Federal Marriage Amendment, again
Oct. 19th, 2005 05:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
emmagrant01A 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.
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.
