http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2007/11/26/the-marriage-of-love-and-politics.aspxThree cheers for Stephanie Coontz's piece in the New York Times today in defense of taking marriage private . She asks: Why do people—gay or straight—need the state’s permission to marry? For most of Western history, they didn’t, because marriage wasenCommunityServer 2.1 SP2 (Build: 61129.2)