"I do"

All laws, rules and regulations, federal, state, county or municipal, mentioning marriage should be repealed. Marriage is a personal relationship between two individuals (or more, where religion permits). Ideally, it is solemnized in a house of worship by a recognized clergyman, however, any serious ceremonious pledging of love and fidelity before approving witnesses, such as friends and relatives, should be sufficient. A written document, outlining the expectations, and stating the promises of each party will be valuable as time passes. With the government out of the picture, private companies will no doubt create forms for this purpose. Sharing them from time to time, and modifying them as needed might strengthen the union.

Each person, married or single, should have exactly the same rights and privileges, and be subject to exactly the same governmental rewards and punishments. The government need neither recognize not interfere in the lives of married persons, and although they are coupled, married persons should neither ask for not accept anything more from government than they merited as single individuals.

This being said, my logic has one glitch. If I say there are documents that can be drawn up by lawyers that would regulate marital separation, either by divorce or death, I cannot avoid the fact that lawyers are officers of the courts, which are a part of government. Therefore, I do suggest that religious institutions, which created the concept of marriage, should volunteer to arbitrate these issues. Persons who have not made the Deity a party to their union should devise their own method, mutually agreed to before marriage, as outlined in the written document mentioned above. Absent such writings, all rights of the parties are abrogated. (Barack may take it "to spread around.")