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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels September 17, 2004 Whose country is it anyway? It has been said that a picture says a thousand words, but now one word is denying millions of Americans a thousand rights. Because the literal definition of marriage is a union between a man and woman as husband and wife, millions of same sex couples are denied over a thousand rights that married couples receive. Not only are estate taxes and Social Security benefits upon the death of a spouse denied to homosexual couples; hospital visitation rights, immigration, and family leave are three of several inherent rights they are denied in most states. There are an estimated 3,136,921 same-sex couples living in the United States (2000 U.S. Census by the Urban Institute and Human Rights Campaign) Is it fair that that many Americans are denied the legal rights of a family? The proposed Federal Marriage Amendment that is being voted on in the House of Representatives this month would ban same-sex marriage and all the rights that would go along with it, across the nation. Marriage is about a union of two souls that hold a commitment to one another. Is it, by allowing same-sex couples the right to marry, really damaging the sanctity or marriage in a country that already has a divorce rate exceeding 50 percent? For a country whose government prides itself on the separation of church and state we must ask ourselves why religious views are affecting the rights granted by our government. Twice we have amended the constitution in reference to minorities. However, this would be the first time in the history of "The Land of the Free" that the constitution would be amended to deny rights to a minority. For all of those who think that this decision doesn't affect you, think again. Once the doors to removing freedoms are opened, who's to say they won't come a knockin' on your door? Please, keep our country a democracy, and write your congressmen and representatives and tell them that American's are not willing to write discrimination into our constitution! Allison Hartlage Rose Ring Jalene Pells Anna Gordon-Norby Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams