One Size Fits All?

Not when it comes to intimate relationships, in my opinion.

Not all people have the same needs, desires, or circumstances, so it's not logical to assert that the same relationship form will be suitable and work equally well for everyone. The right of the "pursuit of happiness" certainly applies to personal relationships and it should not be up to the government to decide for us how that "happiness" will be pursued. Last time I heard, this was still a free country.

The Alliance for Marriage is a conservative organization whose main purpose is to lobby for the passage of the Marriage Protection Act. The Marriage Protection Act would legally define marriage as existing only between "one man and one woman". Not only would same sex couples be excluded by such legislation, but also those who would seek to enter multi-partner unions, heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual.

In addition to working for the passage of this exclusionary amendment, they are pushing to add to the already large number of legal benefits and privileges accorded only to the legally married, such as reducing the tax burden for "married families". I guess they aren't concerned about families where the parents are not legally married or single parent families who might need such a tax break as much or more.

I have no problem with this group existing in order to inform people about the relationship form that they believe in. I do have a major problem with them seeking to amend the constitution in order to mandate their opinion for all Americans.

While I believe that as long as legal marriage exists, it should be equally available to all consenting adults who wish it, my personal solution would be to abolish legal marriage altogether and let the individuals involved define what marriage is for themselves without government interference. All legal benefits and privileges now limited to legally married couples should be available to all based on need, not marital status.

I am a libertine. My relationship life consists largely of casual sexual encounters, both fleeting and ongoing. This has worked well for me over the years and I make no excuses or apology for it. But I understand and accept that this lifestyle isn't for most people and that's fine. I don't seek to cram it down people's throats or think that it is the relationship style that evvvvvvvverrrrrrrrybody must adopt. I would appreciate it if those who believe in monogamous marriage would also admit that their relationship form is simply one valid choice among many and then leave it at that.

Different strokes for different folks and all that.