So this morning I learned a friend died.
She had been suffering with cancer for a while and she just went to sleep and didn't wake up.
I'm feeling more mad than sad about this. But maybe that's just how I channel my depression.
So I was thinking. My friend's partner of 12 years couldn't sign to have her ashes cremated. She has to wait for the brother that at one time during a hospital stay tried to get his sister to sign over her half of the house to him.
All because the union isn't recognized by law.
So what does the fucking law recognize?
Nothing, it's how it's interpreted.
The "sanctity" of marriage (and for that matter divorce) is being fought on religious grounds. Monogamous, heterosexual unions are the only ones that the majority of legislators want recognized. But why?
The separation of church and state can't occur until the government fully understands that marriage is a legal union. And that it is only a legal union.
When the courts define and set into stone the moral aspects of human pairing as law they are not simply legislating morality. They are defining the government of the people as a theocracy.
In order to be a secular government, government cannot base it's laws simply on the religious doctrine of a percentage of the country. No matter how large that percentage might be. This issue that some say is so trivial in light of the occupation of Iraq, is crucial.
In fact if the fundamentalist christian organizations are to continue to be in power they must have access to money. The government makes laws, corporations have to live by those laws (unless the profit from breaking them is greater than the penalties they face, then evil dictates "GO FOR THE CASH!") so if you want the corporate funds you must make laws that corporations desire. Once you are in power, you can legislate morality as far as you like, as long as corporate profits aren't affected for the worse.
I'm tapped out on this subject.
I think it's a high price for a box of ashes.
She had been suffering with cancer for a while and she just went to sleep and didn't wake up.
I'm feeling more mad than sad about this. But maybe that's just how I channel my depression.
So I was thinking. My friend's partner of 12 years couldn't sign to have her ashes cremated. She has to wait for the brother that at one time during a hospital stay tried to get his sister to sign over her half of the house to him.
All because the union isn't recognized by law.
So what does the fucking law recognize?
Nothing, it's how it's interpreted.
The "sanctity" of marriage (and for that matter divorce) is being fought on religious grounds. Monogamous, heterosexual unions are the only ones that the majority of legislators want recognized. But why?
The separation of church and state can't occur until the government fully understands that marriage is a legal union. And that it is only a legal union.
When the courts define and set into stone the moral aspects of human pairing as law they are not simply legislating morality. They are defining the government of the people as a theocracy.
In order to be a secular government, government cannot base it's laws simply on the religious doctrine of a percentage of the country. No matter how large that percentage might be. This issue that some say is so trivial in light of the occupation of Iraq, is crucial.
In fact if the fundamentalist christian organizations are to continue to be in power they must have access to money. The government makes laws, corporations have to live by those laws (unless the profit from breaking them is greater than the penalties they face, then evil dictates "GO FOR THE CASH!") so if you want the corporate funds you must make laws that corporations desire. Once you are in power, you can legislate morality as far as you like, as long as corporate profits aren't affected for the worse.
I'm tapped out on this subject.
I think it's a high price for a box of ashes.