Opinion Line (April 29)

Let’s recognize official unions between same-sex persons as civil unions and recognize official unions between a man and a woman as marriage, allowing those in both of them all the same rights. Historically and proudly different, yet equal and fair to both.

If the Supreme Court allows gay marriage, a same-sex couple won’t have to be gay to get married. I imagine a lot of elderly people of the same sex getting legally married just so one can collect on Social Security later. Would a black market develop to sell one’s marital rights?

I didn’t know they did hydraulic fracturing in Nepal.

I will not be crying tears for western Kansas. The population there was the swing that elected Brownback and the large contingent of ultraright GOP representatives. If you don’t want to pay taxes, you suffer the consequences: bad roads, no schools, depopulation.

We have concealed-carry without training because our younger, trigger-happy legislators were raised on violent video games and now think it’s fun to play with real guns. They want to act like superheroes, but without the training that cops get about gut-wrenching decisions on when to shoot.

Every one of the 330,000 businesses not paying state income taxes should have to verify that they have hired new employees. If they haven’t, they should forfeit the tax exemption. If the poor are required to pull their own weight, so should businesses.

If something is given continually to someone, he will begin to believe he is entitled to it. But when the point is made that this is only temporary, and that “gift” is a bridge to get him to a self-sustaining life, he is more likely to truly benefit.

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty says: “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” In Kansas add: “and we will reproach you, harass you and tell you where you can and cannot spend your limited funds.”

No one is singling out “the poor” for how they spend money. It’s those to whom the government is giving money it stole from us who are being singled out.

I nominate the commercial that has the children quoting John 3:16 as the greatest commercial of all time. See how easy Christ’s message is when the youngest of children know it and understand it?

As far as the new Apple Watch goes, I’d like to have one that fits on my middle finger.

Not once in my 40-plus years of life have I ever felt regret after eating a brownie.

This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Opinion Line (April 29)."