But first...you all probably watch The Sopranos and think its not really all mob'd out like that in every day Jersey life, right? Wrong. Yesterday they found the body of a capo in the Genovese crime family in the trunk of a car in the parking lot of a diner (but of course its a diner, its Jersey after all). Where is the diner, you may ask? In the town where I grew up. It was a super-Italian town (I am not bashing the Italians; Hub is one of them) and the mob was just a part of every day life. I remember as a kid, a guy on my street got shot when he opened his door - a mob hit - except they went to the wrong house, killed the wrong guy. Yay, New Jersey!
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I know I have a couple of right-wingers who read me, so you will just have to excuse this teensy tirade (or comment on it nicely, people, I am no longer tolerating anything other than civility from my commentors). Did anyone see this? How is it that a country that as recently as 1994 did not acknowledge blacks to be equal to whites is so incredibly far ahead of us on a social issue like this?
I know that people have issues with gays getting married, but I don't really get why. I can understand a religious ceremony being out of the question (don't get me started on religion and gays, that is a whole 'nother tirade). But I didn't get married in a church, and my marriage is just as valid in the eyes of the law as someone who did. It does not diminish my marriage in the slightest to have a gay couple who are in love declare that they will spend eternity together. I don't understand at all how it taints the sanctity of marriage to let people in love get married. And please don't bring up the "next thing you know, people will marry their dog" argument because that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. How you can compare two human beings making a decision that effects their lives with some idiot wanting to marry his dog - well, its just insulting. I have gay friends and relatives who have been with their significant others longer than I have been with Hub - they own homes together and have children together (and lead way more normal and conventional lives than I do, btw). Why shouldn't they get the benefits of being married (healthcare, pension, tax stuff, etc) if they want to get married?
Honestly, I don't really get why people care so much about this issue. What difference does it make to YOU personally who gets married? Maybe its because I live in a liberal state where we see all kinds of people all day long and its not shocking at all to see homosexuals together, but what consenting adults do is really not my concern. And I don't believe it should be a concern of the law. Besides, don't you think we have SO MANY MORE things to worry about than who gets married? I personally want my lawmakers concentrating on getting us out of Iraq and protecting us from terrorism and things like that rather than whether two men can get married. Puh-lease.
If you are against gay marriage, I would really like to know why - and you can't bring up religion because we are talking about a civil ceremony, and you can't bring up marrying animals because then I will know you are from Alabama and I will ban you from my site :P
21 comments:
I agree there is the mob in NJ. My friend who is Italian American, who was born in D.C. said recently that it was a stereotype. Umm I didn't want to argue with her but she's never been to MARLBOROUGH NJ!!
I'm sorry, I think I'm still too pooped from the long-winded comment I left the other day! LOL.
Glad to be back reading you, True. I have been cut off from the world due to broadband failure.
I feel like I've entered a candy store! People who think! I live in Texas; mostly I have to keep my mouth shut.
Seems to me everyone should have a civil ceremony --gay, straight, or whatever -- that gives them the protection of the law with inheritance, community property, insurance, etc. The state's interest in marriage is roughly akin to the state's interest in business partnerships. Those who want a "sacramental marriage", for lack of a better term, can then have their religious ceremony. This is done in several European countries. It takes the government out of religion, and vice versa. But it seems like an awful lot of people nowadays want an American Taliban so THEY can control everyone else's morals and actions.
This post made me laugh, and made me smile. And I think anyone who is brave enough to want to try marriage with their own species should be allowed to do so.
If Adam and Steve get married it will defile the institution of marriage, but I can get liquored up, grab some random guy and get married in a drive-thru by an Elvis impersonator then have the whole thing annuled 48 hours later and it's all good?
"Yes, I'd like the Deluxe Marriage Ceremony and a side of fries, please. Oh, and supersize it."
I've been saying this EXACTLY for years now. It's so nice to know others feel the same way. And I say let them even have a religious ceremony - and for the record, I go to church every Sunday - if they want it. I'm pretty sure God created all of us.
Nice one, Megan!
My mother always said that we were the only Italian family (South Philly/ South Jersey) without any connections. We used to joke that we needed an Uncle Nunzio to bust some knee caps for us. I do have a cousin in witness protection for bringing down some mobsters. He wrote a book about it, but he was never in himself.
As far as gay marriage goes. People need more logical arguments than animals and siblings to make the point. I'm all for love. If you find it, then Yay you!
Small minded people need to keep their big noses out of the business of others. It must be nice to be so perfect that they have nothing to think about than the perceived faults and wrongs of others (*said facetiously as she seethes*).
Italian mafia and gay marriage. You rule TJ.
That is funny, true but funny. I have a good friend that I see there often. I was in Hackensack a week ago and can relate to the "Diners". They are everywhere!
Gotta love the Jerz! My mom's friend lives in the Soprano's house, well, the Soprano exterior.
And I'm totally and completely for gay marriage! I have nothing to say against it, and everything to say in favor of it it.
This is one of the most important parts: "What difference does it make to YOU personally who gets married?"
Religion aside (and I'm fairly religious), it makes NO difference to me. Seriously, WHO sits around thinking "Well hell, now the gays can get married, my marriage is RUINED!"
For crap's sake.
Aren't there about 5 million IMPORTANT things that we should be worrying about right now? Gah.
I'm with you 100% on this one!!
You think Jon BJ hangs with the mob in Jersey? I don't mean "associates" with them, but knows some of them and may on occasion hang out with them.
I'm totally with you on the gay marriage topic. But again, like you I'm a proud left-winged dem.
this is your blog....say what you like. I love the Sopranos by the way ;)
There's only one thing I am more against than gay marriage, and that is straight marriage.
I don't understand the anti-gay marriage tirades either. If you don't approve of it, then you yourself do not have to participate in it, but stay out of other people's business. That is my take on pretty much everything. I am free to choose to do what I want to do and so is everyone else.
Did you read the story about the lesbian couple down in Ocean county? One's dying of cancer and the other is being denied pension rights as they aren't married. Crazy in this day and age that an employee doesn't have the right to designate his/her beneficiary. I stupidly brought this up at the Thanksgiving table knowing full well my "old school" mom would have an alternative view. Oops. I'm still getting the mashed potatoes out of my hair!
TOTALLY with you on this, and it causes heated debate with my husband, who's not quite as open to things as I am. Love is LOVE is LOVE, ya know?
Marlboro? I grew up just miles down Rt. 9 in Freehold. Let's just say that Staten Island must have been evacuated and all its residents relocated to Marlboro. Funny thing is, they all buy these outlandishly expensive McMansions, but fill 'em with Ikea furniture. It's all about the outside appearances!
Ah, True - AMEN on the whole gay marriage bashing thing. It pisses me off. And I go to church every Sunday too, by the way. You should have seen the look on my pastor's wife's face when we went out to lunch one day and I told her 1. That I didn't care much for James Dobson and 2. That I didn't believe that homosexuality was a sin.
Yep, my church knows my liberal tendencies...most of the people do read the opinion section in the local newspaper, which I write in to regularly, I know because they've mentioned seeing my letters there before. Some of them even agree with what I write about. And even those that don't... well they still let me come to church there. Maybe I'm the black sheep. Heh heh.
So, anyway, I digress. I live in a RED state, which really sucks for a liberal like me, so to read your comments on this and then all the comments from your readers? Well, it gave me a bit of HOPE that humanity isn't completely insane.
Hey I'm from Alabama and I moved to New Jersey about 2yrs ago and now I'm back in Alabama and I miss (Eatontown),NJ, but anyways I'm a transexual and I feel that every one needs to mind their own business and not worry about who's sleeping with who or who's getting married my question is Who is it hurting? I mean it hurts me to see to young kids get married when they are 14 years old rather someone who is an adult that can make choices for themselves get married, but thats okay for someone who cant even vote yet to get married. In the State of Alabama with the Conscent of the parent a 14 year old can get married and that bothers me that I'm grown and I can't get married its a shame. I think the Government needs a reality check.
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