Open Letter to West Virginia Senators
Evan Jenkins and Robert H. Plymale
Concerning the Proposed Marriage Definition Amendment to the West Virginia Constitution
To:
Senator Evan H. Jenkins
State Capitol - Building 1, Room 216-W
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305
Senator Robert 'Bob' H. Plymale
State Capitol - Building 1, Room 417M
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305
February 25, 2010
Dear Senators,
As your constituent, I'm asking you to say "no" to an amendment to our state's constitution that
would define marriage as between one man and one woman. An amendment would be a devastating and unnecessary addition to existing legislation, and a public vote on the issue would
be bad for the state.
Federal and state constitutions protect citizens' rights not remove them. "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" for all human beings, enshrined in our inspired Declaration of Independence and then strengthened and elucidated in our federal Constitution, is what I believe in.
It is marriage; not civil unions, that our society and law respects; not to mention the attending 1,136 federal benefits and state benefits that are available to married couples and denied to those who are not married. Currently, the state of West Virginia is already denying those benefits to its gay and lesbian citizens, by not allowing them civil marriage recognition. Reinforcing this discrimination by writing it into our state's constitution would only add insult to injury; would disgrace our state's image, and have likely negative long-term economic repercussions. Like it or not, the world is moving rapidly toward embracing full equality for all people. West Virginia must avoid placing itself into the same category as anti-equality states such as Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
To be married means to everyone that you have made a sacred and serious commitment to love and care for another human being. By defining marriage to between one man and one woman, the state would be engaging in deliberate discrimination against its gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens, and would be saying "We forever deny the same rights to you!" Why, other than for the promotion of a particular religious creed, would the state of West Virginia permit such an amendment?
My vote goes to my state representatives who guard and protect the rights of all citizens, and maintain the wall of separation between religion and state.
Montani Semper Liberi! That means ALL West Virginians!
It is marriage; not civil unions, that our society and law respects; not to mention the attending 1,136 federal benefits and state benefits that are available to married couples and denied to those who are not married. Currently, the state of West Virginia is already denying those benefits to its gay and lesbian citizens, by not allowing them civil marriage recognition. Reinforcing this discrimination by writing it into our state's constitution would only add insult to injury; would disgrace our state's image, and have likely negative long-term economic repercussions. Like it or not, the world is moving rapidly toward embracing full equality for all people. West Virginia must avoid placing itself into the same category as anti-equality states such as Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
To be married means to everyone that you have made a sacred and serious commitment to love and care for another human being. By defining marriage to between one man and one woman, the state would be engaging in deliberate discrimination against its gay, lesbian and bisexual citizens, and would be saying "We forever deny the same rights to you!" Why, other than for the promotion of a particular religious creed, would the state of West Virginia permit such an amendment?
My vote goes to my state representatives who guard and protect the rights of all citizens, and maintain the wall of separation between religion and state.
Montani Semper Liberi! That means ALL West Virginians!
Madison Reed
Huntington, WV 25703
See also: Crowd asks politicians to 'let us vote' on gay marriage (wvgazette.com)
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