Federal Marriage Amendment, again

[emmagrant01]

A letter to my senator about the newly re-introduced Federal Marriage Amendment:

Dear Senator,

As your constituent, I am writing to urge you to disregard any discriminatory testimony during this week's Senate hearing on the Federal Marriage Amendment. I would also urge you to vote no on any proposed legislation that will discriminate against same-sex couples.

I believe strongly that marriage is one of the most important institutions in society. It is the glue that holds families together, provides support for people throughout their lives, and protects them from many social ills. Marriage is so very important that our society regards it as a passage to true responsible "adulthood". How many times have you heard someone say, "Oh, he's finally getting married!" with a hint of relief in their voice? Marriage is an important part of life, and it shapes everything we do in more ways than can be succinctly described.

Imagine for a moment that YOU were told you could never marry the person you loved. How would that affect your life? How would it hurt you? How would it hurt your relationships with your family and friends to know that you would always be denied this beautiful rite of passage? I have been married for ten years, and I cannot imagine how different my life would have been without my husband. Marriage has kept us together when we would otherwise have walked away, and I am sure you understand what that is like. The legal bonds of marriage empower and support the love my husband and I have for each other.

Marriage makes families stronger. It makes children healthier. It makes society more stable. Allowing more loving couples to get married would only strengthen the institution. Those who say it would weaken it are misinformed -- or perhaps they simply do not understand what marriage really is.

The Federal Marriage Amendment does nothing to "protect" marriage. Instead, it singles out a group of people for discrimination in the United States Constitution. The Constitution has always been used to guarantee rights and freedoms, not to take them away.

Further, this amendment would do real harm to same-sex couples and their children, who already do not enjoy the vast majority of benefits and protections that married couples enjoy.

I urge you to listen to how these discriminatory measures impact real families, oppose any efforts to alter or enshrine discrimination into our Constitution and urge your colleagues in the Senate to focus on other issues that are priorities. I look forward to receiving your response.

Sincerely,

[Me]


Join the Human Rights Campaign's action alert mailing list here. They'll let you know when and how you can help.

Sign the "Million for Marriage" petition.

Comments

[goodopinion.livejournal.com]

I just wrote a whole paper on this for my english class, though I am not as nearly as eloquent as you are. I was trying very hard to not call them all bigots. I love being in a class full of religious conservatives. It makes me feel so special. *g*

[valkyrie17.livejournal.com]

I can't help with the petition as I'm Canadian, but I wanted to wish you luck. You have the courage of your convictions and are trying to affect change by working within the system. So many people talk about what needs to be done, but do not make the effort to write to those who hold the power to change things.

(It does amaze me that the USA, which is supposed to uphold freedom, does not where marriage in concerned)

[ordencodex.livejournal.com]

Er. Wow. I've never looked at it that way. It's very tactical of you, really. And it scares me to a certain extent. I mean, in Canada we have Conservatives and sure, they are pretty difficult to argue with. But for the most part we're pretty Liberal or Socialist so we don't exactly have those problems.

I don't doubt that children are happier and healthier in two parent homes. I am in no way denying that. I'm actually thinking you did well to work in the point that those two parents being both male or both female or male and female doesn't really matter without actually stating it. One parent homes are definitely a lot harder on a child, but then I'm still of the opinion that as long as they have two loving parents -- no matter the sex or whether they're married or not -- that child can be as happy as the next. But again, I see you point.

I hope one day your left does unite because watching American politics just hurts right now. No matter where I turn, I end up cringing on your behalf. *sigh*

[ordencodex.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, no. If I was, I'd probably be a lot more knowledgeable about these issues than I am currently. I pretty much depend on the news and my lovely American friends.

[emeraldjay.livejournal.com]

Something that has always baffled me, why is it that God and Christianity are used as a reason to deny marriage to same-gender couples. The government has little, if any, say in what goes on in religious institutions; aka churches. I'm not asking for a grand church ceremony, and since I'm pagan, I truly do not want a Christian ceremony, but I do want the right to be free of the fear of being turned away at the doors of the ICU if my other half is a patient, I don't want to be homeless and without transportation if he dies before the vehicles and house are paid off. The amount of paperwork involved in getting these things guarenteed to me is enormous. We have healthcare proxys, living wills, advance health directives, DNR orders, and power of attorney agreements, just so our untrustworthy relatives can't shit on the survivor.

The mountain of paperwork could have been avoided, it seems, with a simple "I do." I applaud you for writing your senator. I think more heterosexuals in support of same-gender marriage should follow your lead.

[gloriousgentry.livejournal.com]

Yay for stuff that matters!

Gloriousgentry