In response to sadomasochists

I have received e-mail from all over taking strong issue with my WorldNetDaily column and WCBM broadcast commentary of Sept. 11, 2004.

Among the more vivid was Scott Reskin, who wrote:

“I read your Sept. 11 column on WorldNetDaily expressing your concern that if homosexual marriage becomes legal, then soon after even sadomasochists will be able to marry. I’m afraid I have some bad news.

“We already can marry. In fact, many of us do, right under the noses of upstanding citizens such as yourself.

“Sadomasochists enjoy an advantage that gays and lesbians do not. You see: We don’t show. If two men wish to marry, or two women, well, that stands out. But when a sadist marries a masochist, no one need be the wiser. Of course, if they particularly want whips and chains at the wedding, there’s no law against it. I’ve even seen it done.”

From Dugald, Manitoba, Canada, Laura Chadd wrote:

“Hello: I was forwarded your article regarding marriage licenses for sadists and masochists and simply had to respond to it.

“What were you thinking? What business is it of anyone if the people entering into marriage are sadists, masochists or fundamentalists, or any other “ists” that you’d care to attack?

“I simply don’t understand why it would be anyone’s business, or why you would even care.”

To these and many others who expressed their belief that sadomasochist weddings should be fully legal and constitutionally protected, there is bad news from both Syracuse, N.Y. and Tehran, Iran.

In Syracuse, the AP reported:

“A man who said he accidentally strangled his wife with a telephone cord during sex was sentenced Monday to five years on probation.

“Joseph Micale, 35, was charged in December with reckless manslaughter in the death of his wife, Maureen, 37, and could have gotten 15 years in prison. Micale pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.

“‘My wife and I participated in what we thought was harmless, alternative sex and it went terribly awry,’ Micale told the judge. ‘I lost her, too, as well as my family.’

“Authorities said Micale asphyxiated his wife by wrapping a cord around her neck during a sex act.”

In England, This is London (Associated New Media) reported the following from Tehran – under the headline “‘Beat me once a week’ says Iranian woman.”

“An Iranian woman, beaten every day by her husband, asked a court to tell him only to beat her once a week.

“Maryam, the middle-age woman, said she did not want to divorce her husband because she loves him.

“‘Just tell him to beat me once a week. … Beating is part of his nature and he cannot stop it,’ Maryam told the court.

“The Tehran court found the man guilty and banned him from beating the wife, the paper said.

“The husband said: ‘If I do not beat her, she will not be scared enough to obey me.'”