Good and Bad Ideas

Uruguay keeps marching on, way ahead of most of Latin America and many other parts of the world in progressive social policies. In issues such as the use of marijuana and, now, gay marriage, it leads the way to enlightened public policy and equality across the board. In allowing parents to choose the order of surnames for their children, I'm not so sure. As far as I'm concerned, this is a non-issue; a "problem" that does not need fixing. Going against a well-established practice will, more than likely, cause quite a few problems and inconvenience a lot of people, just to score some points with well-meaning do-gooders who can't let well enough alone in their search for absolute equality of the sexes.

In the end, I don't think that too many people will apply the new law to their family situation. There are more important things to be concerned about than fooling around with a custom that is neither demeaning nor does anybody any harm.

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