Online commenter Jeff was not persuaded. “The government does not regulate marriage, they protect marriage. … Limited government is important, but part of what it is limited to is protecting marriage.”

Not a single commenter had Jeff’s back.

“How on earth is the government protecting your marriage?” shot back Vanessa. “By limiting how you can be married, when, by whom, and what the terms of the marriage are? That is regulation.”

“Protect marriage? You clearly mean regulate for taxation and welfare benefits as the state sees fit,” added John Galt.

Justice for all pointed to inconsistency of some small-government proponents.

“Republicans want less government, but more government control and interference in our personal lives, i.e., who I can and can’t marry, when or how to have or adopt children, when to or not abort. You can’t have it both ways, folks.”

They have it both ways, Justice, with power vested in them by the state of Utah.