Weekend: Marriage

I was listening to the news a few days ago and a short blurb came on, something about Arnold Schwartzenegger wanting to eliminate the word "marriage" from California's constitution.

There's a part of me that believes this would be the right move in many regards.

Of course, these are just my opinions and not a reflection of Thai culture or any other culture. They're just thoughts that have been floating in the recesses of my mind for a few years now.

Personally, I don't see marriage as a socially superior status. There is nothing wrong with people choosing to live together or choosing to remain single.

In social terms, it is completely irrelevant. It indicates nothing about individual or social character.

And it is no justification for tax breaks.

Relational status should have no bearing on the availability of social resources or benefits.

I've always leaned toward a flat tax system in all countries that tax. Why should someone who is married with children (a social choice) have more tax benefits than a single person with children? (Ed for clarification: I am not suggesting that those who have children should not have any tax breaks. Naturally, I would rather see social services available that would make them unnecessary. However, I am suggesting that those who choose to have children outside of the traditional relationship configuration should have equal rights and that includes gay people. Hope that's a bit more clear. - cs :)

I believe that eliminating "marriage" from the constitution and replacing it with "civil union" would be effective and would ultimately have a positive effect. However one chooses to honor the union spiritually would be an individual matter. Civil unions would be a way to include gays, lesbians, straights or asexuals, anyone who wants to pair up with someone else for inheritance purposes, medical power of attorney or any purpose those people consider valid.

Well, just a few thoughts. What are yours? Just to add a bit more spice to the mix, do you believe any kind of mating is acceptable, as long as it is not exploitative? That would include, say, polygamy? How about a large intentional community where everyone is responsible for seeing to the children?


~*

The more things change....

While we've been saturated locally with coverage of the journey of the wayward whales, something else has been taking place in Sacramento.

As an aside, one of the things I've found most frustrating about living in this area is the news coverage. The four local newscasts (including CW) fill their airtime each day with fluff, human interest and ultimately meaningless chatter between the anchors instead of devoting quality time to coverage of what the state government is doing. I'd hoped for more. This is the capital of the state and I figured that important issues would be up for discussion.

Not so. And that includes print media such as the Sacramento Bee, although it at least has more detail than anything on TV or radio.

So.. while we've been subjected to literally hour-by-hour and "breaking news" interruptions to programming to watch the progress of the whales out of the delta, they downplay the fact that the governor's budget is up for discussion this week.

I was finally able to find a summary of the governor's proposed budget in the LA Times. It would appear that, as usual, the poor and needy will take the biggest hit in the gut. Social services are being cut at an alarming rate, including cuts in welfare programs, smaller raises for social services workers and cash assistance for families in need, the elderly and disabled population.

College tuitions will increase, making it harder for those who want to do something to improve their situations. Students will end up with an increase in their debt to student loan companies and other financial aid programs. (That is assuming, of course, that they qualify at all!)

These are just a few examples. The majority of it is all business-related stuff that just makes my brain numb.

I can definitely see the trend developing here. California, a state which used to have the reputation as a liberal state, is increasingly buying into Bush-inspired, hardnose, business-catering policies. Those who have will have even more and those who have less will have even less. Those who are least equipped to advocate for themselves are on the losing end.

I don't claim to have the answer to any of this because I stopped having any faith in the political process many years ago. Still, it's worthwhile to keep track of these developments, if nothing else to know when it's time to bail.


Peace,

~Chani