Posted on 10/21/2011 5:28:25 AM PDT by rhema
My friend and colleague, Mark Osler, gives good advice in his recent commentary "May inevitable year of debate be constructive" (Oct. 15).
He counsels Minnesotans discussing the marriage-protection amendment (commonly misidentified as the gay-marriage amendment) to avoid insulting those they are in conversation with, and to "argue toward the principles the other side professes."
I would add one more piece of advice: Know the facts.
Marriage has been defined as the union of one man and one woman since Minnesota's days as a territory.
Supporters of the marriage-protection amendment want to retain this definition because we think redefining marriage to include any loving adult relationship ignores the primary interest government has in recognizing any adult sexual relationship -- the fact that sex between a man and a woman makes babies.
It is a biological fact that only a man and a woman can create a child through their sexual acts. That child will need the care of adults for years after her birth.
And while it is true that the most basic physical needs of the child can be met by almost any adult, common sense and social science tell us that, most of the time, the best people to care for the child are her mother and father.
Children in the United States who are raised outside of the home of their married, biological parents are two to three times more likely to suffer from psychological problems, such as depression, and engage in socially harmful behavior like delinquency and dropping out of high school.
Sociologist Paul Amato estimates that if the United States enjoyed the same level of family stability today as it did in 1960, the nation would have 750,000 fewer children repeating grades, 1.2 million fewer school suspensions, approximately 500,000 fewer acts of teenage delinquency, about 600,000
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
I’m pretty sure this thing will pass. Minnesotans are pretty conservative on social issues. The only way I could see it failing is if the other side vastly outspends us.
This is going to be interesting, the last amendments that passed were in 2008. Prop 8 in Cali with 52%, Arizona by 56%, and Florida with 62%. I think Minnesota is going to be a close one. I think it still passes, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it didn’t.
Freegards
No, the only way it will fail is rampant election fraud.
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