Issue 1

[reason]

Ok...here are some questions I'd like to have answered:

Is Britney Spears in her 24 hour marriage to her high school sweetheart more deserving of marriage benefits than my former neighbors LeAnn and Bobbie - two lesbians raising a child together for the past 5 years?

Why does Michael Jackson get afforded these benefits, while Bret and Sean - together for 4 years - get none?

Why does Drew Barrymore - who stayed with her first husband for a month, and her second husband for 5 months - get afforded the special benefits of marriage when Eddie from softball has to deal with the lack of legal protections now that his 40 something partner of 2 years has died due to a heart attack resulting from chemo?

I attend the wake on Sunday.

<font color="#a52a2a" size="1">[ November 19, 2004 02:25 PM: Message edited by: reason ]</font>

[reason]

And while I'm at it, why does Phil Burress, divorced twice and married THREE times, have the authority much less the moral credibility to tell the rest of us what marriage should be?

And where are the calls for the defense of marriage in the increasingly dirty and nasty feud between Mike Allen and his mistress? Where's the outrage, knowing that Allen was friends of Burress and an instrument of Citizens for Community Values?

<font color="#a52a2a" size="1">[ November 19, 2004 02:39 PM: Message edited by: reason ]</font>

[reason]

On behalf of Phil Burress and Lake, at the wake I'll tell Eddie his relationship wasn't real, therefore he should get over it in a hurry.

[jumper69]

Everybody has dirty laundry. The ones who proclaim moral values the loudest probably have the dirtiest.

As I've gotten older, I've become much more cynical and now firmly believe that nobody is completly clean and therefore able to tell me how I should live my life.

[reason]

Originally posted by Gunslinger:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by reason:
Eddie from softball has to deal with the lack of legal protections now that his 40 something partner of 2 years has died due to a heart attack resulting from chemo?

I attend the wake on Sunday.

<font color="#a52a2a"><font size="1">[ November 19, 2004 02:25 PM: Message edited by: reason ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I am sorry for the loss of your friend reason.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Truth be told, Eddie is more of a friend of friends. I didn't really know the partner, other than meeting him at his Halloween party a year ago. I'm not exactly sure why I've been brought into the fold at this "farewell party" but I got a call and now I feel obligated to go.

Eddie's a good guy. I wondered why he wasn't playing softball this year (He's a very good shortstop and would be welcome on any good team). A number of our mutual friends will be going.

I guess I view Eddie as a "fraternity brother," and his loss is my loss.

[reason]

I want to point out that the wake has been described as more of a party to celebrate the guy's life.

I think this is a good idea. It will be an interesting mix of people as friends and family will all attend.

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by reason:
Eddie from softball has to deal with the lack of legal protections now that his 40 something partner of 2 years has died due to a heart attack resulting from chemo?

I attend the wake on Sunday.

<font color="#a52a2a"><font size="1">[ November 19, 2004 02:25 PM: Message edited by: reason ]</font></font>

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I am sorry for the loss of your friend reason.

[Gunslinger]

That is what a wake should be for. To celebrate the life that has passed.

When I die, I want a good old fashioned Irish wake, will all the liquor, music and good times that people can have.