My Modest Proposal (If homosexual marriage, then why not incest?)

The Toronto Sun ^ | March 13, 2003 | Michael Coren

[quidnunc]

Gay couples all across North America are getting married. What a great symbol of tolerance.

In the name of that same tolerance, however, I believe we should go further and allow brothers and sisters to marry. In other words, incest should be not only allowed but recognized and affirmed by the state.

If you're not tolerant of this, quite clearly you should not be tolerated. Those of you who are shocked at first glance should take some time to consider what I'm saying.

Remember, there were at one time frightened and reactionary people who objected to marriage between homosexuals.

Sometimes progress can leave some wounded souls in its midst. That doesn't mean we can stand still.

When we come down to the core of this, it's about love. And when love is involved, nothing else really matters. Love is divine, love is all, love is everything. The love I have for my dog, for my favourite sports team, for my favourite food. If a brother and sister genuinely love one another, who are we to say they cannot be married?

Imagine the pain of Jane and John, in love since childhood. Then a thoughtless and cruel society tells them that because of some archaic tradition they should not be allowed to be happy. Jane's and John's feelings come first. If the majority is in some way offended, it is the majority that has to look within and adapt.

History is on my side on this one. Ancient cultures routinely encouraged incest and, indeed, used it to preserve aristocratic clans. It was only that hateful and outdated book known as the Bible that forbade such activities, and we all know that nobody takes Judeo-Christian values seriously any longer. Thank God. No, forget that. Thank my magic crystal.

-snip-

[Bismarck]

Hey, what about Polygamy, bestiality with consenting donkeys or goats, mono-wedding (marriage between split personalities), marriage between a living and a dead person and, last but not least, marriages between infants?

[WhiteyAppleseed]

I'm not sure what brought on this out-pouring of affection that we have been witness to, but with the attendant lemming-rush to the coast, couldn't someone have removed the guard rails on the coast highway?

[VOA]

I wish that a freeper pair of same-sex siblings would get in line to get married...

(this is a repeat post, but indulge me for the sake of other lurkers/posters)

A few weeks ago, I heard attorney Gloria Allred SPEECHLESS and stumbling for about
30 seconds.

Mark Taylor (her former on-air partner at KABC 790AM in Los Angeles) was guest-hosting
at KKLA 99.5FM and interviewing Allred about gay marriage.
Taylor asked why the "equal treatment" scheme wouldn't open the door to "incest marriages".
Gloria triumphantly said that couldn't happen because of all sorts of public policy
prohibitions, especially against the unfortunate production of inbred offspring.

Then Taylor slammed Allred to the mat: "How can you deny two brothers a marriage license?
They obviously won't be birthing any inbred offspring!"

The momentary silence, then the stumbling speech of Allred (in managing to
NOT answer the question and quickly switch the subject) was...
PRICELESS.

[jwalburg]

Genetic screening and abortion take care of those pesky genetic issues. You are living in an earlier era.

[Trillian]

Ask france about marrying a live woman with a dead man, they've done it.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/11/1076388397691.html?from=top5

[Ole Okie]

I suppose that those of us who oppose this (tongue-in-cheek) proposal are sibophobes?

Or, as the case may be, equineophobes, bovineophobes, ovineophobes, and the piece de resistance, porcineophobes!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

You are living in an earlier era.

Then light the candles on my Christmas tree, hand me my buggy whip and call me old fashioned.

[AmericaUnited]

LOL!

[Crazieman]

I want to marry my 98 Camaro

[Bismarck]

It's time for America to stop metaphysical discrimination! Equal rights for the dead!

[elfman2]

Please excuse me for not being able to commit to a debate on this issue. I just want to respond in brief with a sincere reply. This is not meant as an endorsement of gay marriage, just food for thought. Two issues separating incestuous marriage from homosexual marriage are as follows:

- Sex among relatives yields a high probability of producing genetic flaws. That’s cruel to any resulting children, and is one thing that separates sibling marriage from gay marriage.

- There is no evidence of wide spread biological predispositions to only being able to love a sibling (or a dog or multiple people for that matter). Studies are inconclusive regarding biological components to homosexuality. A couple of the most thorough study reviews (one from Harvard and another from Cambridge) seem to go right down the middle claiming some predisposition, but recognizing a large environmental component. Then there of course both flawed and agenda driven studies on both sides claiming conclusive evidence one way or the other. The problem is that there has never been a really good sampling policy. Personally, I think homosexuality is a lot like a mental disorder, with a mixture of sources. Nevertheless, millions of homosexuals exist here who are unable to love heterosexually. There is nothing like that regarding people who can only love siblings, dogs or polygamy.

Again, I’m not endorsing this. I just want to point out what I see as imperfections in this analogy. Excuse me if I’m unable to respond to those who disagree.

[Trillian]

Maybe she could just get a taxidermist and stuff her now husband. Prop him up on the bed and wow, lasts longer than viagra ;)

[philetus]

You got any objections to marrying a adopted sister?

[GraceCoolidge]

You know, we don't even have to get to the sibling issue. In some states, first cousins are not allowed to marry; in other states, they are. The legislative history of these laws would make for interesting reading on this topic, I suppose.

[tiamat]

LOL!

That's clever!

Did you write it?

[mewzilla]

Or polyandry. Why not polyandry? I mean if two guys is okay, why not two guys and a girl?

[xjcsa]

I take it you've never read Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal? I believe the tongue, in this case, is firmly planted in the proverbial cheek.

[Unam Sanctam]

Yes, because the issue is protecting the innocence of the nuclear family relationship. It doesn't depend on being a blood relation. And once any part of the nuclear family is sexualized, e.g. a relationship between adopted siblings, then it is easier for incest between natural siblings to be normatized.

[Bismarck]

Well, it seems that the groom already died two years ago. So a taxidermist is out of the question. Maybe she has to find a well-endowed medium that can satisfy her natural urges. Something like "Ghost" but with a male medium instead of that old hag, Whoopi.

[Bismarck]

I'm going to marry my goldfish.