[Kerberos]

"You see nothing wrong with overriding the traditional,long held Western civilization belief that marriage is between a man and a woman."

Oh personally I don't like the idea but by the same token I can read the writing on the wall. If there is an issue that I am concerned about in this whole mess it is why do any of us, gay, straight, or whatever, have to seek the governments permission to get married in the first place. Marriage is the only kind of contract that I am aware of in, which the government must be a third party to.

Does sound like much of a free country to me.

[MEG33]

I am sure you will find your ideal free country someday.

[MamaTexan]

Marriage is the only kind of contract that I am aware of in, which the government must be a third party to.

Quite a few people will NEVER understand this.

License is legally defined as 'governmental permission'.
The equal protection clause means government MUST give it's permission EQUALLY - since sexual orientation was thrown into the mix, government cannot differentiate on that basis. Therefore, marriage licenses must be given to homosexual 'couples' unless a Constitutional amendment is passed.

(Most people don't realize that if it's not in the U.S. or State Constitution, it's not a LAW, since codes, acts, ordinances and statutes are just governmental policy)

[Zack Nguyen]

If there is an issue that I am concerned about in this whole mess it is why do any of us, gay, straight, or whatever, have to seek the governments permission to get married in the first place.

Because people die and get divorced. Legally the government must have the ability to recognize when someone is married and when they are not, how the possessions are to be divied up, enforcement of child visitation and support etc. The government has to enforce these things, thus the government must know who is married and who isn't.