>> And I'm REALLY surprised that you would "settle" with someone ELSE's rights by giving in to this current theocratic regime on the subject of Gay marriage. Since when do they deserve fewer rights than the rest of us? That may be the way it is, but it is not the way it SHOULD be. And if we don't demand that they get those rights, they never will get them. <<

I think individuals need to ask themselves whether they think principle is more important than pragmatism. (This isn't a trick question and there's no right or wrong here.)

If they value principle more highly, they would hold out for "all or nothing," accepting that this could reduce their chances of getting anything (or at least delaying the political victory, possibly by a long time).

If they value pragmatism, they'd accept something rather than nothing, knowing that at least having *something*, it's possible they can get "the rest" later as social values continue to evolve.

On this issue, there are quite a few people who are not opposed to a civil union but balk at calling it "marriage." Whether someone values pragmatism or principle more would indicate whether they garner the support or the opposition of this group -- which could be enough to gain passage of an incremental reform -- or cement the failure of an all-or-nothing proposal.

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