Robin Hanson wrote:
> On 3/10/2000, Damien Broderick wrote:
> >In any event, I wonder if we mightn't find a variety of pathologies
> >emerging, both individual and social, as complex adaptations to the
> >ancient fact of ageing suddenly jumps their tracks. And in the meantime,
> >it might be worth asking if the apparent mean-minded or deluded prejudices
> >against old people acting as if they were spring chickens is an evolved
> >response to disruptive behaviours, just as the strictures against incest
> >and paedophilia, say, seem to arise out of such conflicts.
>
> This seems to me to be an excellent research agenda.
> I hope someone will follow it up.
I don't know how much those of you else where, especially on the left coast,
have heard about the landmark new domestic partners bill just passed by the
Vermont Legislature. While the impetus was a State Supreme Court decision
telling the legislature that the current marriage system discriminated against
gays and lesbians by not giving equal protection i.e. the legal benefits of
marriage, to the families of such people. The law that was passed established a
'domestic partners' licensing system, which requires that such partners have all
the legal benefits of marriage, but that such partnerships are not marriages, as
the bill defines marriage specifically as that between a man and a woman. One of
the things that they also put in the bill that hasn't been mentioned much is
that not only can gays and lesbians apply for domestic partnerships, but any two
family members (i.e. brother & sister, father & daughter, mother & son,
brothers, uncle & nephew, etc) can also register as domestic partners, so that
employees can have such family members covered by insurance, etc..
The thing that I'm surprised about this is that there haven't been any jokes out
of Hollywood about the apparent legalization of incest this seems to
endorse...especially since its coming from a state like Vermont.
-- TANSTAAFL!!!Michael S. Lorrey Member, Extropy Institute http://www.extropy.org Member, National Rifle Association http://www.nra.org "Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils." - General John Stark
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