My wife and I watched The Patriot again on July 4, and noticed that the pastor solemnizing the marriage of Gabriel Martin and Anne Howard did not say "by the power vested in me by the Colony of South Carolina..."
More of the libertarian "get government out of marriage" nonsense.
In a world where anti-social behavior was restrained by fear of disgrace, by fear of ostracism, by fear of "what the neighbors will say" civil society did not need the state to define marriage. We no longer live in such a world. We no longer live in a world where reputations last a lifetime and people spend all their lives in one place. Government defines the duties of marriage because society has no power to force men to shoulder familial obligations they have grown weary of. Government defines the duties of marriage because it has a societal interest in protecting women and children.
The true libertarian position with regard to this issue is not that "gay marriage" should be legally recognized by the state, but that the state has no business recognizing ANY marriages whatsoever.