Discussion Post: On Marriage

Let's experiment with collaborative blogging! 

I don't want to say this, but I am feeling old. And some of the satisfying times of my life have been conversations.

One of those conversations I remember is us back in SIS.

We are sitting around in a hut of Lady Maclehose Holiday Village, during a geography trip. It's late at night and we are basically having a sleepover. And like all sleepovers, the topic inevitably drifts to girls.

So, we talk about girlfriends, crushes, relationships of other people...and then you dropped the bomb - something along the lines of "marriage is inefficient. Why would I want to get married?". Oh, and I think we never figured out what Sam's interests were.

7 years on, what's our views? Have they changed?

E:

I think the social landscape has completely changed.
Marriage is restrictive and legal red-tape, outdated in today's dynamic, free society.
Women are generally more interested in long-term high-commitment relationships than men, when a suitable partner is found.
At the least, people in "developed areas" are marrying later in life.


To be continued...

On Marriage and Government (A Late UN Families Day Special)

Since 15 May was considered some kind of family day,

The way most people (and the media) see it, there are two sides to the argument.

LGBT: These people want government to recognize homosexual marriages, along with all the good things that come along.

Orthodox: Marriage should be defined as only between a man and a woman. Traditional families are important.

M (for Me):

Everybody is right!
People of all sexualities can and should form whatever relationships they desire, as long as they are consensual.
Traditional families ARE important, for the next generation.
Putting people into categories of sexuality is a cultural thing. Don't legalize culture.
Get Government out of marriage! Why do you even need to get registered to marry, other than to keep track of you for tax/legal purposes? Why do you need a legal definition of marriage anyway?
Don't legalize morality, or the type you subscribe to. It has incredibly dangerous consequences.
Tax everybody's incomes less and don't increase the tax elsewhere. Give people back their disposable income for them to do as they please. If you want HK to rise back to the top of most competitive cities, this is the place to start, and one place Singapore cannot really compete.

OK, getting off topic here. Let's stop here.

Some helpful info from the LegCo of HK on Marriage:
http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr08-09/english/panels/ws/papers/ws0123ls-33-e.pdf