I might not have kids, but I have plenty of friends that do and know full well what it costs. That's one reason my husband and I put off having some of our own. Children are a choice, and while society as a whole has an interest in promoting stable two-parent families, it has gotten to the point that so long as we can tie kids to any program, we can spend spend spend. Children are a choice planned for -- at least back in my parents' generation that was the way it was, and it worked quite well.
My post was not so much about this, however, as it was to demonstrate that the governments, Federal on down, "discriminate" against and/or do not offer the same benefits to singles, married or married with children. And that is because there is a societal benefit to supporting that which is the backbone of our society -- the traditional family. There are a whole lot of government programs I do not "qualify" for because I am the wrong gender, make too much money, don't have kids, etc. So this issue about gay marriage is just another example where there is really no discrimination. Marriage codified in our society is about having children. Yes, some marry with no intent to have kids, but let's be real, I didn't marry my husband so I could visit him in the hospital. Gays qualify for marriage if they want to marry someone of the opposite sex because, as my husband's boss is fond of saying, "it is what it is", and gays just want to redefine an institution. There is no right to get married in this country.
Evie 