A LETTER TO THE TIMES

Richard Peterson’s thoughtful, sensitive plea for passage of Proposition 8 has convinced me. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but at first I though Prop 8 was just about bigotry and discrimination – it certainly appears to be – but after reading Mr. Peterson’s piece, I realize it is actually about the “will of the people.” I don’t know how I missed that.

Perhaps the proposition could be expanded a little, so that the full legal protection and equal social status of domestic partnership that Mr. Peterson so graciously offers members of the gay community could be extended to inter-racial couples as well. I’m sure they would understand.

In fact, let’s put the bow on the package and include inter-faith couples. Marriage is tough enough without people going to separate churches and arguing over how to raise the kids. Of course, non-believers don’t have to be married at all. They probably don’t even care.

So, for the good of society and to honor the will of the people, Proposition 8 should define marriage as the union of one man and one woman of the same race and the same religion. It would be nice if they were from the same neighborhood, but that you can't punish someone because of where they were born. That wouldn't be fair.