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The principles that rule this blog

Principles that will govern my thoughts as I express them here (from my opening statement):


  • Freedom of the individual should be as total as possible, limited only by the fact that nobody should be free to cause physical injury to another, or to deprive another person of his freedoms.
  • Government is necessary primarily to provide those services that private enterprise won't, or won't at a price that people can afford.
  • No person has a right to have his own beliefs on religious, moral, political, or other controversial issues imposed on others who do not share those beliefs.

I believe that Abraham Lincoln expressed it very well:

“The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do, at all, or cannot
so well do, for themselves — in their separate, individual capacities.”


Comments will be invited, and I will attempt to reply to any comments that are offered in a serious and non-abusive manner. However, I will not tolerate abusive or profane language (my reasoning is that this is my blog, and so I can control it; I wouldn't interfere with your using such language on your own!)

If anyone finds an opinion that I express to be contrary to my principles, they are welcome to point this out. I hope that I can make a rational case for my comments. Because, in fact, one label I'll happily accept is rationalist.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Strange reasoning on DOMA

There are hearings going on in the Senate Judiciary Committee about repealing the unfortunately-named "Defense of Marriage Act." And the people opposed to this have brought forth an argument that, on its face, looks reasonable: for example, Rep. Steve King, Republican of Iowa, cited a 1947 Supreme Court case that declared, "Marriage and procreation are fundamental to the very existence and survival of the race."

If same-sex marriages are to be denied because they cannot procreate, however, why are marriages not immediately annulled when the wife gets a hysterectomy? Or when the husband gets a vasectomy? Why are postmenopausal women allowed to marry?

When the opponents of same-sex marriage explain why they oppose it, but not marriage of a man and a woman where a hysterectomy, a vasectomy, or simply menopause has occurred, then I'll believe their argument. Until then, it is clear that they are simply trying to impose their idea of morality upon others.

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