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and whom you were referring to as chattel, but here goes:
I would never argue that historically marriage has largely been concerned with the accumulation and perservation of family wealth, especially as it has been framed within the context of the law.
However, there are some other factors that need to be considered when having a dialogue about gay marriage. Firstly, though gay couples certainly want and are absolutely entitled to the economic advantages of marriages (insurance coverage, for example) this is a civil rights issue, not an economic one. So in one sense, you're right: the debate DOES need to be changed. It needs to be framed as a equal protection issue as opposed to a morality issue. Our side must reclaim the language.
Secondly, for the majority of US citizens, marriage has evolved from merely a way to pass on wealth to an institution which symbolizes love and partnership as well as financial security. I honestly believe taking teh moral question out by making all marriages civil unions is the best answer, but many people are very emotional about this and insist upon a dialogue of morality and family values. So it is extremely difficult to dismiss those sentiments.
For the record, I'm sick of people categorizing this as a "fringe" issue, one that Bush has put out there (which I admit he may have, but I feel his worm is turning on this) to "distract" us from the "real" issues. Civil rights are the center of what it means to be American. How owuld you feel if I characterized "your" (hypothetical) issues, for example, the economy, as "fringe": "Who cares about the economy, the poor's rights to a decent quality of life are just a fringe issue". Just because a position is deemed as "unpopular" doesn't mean it's not worth fighting for. This is tantamount to saying screw our standards, let's pander to votes. I think we can take a stance on gay marriage/union and still beat Bush.
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