They shouldn't. Unfortunately they do. ~Probably~ because of Religion. Tax code....whew whole 'nother thread there...I'm on board with change (read elimination).
Anyway..it's not just the US government. It's all governments. Marriage is essentially ONLY a government thing now. It's not religious really...because it's not complete or 'official' until the government sticks a thumb in that pie. It can be,religious that is. If it is it must still be government approved or sanctioned or dare I say...blessed. Also the government IS the people so really it's the people have decided to regulate marriages, and don't seem all that particularly interested in broadening that definition?
Sometimes I live in reality and deal with the crap of what is actually going on....sometimes I jump into fantasy and espouse rediculous and impossbile things like Anarchy (aaaaah...sweeet anarchy
).
-b-