Children Matter

While many of us have core beliefs and values regarding same-sex marriage vs. traditional marriage, it is important that we come to a common understanding of respecting each other’s views.  Our society is hanging by a thread as we debate this issue along with many others regarding what is best for our society.  I hope that we can all come to understand that children are the source for our future.  We as a society should be looking towards their needs instead of our own. 

Children were discussed very little in the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.  It was mostly based on what should be granted to adults who love each other.  For me, I would ask, what is best for the children?

In the Supreme Court hearing we hear from Justice Roberts on the history of marriage in our society.  “Marriage did not come about as a result of a political movement, discovery, disease, war, religious doctrine, or any other moving force of world history—and certainly not as a result of a prehistoric decision to exclude gays and lesbians. It arose in the nature of things to meet a vital need: ensuring that children are conceived by a mother and father committed to raising them in the stable conditions of a lifelong relationship.” See G. Quale, A History of Marriage Systems 2 (1988);

Justice Roberts goes on to say, “the premises supporting this concept of marriage are so fundamental that they rarely require articulation. The human race must procreate to survive. Procreation occurs through sexual relations between a man and a woman. When sexual relations result in the conception of a child, that child’s prospects are generally better if the mother and father stay together rather than going their separate ways. Therefore, for the good of children and society, sexual relations that can lead to procreation should occur only between a man and a woman committed to a lasting bond.“

It is interesting to me that every family studies class I have taken agrees with Justice Roberts’s statement regarding children.  Children need a father and a mother.  Each parent brings different roles to the family establishing an environment that only a father and mother can provide for their children.  As humans, we all want to know who we are and where we come from as it bring us a sense of security.

In the letter from Katy Faust, Dear Justice Kennedy: An Open Letter from the Child of a Loving Gay Parent, she speaks of these truths.  While she loves all of her parents, she truly understands the need of having a father and a mother.  Through her own experience she is advocating for the rights of children.   I stand on her side.  We must think of the repercussions our society will have as we change traditional marriage to same-sex marriage.  It will change our society forever.