Know the facts before attacking gay marriage

I would like to offer some free, yet unsolicited, advice to the Republican candidates who appear so outraged over the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in Iowa. I understand that you hope this will become a hot-button issue rallying support for your campaign, but you really need to provide valid and compelling reasons to motivate the populous.

Everyone's heard the statements like: “Homosexuals only constitute 3 percent of the population, why should we allow them to redefine the definition of marriage?” and, “We need to protect the sacred institution of marriage as a holy union between one man and one woman.”

This may sound OK to many at first, but any reasonable person has to ask, “Shouldn't we focus on eliminating divorce? Criminalizing adultery?” Aren't those the overwhelming adversaries of marriage that need attention? Why focus on the 3 percent when 40 percent to 50 percent of holy heterosexual unions dissolve at such a great cost to society?

And here are a few more free facts for candidates: Some of your neighbors are gay. Some of your family is gay. They vote. They were gay before this law went into effect, and they will continue to be gay even if you're successful in repealing the law (which would mean the end to visitation rights, inheritance laws, security benefits, etc., for same-sex couples). So, please explain why this is so important to you – to Iowa. We want details and they better be compelling and truthful.

Daniel Sitter

Cedar Rapids