By I.  Ben Hadd
Caretaker to Chobee the Cat

NOTE TO OUR VISITORS -- June 9, 2005:  Today's column marks our second guest editorial from I. Ben Hadd.  We again applaud the author for his perspicacious take on important issues of the day.

Dear FUPPPSters --

For years we have eyed the Swiss as a small country with great banks and great chocolate. Even though we’ve had to restrict the latter from our pets for their own good. Rather like some of our elected political leaders have  restricted things from us “for our own good.”

Since we cannot congratulate our leaders we can now congratulate the Swiss politicians. Although they were the last European country to give women the right to vote in 1971, a week or so ago their elected officials passed legislation to recognize same sex unions and domestic partner benefits.

The home of cheese with holes in it now joins 12 other European countries
including W’s “best friend” the United Kingdom along with Spain, Norway,
Sweden and Iceland that recognize same sex unions and domestic partner benefits.

If our Members of Congress were to look out the windows of their chauffeured cars on their way to and from the hill they’d see same sex pets frolicking near the Keep Off the Grass signs in our nation’s capital.

Perhaps we should attack the sad state of affairs -- that we in the old ol' US of A are denying same sex NIPtuals to our pets as well as their human companions -- from another angle.  Why not use those who lobby for special interests? If the people who lobby for such Fortune 500 companies as General Electric, United Parcel Service, Kimberly-Clark or Staples told politicians at lunch, “By the way, do you know we have personnel practices that allow for domestic partner benefits?”, the politicians, wanting a free lunch, might actually wonder if this is not a good thing. 

Don’t lose faith … keep asking your elected officials: “Where do you stand on gay marriage for pets?” In fact, ask those who lobby to ask them, too.

        Approved by the FUPPPS Editorial Board