these conditions. How about you?