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The History Of Marriage

As a great follow up to Down with DOMA, WWG sent me this video.

Al Franken Fact Checks Chuck Grassley: Marriage Has Evolved Over Time

This morning, in a vote of 10 to 8, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and allow the federal government to provide benefits to couples in same-sex marriages. During the hearing, Minnesota Senator Al Franken (D) fact-checked Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-IA) claims that marriage has always been between a man and a woman by providing a history lesson on the evolution of the institution:
FRANKEN: I just believe you misstated the history of marriage. Marriage has not existed as a union between one man and one woman for thousands of years in every culture. In many cultures, men have been able to marry many women and young girls. For centuries, women have been treated as chattel in marriage. Further, if the religious purpose for marriage is procreation, why would we sanction marriage between an 89 year-old widower and an 80 year-old widow? I just think we need to be accurate when we talk about the history of marriage, the history of man and woman, the history of our institutions.

6 Responses to “The History Of Marriage”

  1. Rexie November 12, 2011 at 12:36 pm Permalink

    YES! Now that’s what I’m talking about. I commented on the DOMA post before I read this and now I’m not feeling quite so sick. Al Fraken’s words need to be heard far and wide, in fact, every time anyone “throws up” their religious mumbo jumbo as a reason to disallow gay marriage, these words (and others like them) need to be shot back in defense. Fighting fear, misconceptions, exclusion, and just plain bigotry with cold hard facts is the only way the general public attitude is going to change. It will change one day as their island of reasons succumbs to the ocean of truth and FACTS.

  2. Manda November 12, 2011 at 1:26 pm Permalink

    Yes Yes yes.
    DOMA is bullshit and never should have existed in the first place.

  3. Jazmenha November 12, 2011 at 2:19 pm Permalink

    Chuck poor ignorant Chucky. I would not worry my child was gay I’d worry my child would grow up and use their power and political status to hold other people down and to perpetuate discrimination.

  4. WWG November 12, 2011 at 2:54 pm Permalink

    I love him! I’d totally go straight for him! (Ha – not something you usually hear, right?) He respectfully smacked him down. That’s just awesomeness defined.

  5. WWG November 12, 2011 at 2:58 pm Permalink

    Ps. I believe the proper term for that speech is “oh SNAP!”

  6. Jazmenha November 12, 2011 at 7:43 pm Permalink

    WWG-”cough”-Did u hear his inappropriateness of under age girls comment-hummm reminded me of a great CCL post idea once discussed -hint hint lol (couldn’t resist just this one last time) :)
    On topic- Yes he did just “respectfully smack him down” so oh yeah-Bye Bye Chucky. ;)

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