Thread: More than two legal parents

I believe the greatest benefit coming from same sex marriage, is breaking the thinking about what is family out of the box, and giving it a much need redefinition.

The old family structure, the extended family simply cannot exist in the American culture. There really is a need for social and legal structures to fill the gaps left by the destruction of the extended family.
Social welfare agencies try to fill that gap, but they only address the extreme cases and they haven't really figured out how to do it efficiently yet.

This bill would push that envelope further, and I hope we see some creative redefinition of human relationships that will work better than the old stuff, which is just not working in today's culture.

But of course that is exactly what it is... it just another left wing "assault on the American family."

It is also a "natural" outgrowth of gay marriage... just as those of us on the right have been saying.

Originally Posted by tsquare

But of course that is exactly what it is... it just another left wing "assault on the American family."

It is also a "natural" outgrowth of gay marriage... just as those of us on the right have been saying.

The reality is that a third of American children are living in step families. This is a law that benefits and protects children and parents from all walks of life. Of course some people will always prefer to hang on to old ideas about what a family should be rather than to provide real protections to real families and real people; even children.

Originally Posted by tsquare

But of course that is exactly what it is... it just another left wing "assault on the American family."

It is also a "natural" outgrowth of gay marriage... just as those of us on the right have been saying.

Yeah, once you allow an exception, it does open the flood gates for nearly any sort of mixing and claims. Society is evolving. Whether its for better or for worse has yet to be seen.

This is actually a bad thing. Think about how often people have to report familial income? Having 3 parental incomes instead of two can make taxes a headach. Forget about getting any college need-based financial aid. Even if all three parents have modest incomes of $25k that's a total household income of $75. And if that third adult doesn't actually work? They'll likely be seen as a leech.

Even with all that being said I think it's fine to redefine a family with more than two parents if that reflects the living circumstances accurately.

Originally Posted by tsquare

But of course that is exactly what it is... it just another left wing "assault on the American family."

It is also a "natural" outgrowth of gay marriage... just as those of us on the right have been saying.

Is that what your masters told you to call it?
The traditional extended family structure is not suited to a mobile society.
The so called "nuclear family" is just a transition stage, it is fundamentally unstable, and the people who have the skills to make a "nuclear family" work learned them in extended families.
The US hasn't had "traditional" marriage, one man, one woman til death do they part, for decades.
If you want to blame the left, go ahead, I see the transition from agriculture as the primary driver.

This is good sense because the American Family has changed. I've got two kids who have 4 parents, 7 grandparents

This wasn't already the case? I'm fairly certain my father had authority to make legal decisions for my mother's older children and vice versa. Though I don't know how that would have worked out had they divorced.

Originally Posted by goober

I believe the greatest benefit coming from same sex marriage, is breaking the thinking about what is family out of the box, and giving it a much need redefinition.

The old family structure, the extended family simply cannot exist in the American culture. There really is a need for social and legal structures to fill the gaps left by the destruction of the extended family.
Social welfare agencies try to fill that gap, but they only address the extreme cases and they haven't really figured out how to do it efficiently yet.

This bill would push that envelope further, and I hope we see some creative redefinition of human relationships that will work better than the old stuff, which is just not working in today's culture.

With the breakdown of the nuclear family, and the great social problems arising in part from that, anything that we can do to encourage families, even these new non traditional families can only be a postive thing, IMO.

I love the traditional one male, one female, with children family, but that does not reflect the changing american culture completely anymore. When culture changes, and it involves human relationships, the institutions will eventually follow suit, except in a theocracy.

Having more parents is a great improvement when compared to single parents. And a single parent is better than no parent at all. Much better. So anything that is pro family, I cannot be against. Healthy societies have strong, continuous family units with parents. The particulars are not important.

Originally Posted by Unique POV

The reality is that a third of American children are living in step families. This is a law that benefits and protects children and parents from all walks of life. Of course some people will always prefer to hang on to old ideas about what a family should be rather than to provide real protections to real families and real people; even children.

O.K., birth father refuses to give up rights...

What is the advantage of, then, allowing the child to get a different parent over, say, a step father?

I've got a step daughter who's father would not relinquish his parental rights. That was his right and my daughter's relationship with me is unaffected by his presence (or lack thereof) in her life. I still carry her on my insurance, still sign whatever papers I have to sign to get her into school, get her driver's license... pretty much anything and everything.

How does "this law" benefit and protect children better than they're already protected?

Originally Posted by Good1

O.K., birth father refuses to give up rights...

What is the advantage of, then, allowing the child to get a different parent over, say, a step father?

I've got a step daughter who's father would not relinquish his parental rights. That was his right and my daughter's relationship with me is unaffected by his presence (or lack thereof) in her life. I still carry her on my insurance, still sign whatever papers I have to sign to get her into school, get her driver's license... pretty much anything and everything.

How does "this law" benefit and protect children better than they're already protected?

What happens if you and your wife divorce, or even worse she dies? Will your insurance company still allow you to carry your step daughter on your insurance once you have no legal relationship to her? Are you 100% certain that your wife or her family would still allow you to play a parental role in your step daughter's life? Perhaps she or her family would recognize how important you are in your stepdaughter's life and allow you visitation, or even physical custody in the case of death.... but surely you must recognize that not every family is able to put the best interests of the children above petty disagreements.

Originally Posted by Unique POV

this bill could be of great benefit to the many, many children living in step families; especially step families with an inactive birth parent who refuses to give up parental rights, and a very active step parent.

As a step-parent for over 20 years, you have my interest.

Originally Posted by Unique POV

This is a law that benefits and protects children and parents from all walks of life.

Lost interest ... "all walks of life" is code for another front in the multicultural war.

Originally Posted by eohrnberger

Society is evolving. Whether its for better or for worse has yet to be seen.

Really? At what point would you conclude the direction of society's evolution has been seen?