Friday, March 25, 2005

family values

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone: the gay-marriage ban is already having sick side-effects. Frederick Burk was facing felony domestic-violence charges but he isn't married to the woman he lives with, so by definition under the Ohio law preventing the government from recognizing relationships of unmarried individuals no domestic abuse actually took place.

Wednesday's ruling by Cuyahoga County common pleas judge Stuart Friedman changed a felony domestic violence charge against Frederick Burk to a misdemeanor assault charge.

Burk, 42, is accused of slapping and pushing his live-in girlfriend during a January argument over a pack of cigarettes.

His public defender, David Magee, had asked the judge to throw out the charge because of the new wording in Ohio's constitution that prohibits any state or local government from enforcing a law that would "create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals."

So much hate, so much damage, from people who claim to follow - probably even believe they follow - loving and nurturing ideals. 'By their works you shall know them' indeed.

1 Comments:

Blogger tina said...

I'm sure they see it as just another way to reweard straight couples for marrying, rather than living in sin. "See, if they'd been MARRIED, she would've had some protection." Sick. Somehow this seems related: I was researching domestic partner law in California and found out that Scot and I can only register as domestic partners if one of us changes gender, or one of us turns 64. The reason for this last part is yet another loophole for straight couples--normally, if a retired widowed person remarries, they lose the survivor benefits they normally get from the government for their dead spouse. But if they register as domestic partners, they get TWO sets of benefits: their survivor benefits, plus whatever additional benefits come with domestic partnership. Crazy!
Tina/Kinnarium
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