If it’s a machine shop, the answer has typically been, “a business is worth the value of its physical assets, plus receivables less payables.” But the dynamic appears to be changing as the demand for American produced goods increases. I see companies paying for goodwill, but even more for the fluid organization of skills visible in seasoned viable businesses.
Customers are transferable if the manufacturing skills can be proven and maintained. When new operators come in and fire everybody and then try to hire people back for less money, they are courting disaster. Even if the judgment they make is that the previous management was a bunch of bozos, adding layers of chaos to the existing complexities of revolving ownership is arrogant and dumb. Usually old companies in manufacturing do not fail because the workers were paid too much, but because they were unmotivated and poorly managed. If workers understand the expectations of the owners and know the negative consequences of not meeting them they will generally produce.
I talk to auctioneers who look at lots of deals of machining firms and they tell me that few viable companies sell for asset value these days. In 2012, a skilled workforce and motivated management team has real value – not Silicon Valley kind of numbers, but significantly more than two years ago – before the world started to turn.
Question: Do you think gay marriage should be legal throughout the United States?
33 Comments
The gay marriage issue clearly comes down to whether you define marriage from a religious perspective or simply as a civil ceremony that is designed to pledge a “oneness” between the two parties. As I am not a religious person, I come down on the side of gay marriage for any gay couple who wishes to do so. I agree that it should not be federally mandated but I would hope all states would get on board in short order.
With organized religion losing people in droves, churches, synagogue and mosques should be happy to accept all parties willing to join. As to the argument that church doctrine may not “allow” or recognize gay marriage, I would simply point to the number of Catholics who consider themselves good Catholics and strong believers who do things that differ from what the Pope says is acceptable (birth control a prime example). There are examples like this in all religions.
I agree in part with Larry C, but see marriage as BOTH a civil ceremony and for many people, a religious covenant and/or sacrament. I think that the federal and state governments should allow gay marriage… as long as churches and preachers continue to be able to make there own decisions about who they wish to perform marriages for. Some churches already perform gay marriages, and many do not. That should be their choice, but it should not be the government that forces that decision, and denies gay people the right to decide their own lives.
Sin is Sin!! Legalizing sin is never the correct answer.
The Bible says no, so the answer is no. America can not go againest the Bible and want God to bless America. Come on people where’s the common sense?
Discussing this social topic on a machining blog is somewhat unusual but seeing the question was asked then i will just say marriage was designed by God long before we existed. He created a man and a woman and decided this is good. He did not create two women or two men for us to decide what makes us happy. God never said everyone should be happy and just do as they wish to gain selfish happiness.
He has a plan for each of us and wisdom for each of us to learn from. He has asked from us obedience to follow and to love everyone and through sharing His design of love then our hearts become open so He may find those lost from His design. Additionally none of us are authorized to judge the lost for each of us is just one sin from also being lost.
“Gay marriage” is akin to “dry rain”; there is no such animal. Go ahead with civil unions from sea to sea, but let’s not mis-label it. As Jason pointed out, sin is sin. I find it amazing how “changing times” affects peoples thinking. I feel that the further we stray from the principles this country was founded on, the closer the impending doom. This republic is not really that old.
Marriage is and has always been for a man and woman. Marriage between man and man or woman and woman is sin. This is not for the President or anyone else to decide and when they take such a stand it shows they do not know their boundries. I believe that God would remove such a person from leadership and I pray that our country would demonstrate our faith in God and His word.
And yes sin is sin and all sin is equal in Gods view. We each havens a choice to decide to act for ourselves in a selfish worldly scope or seek to truly follow and give our heart to the obedience our Creator asks from us. It is each of our choice to make and what will seperate some from entering His Kingdom. Salvation is only found in following as Jesus has taught and living as He has asked.
Common sense, huh? So… The Bible says no, so the answer is no, eh?
How about these other things that the Bible says no about:
Don’t cut your hair nor shave. (Leviticus 19:27) – We’re all going to Hell!!!
Any person who curseth his mother or father, must be killed. (Leviticus 20:9) – I think most of us would be dead by now.
If a man cheats on his wife, or vise versa, both the man and the woman must die. (Leviticus 20:10) – The death penality for at least 50% of us! Think of all the money we’ll save on social security and medicaid payments!
People who have flat noses, or is blind or lame, cannot go to an altar of God (Leviticus 21:17-18) – There’s inclusion for ya! Gotta love these religous rules!
If you find out a city worships a different god, destroy the city and kill all of it’s inhabitants… even the animals. (Deuteronomy 13:12-15) – Need I say more?
Kill anyone with a different religion. (Deuteronomy 17:2-7) – And people complain about Islam.
How about the second comandment? You are not to make any graven images. People seem to think the second commandment says you aren’t supposed to make a graven image of God, and that’s it. But you are not to make any graven images of anything in heaven, in the earth, or in the water. This would include no graven images of fish, moles, worms, birds, shrimp, ants, and all sorts of things. One must wonder why God was so worried about these things that he felt the need to put these ahead of murder and stealing..
“Neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee.” — Leviticus 19:19 – Really? The Bible forbids wearing cloth made out of a mix of wool and linen so are we going to Hell for this too?
“When men fight with one another, and the wife of the one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of him who is beating him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the private parts, then you shall cut off her hand.” — Deuteronomy 25:11-12 – Um… what?
Yep.. it’s amazing how people can pick specific parts to “care about” while others are forgotten. Let people live how they want to, not how YOU want them to.
Is there such a thing as Truth that lives independent of perception, of environment, even of interpretation? Yes! The first question to consider is whether laws must conform to Truth. The U.S. Declaration of Independence says that “we hold these truths to be self-evident”, showing that those leaders answered “Yes!” like I did above; they also based their life-or-death claim on the legitimacy of conforming law to Truth. It’s been done before, in courageous fashion. Men of courage, take note.
Next question – what is Truth? We aren’t the first to ask! You have the right to know that your creator says that he is the truth (“I am the way, the truth and the life”). He loves us all, all us sinners, enough to pay with his life the price required to offer us the gift of freedom. Homosexuality makes several lists of the sins for which Jesus paid, along with greed, envy, deceit, gossip, arrogance, God-hating… The Truth is that if I’m guilty of one, I’m guilty of all. And Truth says that homosexuality is sin.
So we’re back to this – must law conform to Truth? Our courageous hope is in Yes!
Lloyd, I have to wonder how the responses might have differed if you had asked about establishing domestic partner rights? It seems to me that using the word ‘marraige’ when asking about whether same-sex couples should have legal rights greatly influences the answer that you get. There is an emotional connection for people to the word marraige.
Obviously, no church/religious entity should be forced to perform ceremonies that their doctrines/canons do not allow. But should there be some legal rights granted to same-sex couples; hospital visitations, due process of law for forming and dissolving partnerships, etc? Seems that it would make sense. Do you have to call it marraige (which seems to get in people’s faces)? Not sure it’s necessary to define it as ‘marraige’ in order to extend legal rights to the situation.
When Hollywood is all in favor. It`s definitely the wrong path. After all , most of that crowd can`t stay married to either sex
Marriage by definition is a vow between one man and one woman. Not between two men or two women or two woman and one man, or two men and one woman or two men and two woman etc. Alternate lifestyles choosing to commit to one another are free to do so but that agreement needs to be called something other than marriage.
My religious view is that homosexuality is wrong. That being said I don’t believe in imposing my religious views on others. I believe that there should be civil unions for same sex partners with all the same benefits a married couples would have. This would give respect to the majority of christians whom have tradtionally used the term of marriage for the union of a man and a women while not denying the minority benefits based on religious beliefs. This seems like a fair compromise to me. Those that don’t in my opinion want to impose there religious beliefs on others or want to force society to say the way they are living is o’k. I’m not willing to say that as I believe homosexuality is a sin, but we are all sinners and fall short of the grace of god. I’m married and I have had Impure thoughts about other women, while this may be normal I still consider it a sin and I’m am not asking anybody to say it is o’k.
Fred, you are right, that there are many things Bible (the Old Testament in particular) that common sense should tell you is just not right. Perhaps Christians (myself included) should follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Ben says that Truth comes from the one who said “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Jesus the Christ). Jesus never once spoke against homosexuality. He spoke dozens of times against adultery, but not once against homosexuality. He said that marriage is the preferred way, but is not for everybody.
I am a straight, married Christian, but I think that the “gay-bashing” I hear from fellow “Christians” is not Christian at all, and definately not in the image of Christ. I know enough gay people to know that many of them are good people and even good Christians who believe in God and Jesus. (and others who are good Jews, etc).
For those of you who feel that legalizing “sin” (or someone’s idea of sin) is not the right answer, maybe you should join the Taliban. And be prepared for laws that enforce the topics brought up by Fred M.
In this country, we are about freedom, not religious doctrine forced upon people by the government.
No way!
I think the problem with homosexual marriage goes far beyond the religious aspect for most of us, and the proponents attempt to simplify it is disingenuous.
The reality is that if same-sex marriage is legalized the discrimination lawsuits that would immediately follow against nearly every mainstream church in the country would tie up our courts for years, until the Almighty Federal Government passed more laws forcing them to accept & promote this choice of lifestyle, bankrupting them in the process.
The reality is that many “churches” already recognize & perform these ceremonies so no action is needed if that is the issue, everything else is solely about money, which the proponents say isn’t the issue. This is about forcing acceptance of a lifestyle and using our courts as the enforcer.
NAMBLA can’t be far behind.
Mark Fahlsing: Good Post
Also:
Personally, I couldn’t care less about what consenting adults do in their private lives, but forcing me to accept, condone or subsidize their choices encroaches on my pocket, rights & liberty.
I am glad that 52% of Americans, (clearly a majority) are in favor of gay marriage. I am against preists taking young boys innocence, and I wonder by the way, are they going to heaven after such demonic acts. And how could we expect those poor priests that committed such crimes to have to marry two people that love each other and want to raise a loving family. Luckily, our country ‘s doctrines were based on SEPARATION of church and state, and I am glad we are evolving to more forward thinking on gay marriage and will one day stop the hating, the judging, and the discrimination against our equals. This country has evolved to stop using slaves, stopped discrimination against race and interracial marriage, against womens rights and soon it will stop discrimination against gay couples too. Many of you people who are against gay marriage should ask your children if they are against it, and I think you will find many of them are not, unless you have already taught them to be haters too (in the name of God or religion or whatever you want to call it). 9-11 was brought upon us by religious haters too. By the way I like your points Fred. Well said!
It is really about the continued distruction of the family. The family really is the basis for morality in society, and therefore the country. Look at how the distruction of the family thru the acceptance of divorce how it’s changed society for the worse. The family unit is the basis for the country from there it builds out. The acceptance of Gay Marriage will only speed the destruction of the country as a whole. No, I do not agree with gay Marriage
The Federal government has grabbed enough power without mandating we as a nation accept gay marriage. This is at most a State issue based upon morality, or perceived morality, and should be decided upon on a more local level.
What happens on Miami Beach and San Francisco might be perfectly normal there, but they are not middle America – sorry.
Absolutely no! I believe marriage is between a man and a women. Why do we need special rights for unique situations? Sounds like some would like to see Dr. Hook and the Medicine shows song, Freaker’s Ball become government policy, they are off to a good start….
If we could have this “passion” for the poor and hungry, I think we would be better in being a kinder and gentler nation. As far as Gails comments about priests and boys, I agree 100%, I think church’s should have let those priests go to jail. Fred, yes I agree we all are going to hell, we are sinners, that is why we need Jesus. One of the reasons the radical muslim’s hate the west is because of homosexuality, so we are not making any friends with gay marriage. I don’t think the government should make religions go against there beliefs. The greater good would not be to not redefine marriage.
there is a fine line where my rights end and your rights begin
Well here I am again with a totally different take on this. The problem the way I see it is, that our government should not be involved in this issue in any way. You should not get any special government related benefits for being married, not married, gay, lesbian, black, white or PURPLE.
This is a personal and religious issue PERIOD. Our government is wasting precious resources on this very personal issue rather than doing the business they were hired to do.
Remove the benefits that married people get, and the issue really goes away, doesn’t it?
Joe
This is about equal rights. People should be able to marry anyone they choose.
It is not the responsibility of the government to make decisions on cultural, religious, or personal issues. It is my choice to be married to a woman. The government is in place to oversee the constitution, laws of the land, and our security as a nation. The government is not to be in the business of church, welfare, religion, retirement programs, or any social programs. I regretfully pay taxes to a wasteful bunch of politicians that can’t balance a budget not live within their own means. So why would I want the government to make decisions for me about marriage, religion, or any other issue that concerns me as an individual? I personally do not agree with the “gay movement”. Quite frankly and bluntly, my body parts don’t fit another man!
It’s not easy – in fact it is probably the hardest thing in this world – to find someone you can love and respect and want to be with for life. If two people are lucky enough to find that, how can anyone deny them the right to recognize it as the same commitment men and women have been making for centuries?
For those who deem it a sin, fine. I respectfully disagree, but I wonder it impacts you personally if others are part of that lifestyle (notice I did not say “choose” that lifestyle!) Judge not lest ye be judged!
And for those who think it somehow taints the “definition of marriage,” Britney Spears and Elizabeth Taylor and Larry King did far worse for the sanctity of the institution long ago.
Luckily, our constitution defines a secular government. Article 6 (and I paraphrase) – The Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof. shall be the supreme law of the land. The US Constitution trumps state constitutions and laws. All judges are bound to the US constitution. All members of the federal and state legislatures, judiciaries, and executive branches shall be bound by oath to support the US Constitution. No religious test shall ever be required to hold any office.
To further emphasize the secular nature of government and the respect for personal religious choices, the First Amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
As far as any government is concerned, marriage is a legal contract with specific rights and responsibilties. The sex of those marrying is irrelevant. If your religion does not want to sanctify these types of marriages, that’s your free exercise right.
Personally I would follow anyone named Fred Mertz. The comments posted here well illustrate the divide in the nation. There are well thought out comments, by Christians and non-Christians alike. And then there are the religiously rigid, who from my prospective, have taken Christ out Christianity. Oh yeah, and there are a couple of “keep the government our of my life” perspectives. Good ol’ tossed USA salad. Bless us all.
How far do you let morals slide? Several far-eastern countries I’ve been too that have let everything slide for a price. Homosexuality, pedifiles, open drug use, unlimited gambling, every sexual deviation you can think of, then the graff and protection rackets, corupt politicions.
They’re daughters and sons are being sold, the scramble for money becomes all consuming.
Are we that far away from that kind of kaos? Some of our Cities are already there. When do we show some backbone and start to turn this slide around? This November?
If we let it deteriorate, the final result will be a Civil Correction of a magnitude that will be hard to wrap our head around.
I do a lot of designing…has anyone considered the design of a female and male…really?
hopefully a bunch of us understand the design and the purpose of man and woman is to conceive children…what if we were all homosexuals? wow…this just does not make sense…”a man and a woman, period” !!!