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