Date: 	Thu, 22 Oct 1998 12:34:41 -1000
From: Mia H H Lam <mial@hawaii.edu>
Subject: Re: Johnston, "Issues", Marriage and 13 Reasons to Get Married (fwd)

  

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 23:38:27 -1000
From: "Lance (Kawika) Collins" <lobsang@maui.net>
Subject: Re: Johnston, "Issues", Marriage and 13 Reasons to Get Married

Why would anyone wanna get married?  Here is Chief Justice Moon 
and the Supreme Court's majority opinion's top 13 reasons, for 
getting married... Johnny, take it away:

"The applicant couples correctly contend that the DOH's refusal to
allow them to marry on the basis that they are members of the same
sex deprives them of access to a multiplicity of rights and
benefits that are contingent upon that status.  Although it is
unnecessary in this opinion to engage in an encyclopedic recitation
of all of them, a number of the most salient marital rights and
benefits are worthy of note.  They include:  (1) a variety of state 
income tax advantages, including deductions, credits, rates,
exemptions, and estimates, under HRS chapter 235 (1985 and
Supp.1992);  (2) public assistance from and exemptions relating to
the Department of Human Services under HRS chapter 346 (1985 and
Supp.1992);  (3) control, division, acquisition, and disposition of
community property under HRS chapter 510 (1985);  (4) rights 
relating to dower, curtesy, and inheritance under HRS chapter 533
(1985 and Supp.1992);  (5) rights to notice, protection, benefits,
and inheritance under the Uniform Probate Code, HRS chapter 560
(1985 and Supp.1992);  (6) award of child custody and support
payments in divorce proceedings under HRS chapter 571 (1985 and
Supp.1992);  (7) the right to spousal support pursuant to HRS s 
572-24 (1985);  (8) the right to enter into premarital agreements
under HRS chapter 572D (Supp.1992);  (9) the right to change of
name pursuant to HRS s 574-5(a)(3) (Supp.1992);  (10) the right to
file a nonsupport action under HRS chapter 575 (1985 and
Supp.1992);  (11) post-divorce rights relating to support and
property division under HRS chapter 580 (1985 and Supp.1992);  (12)
the benefit of the spousal privilege and confidential marital
communications pursuant to Rule 505 of the Hawaii Rules of Evidence
(1985);  (13) the benefit of the exemption of real property from
attachment or execution under HRS chapter 651 (1985);  and (14) the
right to bring a wrongful death action under HRS chapter 663 (1985
and Supp.1992).  For present purposes, it is not disputed that the
applicant couples would be entitled to all of these marital rights
and benefits, but for the fact that they are denied access to the
state-conferred legal status of marriage."  (Baehr v. Lewin)

Those are 13 good reasons to get married,  you act as though you aren't
surrounded by greedy man-hungry capitalists...