At issue is same-sex marriage
- by: Nathan Dunn 06/20/08
In a recent Herald-Tribune guest column (May 30, "Gay marriage is not on ballot"), local American Civil Liberties Union leader Peter Tannen presented the deceptive talking points of the liberal gay-rights group, Florida Red and Blue. This group, led primarily by homosexual activists, is attempting to mislead Florida voters about Amendment 2.
The Florida Marriage Protection Amendment (Amendment 2) is about one thing and one thing only -- protecting the definition of marriage between a man and a woman in the Florida Constitution.
It allows voters to decide how marriage will be defined, rather than gay leaders and activist judges. Same-sex marriage has been legalized in Massachusetts and is close to becoming legal in California because of judges overruling the will of the people. Amendment 2 protects this injustice from occurring in Florida.
Contrary to Mr. Tannen's suggestion, Amendment 2 would not interfere with benefits or rights of any kind. While preserving the definition of marriage, Amendment 2 also protects Florida's seniors and unmarried couples because it avoids any changes to existing rights and benefits. Those who say otherwise are not being intellectually honest with Florida voters.
The Florida Supreme Court issued an opinion on Amendment 2 which clarifies the breadth of the amendment: "The voter is being asked to vote on the singular subject of whether the concept of marriage ... should be limited to a man and a woman."(926 So. 2d 1229, Fla. 2006)
The reason Mr. Tannen and his fellow activists at Florida Red and Blue do not want to discuss "gay marriage" is because they know they are unable to provide any public policy merits for such a radical change to the institution of the family.
The bottom line is that allowing same-sex marriage would subject children to a vast, untested social experiment.
While acknowledging the heroic efforts that single parents make, almost everyone would agree -- and extensive social research attests to the fact -- that in an ideal situation, kids benefit most from growing up with a married mom and dad. Same-sex marriage would deny children the right to be raised by either a father or a mother, depending on the type of homosexual environment in which they are raised.