ModerateGOP Wrote:
I really don't see the validity in that argument at all. How will allowing two human beings (I guess they happen to be of the same sex ... but why do you care?) to marry at all open the door for such activity? You're still only allowed to file your taxes jointly with ONE spouse, you're still only allowed to marry ONE person at a time ... that person can just now be of the same sex. Not a big deal, and quite frankly, it should be burried as an issue now; I'm glad equality has been realized, so let's focus on more pressing issues.
First and foremost...make sure you aren't confusing someone discussing this topic with someone being for or against gay or polygamist marriages. I know people who are against both gay and polygamist marriage who can argue quite convincingly for why they both should be legalized....and I know people who have not an ounce of anti-gay or anti-polygamist feeling in their body who can argue that legalizing these marriages is a bad idea for our country.
Here's the basic concept as explained to me by my attorney-husband:
The issue at hand is PRECEDENT. Arguing lawyers in the future will cite the fact that we had a definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman of the same race for decades. Then it changed as societal norms and cultural acceptance changed to being one man and one woman of any race. It remained that way for another few decades. People who argued for same-sex marriage cite the caselaw that legalized interracial marriages to lend support to their cause even though it is highly probably that the lawyers who argued for interracial marriage had NO INTENTION of their work being used to legalize homosexual marriage. This is because no lawyer, no judge, no court, has the ability to say, "Oh, no no no...I never meant for my decision to be used for THAT!!!"
In the future...as gay marriage becomes commonplace and doesn't destroy the country...polygamists will begin to use the same arguments originally used against homosexuality to validate their lifestyle choice. Hollywood will create characters who are loving and kind and who just happen to be in a loving, committed relationship with more than one person...people who have been in calm, supportive loving polyamorous relationships will come forward to ask for their children to be able to see their parents marriage legally recognized.
And they will go to courts and say..."the definition of marriage, as legally recognized in this country...has been changed multiple times as cultural/societal norms have changed. all we are asking is for the same rights you have bestowed on other citizens...the right to marry the person or persons we love."
And all the arguments against will sounds eerily similar to the arguments people used against interracial and homosexual marriages...and it won't be too long before judges start ruling in their favor...based on the precedent we are setting today. All of the arguments for not recognizing polygamous marriage are nothing more than "but we've ALWAYS done it this way...its ALWAYS been just TWO people," and legally speaking...we've set in motion rulings that show that how it has "always" been...is legally irrelevant.
