I was listening to NPR tonight, and they were talking about same-sex marriages. They had a conservative voicing his opinions, while they took a more liberal side. OK, so here's the thing... I believe in equal rights. I don't see why people in a committed relationship shouldn't have all the benefits (and sucky bits) of marriage. I know there have been points in my life where I'd have been out the door, except I was married. I made a promise, a judge made it legal, and our families witnessed the whole thing. That kinda gives me an incentive to work harder than I otherwise would have.

The conservative guy opined that homosexuals generally don't have committed relationships, as if they are somehow incapable of going long-term. I say bullshit. When have homosexuals been given the opportunity to legally marry? In this country... hmm... never? He also claimed that children need both a male and a female parent. He felt children being raised by only one sex are cheated, and won't be as well equipped for their own relationships. I think I missed out on some things by not having a dad around. I think that had to do with not having much in the way of role models. My mom went to work, and my sister and I were latch key kids. I think if my mom had a partner of any sex it would have made a difference, because then I would have seen how adults in a committed long-term relationship behaved. I would have seen that it's ok to hold hands, or snuggle, or argue. I would have seen what people talk about over dinner. Hell, I would have seen just how good it is to make dinner for your spouse.

I don't have anything against polygamy, either. I think 2 is a good number for raising children, because the more adults you throw into it, the more conflict can arise. But I'm sure there are ways to work it out, if you're really committed to it.

Obviously, the NPR thing brought out my rant-box. I love NPR. Last week they were talking about HGH and short children. I'm 5'4" and my hubby is about 5'7". It kinda bugs me that I could subject our son to HGH injections for a while, and add 3 or more inches to his potential height. Can you imagine the difference 3 inches can make? We're talking better pay, popularity and a larger selection of partners, not to mention the ability to reach the top shelf without a stool.
And I won't do it.

Am I a bad mother for not making my kid get shots for a few years? I'm denying him a better fit in society. Aren't parents supposed to make any sacrifice to give their children the best life possible? I don't believe in tampering like that. Surgery to close a fontanel, absolutely. Trying to make him taller? Absolutely not! Lets see how many inches healthy food, lots of excercise and plenty of love give him. I don't want him to be short, but that's for my comfort, not his.
I love watching him blossom into a teenager, and I don't want to mess with that by pumping him full of something grown in a laboratory. I don't know what the long-term effects are, do you? I think I'll let nature take it's course, and I think he'll be fine.
Besides, my dad was 6'4", so you never know. :)