Whoops

I just visited the National Organization for Marriage's website.  They have a predrafted letter to the senators of New York, and are asking people to send the letter from their servers.  So I did... with the following edits:

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I strongly urge you to support the same-sex marriage bill if and when it comes up to a vote in the Senate.

Marriage isn't about discrimination or exclusion, or just a package of government benefits (and occasional penalties).  To me it is more than a long-term, public, sexual union between a man and a woman. Why? Because marriage isn't only about sexual unions that are unique in their ability to produce children -- it's about families and the protection of children, regardless of who the parents are.

Government has no business determining who I love, and denying same-sex couples the right to marry does exactly that -- and while government does have an interest in making sure that as many kids as possible get to know and be loved by their own mother and father, it also has a duty to protect those who are adopted into loving same-sex headed household. Research proves that same-sex unions can do this for a child.

The threat to religious freedom -- and the utter refusal of gay marriage groups to accept any substantive protections for people of faith -- is indeed a major concern, which thankfully has been answered in New York with religious exclusions and expanded protections. For years, anti-gay marriage activists have argued under the banner of tolerance, but now want to silence any opposing views and destroy and belittle our families. All examples of religious groups being forced out of the public square have shown real bigotry and discrimination of gay people.  

Please, there is no other way to protect the legitimate needs of same-sex couples. We have the right to live as we choose, to love who we can, and to protect our families.  We don't want to redefine marriage for everyone, we don't want to oppose or break apart any family, we only want the ability to protect our own. Please and thank you for voting yes on same-sex marriage.

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Whoops