relative reproductive rights

first cousins forbidden from matrimony in pennsylvania got their chance at marital bliss in maryland today. the groom admitted even his hesitation when he said that you just can't control who you fall in love with.

our society and lawmakers insist (no pun intended) on enforcing this restriction in a thinly veiled attempt to enforce what most of us recognize clearly as a cultural taboo. we do this even in spite of the knowledge that there is at most an extremely low risk of any kind of genetic defect for this particular kind of union. even a low risk is not good legal justification, as i'm aware of no laws banning marriage or reproduction amongst individuals with serious genetic risks. of course, few seriously try to justify this law based on science. i mean, it's gross. right?

Labels: social