The Red and Black

Originally posted by

CoastalDawg

Sorry, but this proposition stinks. ANY increase due to providing for "domestic partners", whatever in the heck THAT is, is felt by all. If people don't care enough about each other to enter into commitment in marriage, why should the employer feel a need to commit to that "partner" in the way of benefits? Nope, it's wrong on many levels and it stinks to high heaven. There is no sense of responsibility or morality any more and for employers to just look the other way is wrong. Certainly people can make their own private choices about having a "domestic partner" but businesses in general should not pay the consequences of those unwilling to make a commitment.

What a surprise to hear from you on this issue, Coastal Dawg. Although several folks, including me, posed questions in response to your comments on yesterday's feature article and you opted not to respond, I'm going to pose a few more here. First, why should someone get such special treatment just for getting married? Don't get me wrong. I am certainly not bashing marriage; my parents have been married for 45 years. What I want to know is why being able to me and making that choice is more worthy of a state-sponsored reward than not being able to make or making that choice? Many kinds of relationships can be considered domestic partnerships. If I were a single woman caring for my sick, elderly mother in my home, wouldn't it be nice if I could claim her on my insurance? Wouldn't it be nice if in my older age, my dear friend and I decided to live together to defray our expenses and take care of each other, and I were able to include him or her on my insurance? Since you do place such primacy on deciding to marry, though, let's address that. Unless I wanted to deceive some poor guy and marry him, knowing that I am gay and making us both miserable, that's not really an option for me. I am gay, and my partner and I can't get married. Now I have a pretty strong suspicion about what you're thinking, CoastalDawg, because you've not been shy about sharing your thoughts on gay folks, but I also know that your basis for these thoughts is in the interpretation of the Bible that you choose to embrace. As much as you'd probably like to dump all that into this discussion and as much as I'd like to continue the conversation you started on a different thread yesterday, we're not talking about religion here – we're talking about state-provided insurance coverage for university employees and taxpayers. I work for the University System of Georgia, I teach and care for the students that the good people of Georgia and beyond send to this fine institution, and my partner and I both pay taxes just like you. So, finally, I just have to ask, are you married? Do you work for a state agency? If so, my taxes pay your salary and provide you and your family benefits. Why oh why, fellow citizen, would you not do the same for me and my family?