The mail: ONE man and ONE woman?

On my Tuesday column about the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage:

If marriage is a union between one man and one woman, does this eliminate divorce and make the subsequent second marriages illegal? -- Bill Duval

Dear Bill Duval: I think they just mean, "one at a time." But of course, this shows how hypocritical the thing is. Divorce and adultery are the true "threats" to the "institution of marriage." But when it is time to find perceived "sin," it's always easier to worry about somebody ELSE's than to condemn any fault in ourselves. For my authority, allow me to quote Matthew 7:3-5.

                                                          

Comments

[Chris Jenkins]

Dead on, Howard. Bravo.

Some random and possibly paranoid thoughts running though my head:

*Wouldn't this effectively also bar any civil union-like contracts or domestic partnerships for heterosexual couples?

*Additionally, what would this do for domestic violence laws? The statute says that to by guilty of domestic violence it must be as a result of one of the specified violent acts by "one family or household member by another family or household member." A "household member" must have resided with the person in the same "single dwelling unit."

So will roommate be enough for a prosecution for domestic violence? Perhaps within the scope of the law, but I guess what I am getting at is does anyone know of a case of domestic violence with roommates? Because if the proposed amendment bars heterosexual couples from domestic partnerships, how could a boyfriend/girlfriend without a blood child live together as a family?

*Also, could this cause issues for non-married couples in cases of child support? In skimming the statutes the word "spouse" is used often. I found no legal definition of spouse, but it seems to speak for itself. I imagine in the end any judge enforce any needed support, but what are the odds of a case or more being stuck due to legalese?

*What would this do to the health care plans that do provide for homosexual live-in couples? Does anyone know if any are written in a manner that might make them void with this amendment?