The Issue Is What Their Children Saw, Not Same-Sex Marriage
A Virginia couple has sued the manufacturer of a robotic vacuum cleaner after their small children witnessed two of the robots having sex.
Darrel and Samantha Greenway of Morven Corners, a Richmond suburb, allege that their children suffered psychic harm and that the robotic vacuum cleaner manufacturer failed to properly warn the Greenways of the danger before they purchased the robots.
The company, Clean Bots, Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said the lawsuit “represents the ultimate in frivolous litigation.”
Clean Bots’ local attorney, Edward Lichenstein of Richmond, was quick to note that the Greenways are prominent opponents of the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages.
“This lawsuit is nothing but a not-so-clever way to pursue their same-sex marriage agenda ,”Lichenstein said. “I’m sure that before we’re finished with this silliness, the plaintiffs will be alleging that the robots are married and that will somehow be tied into the national debate over the amendment.”
The lawsuit makes no reference to the sexual orientation of the two robotic vacuum cleaners or whether they are married or would like to be married. But in interviews, Darrel Greenway said the fact that robots could be programmed to have sex opens the door to them also wanting to be married.
“I’m sure that if two robots could demonstrate they were male and female, proponents of the constitutional amendment would be delighted to see them married,” he said. “Likewise, if the bots were of the same sex, then of course marriage would be out of the question, although maybe a civil union would be okay.”
The lawsuit alleges that the two robots, one named Herschel and the other Georgina, were assigned to different parts of the Greenway house, but that their territories overlapped in the bedroom of their elder child, Rose, who is seven years old.
The alleged robotic sex took place in Rose’s bedroom, where she and her brother, Jimmy, 5, were playing.
“I heard the children crying, very upset,” Greenway said. “I ran into the room and there the bots were going at it. Jimmy was crying, saying ‘Herschel’s hurting Georgina.’ Well, it might have looked like Herschel was hurting her, but I could see otherwise.”
Greenway said the children often wake up with nightmares caused by what they saw the robots doing.
“Clean Bots should have warned us,” he said. “It’s not something small children should be exposed to. Sesame Street’s bad enough.”
Asked how he knew the sex of the robots, Greenway said he didn’t. “Samantha and I gave the bots their sexes when we gave them their names,” he said.
After a moment of reflection, he added: “But that’s the point, isn’t it? If they love each other and want to be married, isn’t that enough? Who cares what their sex is? They don’t.”