From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 2005 - 01:44:59 BST
Arlo:
> Quickly (I'll try, I promise), I stand corrected. My dichotomous decision
> was inadequate. :-). You offered a third choice, that same-sex marriages
> open the door to incest and all other unions. I think this type of slippery
> slope argumentation, though, is always hollow. After all, we do allow
> cousins to marry (in some states) and this has not opened the door to
> brothers and sisters being married. You know, it is this slippery slope
> argument that undelies all this foolish dichotomy in this country. We
> either have unlimited, unrestricted assault weapon ownership, or we become
> commie, reds who outlaw all guns. I had an interesting talk with a guy in
> Canada (in Haliburton) on my trip. He said his opinion of the political
> scene in America was that this was our biggest problem. In Canada, for
> example, they outlawed (going on his words here) assault weapons and
> hollowtip bullets and all that, but still have a unrestricted, and
> culturally supported, hunting culture that has not "disappeared down any
> slope". His words, "the slippery slope argument is nothing more than a
> manipulation of fear." Amen.
I'll keep your anti-slippery slope argument in mind next time somebody
tries to convince me that by fighting criminals we encourage more criminal
behavior.
> Just to wrap up one other point. Do I approve of children out of wedlock?
> Mu. I approve of children being brought into loving environments with
> caregivers who want them. I disapprove of children being brought into
> environments where they are abused, neglected, unwanted and unloved.
> "Wedlock" for me has no bearing on this fault-line.
>
> If you and your "partner" brought a child into this world, loved her, cared
> for her, treated her with respect, and made her your world, why should I
> care if you were "married" or not? You've mentioned your daughter had
> passed away from cancer, Platt, and I offer my deepest, deepest sympathies.
> But let me make my final point this way. Do you think, when she knew her
> time was coming, that she thought "thank god my dad and my mom were
> married", or "thank god I was surrounded by so much love and caring in my
> life"? I bet the former never crossed her mind, while the latter likely
> meant the more than the world. And I know you, Platt, well enough to guess
> that the love she received was not a product of "wedlock", but a product of
> your heart.
I see your point. But it's my belief that the love and caring you speak of
was a direct result of making a a prior marriage commitment to love, honor
and cherish until death us do part, and from that public promise arose a
commitment to bear children and be responsible for their care and
upbringing until ready as adults to assume similar responsibilities. To
me, raising children to become all they can be is the most important role
parents can play, and the chances of that being accomplished in a family
with a mother and father are better than in any other arrangement IMO.
I know you like to emphasize compassion, caring, loving, sharing and all
that good stuff, Arlo. But there's the matter of individual responsibility
that's equally important in a free society, or more accurately, in a
society that want's to stay free. Perhaps if we can agree that the
concept of "tough love" has a place when compassion threatens to become
"enabling," our differences might abate, even though you hate such
dichotomies. :-)
Platt
P.S. Are we getting too far away from the MOQ?
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