February 11, 2004 Letter to Senators Warner and Allen
and Representative Moran
and Representative Moran
PO Box 8208
Alexandria, VA 22306-8208
February 11, 2004
The Honorable John William Warner
United States Senate
225 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4601
The Honorable George F. Allen
United States Senate
204 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-4604
The Honorable James P. Moran
U.S House of Representatives
2239 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-4608
Dear Senators Warner and Allen and Representative Moran:
As your constituent, I urge you to oppose the “Federal Marriage Amendment” (H.J. Res. 56/S.J. Res. 26). This measure would amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as strictly between a man and a woman as well as invalidate all the protections that many families currently enjoy.
I believe that amending the Constitution is an extreme act. I have read that the proposed amendment would deny the right to marry to gay and lesbian couples and also obliterate the family rights that many same-sex couples – and unmarried heterosexual couples — and their families now have. Revising the Constitution to incorporate discrimination against anyone in America is wrong and should be rejected.
In 1967, in the state of Virginia, it would have been illegal for me to marry and live with my wife since ours is an “interracial” marriage. The very idea that we are once again going to let government reach further into our individual rights through the amendment process is disturbing.
I also believe that the Federal Marriage Amendment is unnecessary and wrong. Even though the country has periodically struggled with the question of marriage — the last law prohibiting people of different races from marrying was overturned only 35 years ago — we have never taken the step of amending the Constitution to define marriage. Now is not the time to begin to use the Constitution as a tool for discrimination. Congress certainly has more important issues to consider.
The Federal Marriage Amendment rejects American traditions of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I have read that it would reverse the constitutional tradition of protecting individual freedoms. None of our constitutional amendments restrict individual freedoms. In fact, the amendments to the Constitution have been the source of most of the Constitution’s protections for individual liberty rights. I understand that the proposed amendment, by contrast, would deny all protection for the most personal decisions made by millions of people in committed long-term relationships.
Again, I urge you to oppose this dangerous amendment as the elected representative of a family who was forbidden to marry in this state in 1967.
I look forward to hearing your views on this matter.
Sincerely,
James Landrith
March 18, 2004
Mr. James Landrith
PO Box 8208
Alexandria, Virginia 22306-8208
Dear Mr. Landrith:
Thank you for contacting my office and sharing your thoughts regarding the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). It is always a pleasure to hear from my constituents.
As you know, this measure seeks to amend the United States Constitution so that state law will be preempted and marriage will be legally defined as a union between a man and a woman. I am concerned that this will have a chilling effect on a state’s right to establish laws within its own borders as eight states have already seen fit to enact domestic partnership laws that would be preempted by this amendment. In its current form, the FMA would also invalidate Vermont’s enactment of civil union laws.
Historically, constitutional amendments are adopted in order to expand the rights of U.S. citizens. The Marriage Amendment would actually write discrimination into the Constitution for the first time and would ban any protections for gay and lesbian couples, such as allowing visits to a partner who is in the hospital.
You will be pleased to discover that I am strongly opposed to this misguided and harmful proposal. Rest assured that I will be closely monitoring the progress of this measure and will keep your thoughts in mind should it come to the floor of the House for debate.
Please feel free to visit my updated website at http://www.house.gov/moran that contains information on topics that may be of interest. Thank you again for contacting me.
Yours truly,
James P. Moran
JPM/int1