Reader's view: Marriage amendment would preserve children’s rights

Marriage amendment would preserve children’s rights

Freedom in America is our greatest asset; it can also be our biggest burden. Take for instance abortion. We Americans have the liberty to terminate a human life simply because of the inconvenience of raising a child.

The least among us, an unborn child, has no rights. Society is measured in how we treat our most vulnerable.

There is another freedom being voiced these days in Minnesota by those opposed to the marriage amendment. Similarly, a child’s right would be in jeopardy for the sake of freedom. I am speaking of the freedom (no limits) to marry whomever you want to marry. Children could be denied a chance to have a mother and father if marriage is redefined this way. States that have redefined marriage — such as Illinois, New York, and Washington, D.C. — have forced the closure of adoption agencies that believe all children should have a mother and father. A child’s right is violated when denied an opportunity to a mother and father. Without this right, children lose an opportunity that is intrinsic to their very existence.

So, if freedom is used for the common good of society, which includes children born or unborn, perfection is possible. But if freedom is used to deny the rights of children, then society becomes a slave to such alienations. This is another reason to vote yes for the marriage amendment.

Timothy Helwig

Duluth

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