Oregon county bans ALL marriages

Oh dear. :eyes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3564893.stm

Confused by the twists and turns of the US gay marriage issue, Oregon's Benton County has decided to err on the side of caution and ban all weddings.

Until the state decides who can and cannot wed, officials in the county have said no-one can marry - even heterosexual couples.

They hit upon the plan to ensure that none of the county's 79,000 residents are subject to unfair treatment.

Gay marriage has proved controversial, deeply dividing US public opinion.

Sounds like something right out of The Onion.

Let's all live in sin instead, LOL!!!

I mean, if two people TRULY love each other...

Why ruin it with Marriage??? ;-)

Always knew those Oregonians ta be pioneers!

:hi::evilgrin::hi:

:evilgrin:

especially the rationale: They hit upon the plan to ensure that none of the county's 79,000 residents are subject to unfair treatment.

I somehow doubt that the GOPers (esp those pandering to the radical religious right) realized that they would force a level of public, political discourse - from all sorts of unanticipated directions - which appears to be moving the public sentiment further and further away from their desired end. Young people have a different view than older (much more open to the idea); More people are growing comfortable with the "compromise" of civil unions (not the case back when the issue exploded into the public discourse in Vermont); and while the general public is still against Gay Marriage - they do NOT back a constitutional amdendment to that end.

The thing with prolonged public discourse, is that often people are suddenly forced to actually grapple with the issue - not just the emotionally designed sound-bite. And that in doing so more folks grapple with the gray areas (that is, the complexities of the issue) - and in that course move away from the black/white solutions offered (e.g., constitutional amendment). We as a public do not seem to grapple with gray areas well - but when forced to do so we will - and often move towards more moderate (or progressive) positions - because those tend to address the gray areas that we as a public are suddenly actually grappling with.

No better way to get a county really discussing things - than to - under the guise of discriminating against NO ONE (sets that point into the public discourse) - that until sourted out NO ONE can get married.

Really interesting turn.