main page
"To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
|
click here for a bigger sunset
One small voice in the proud tradition of FreeBlogging*
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
posted by gbarto at 4:03 AM:
Kevin, whose blog is at the link, has become firmly pro gay marriage in response to Bush's attempt to federalize the question. But the reasoning he gives for picking a fight with Virginia's Defense of Marriage Act indicates that federalism isn't the real issue. Liberty is. He writes (the italics are his, for quotation):Section 1. Equality and rights of men.I guess that's the flipside of my comment (right below):
That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.
That would seem to include contracting with one another in marriage, regardless of gender.
It raises [my] hackles when government tells people they don't really understand the meaning of what they're doing.Since, I would add, government's job is to secure our liberties, not our salvation, and those liberties were neatly summarized by Mr. Jefferson as "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," the third of which cannot be defined by government but only by citizens free to act upon their own will so long as they do not infringe the rights of others.
* * *
French Elections, 1st round
Second round special page
Second Round Results Map
The TurkeyBlog main page contains only the 20 most recent entries.
To go further back, check the archive in the right hand bar.
