MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Obama's support stirs a mix of reactions
President Harry Truman took steps to integrate the military. President Lyndon Johnson oversaw passage of the Civil Rights Act. Now, by endorsing equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians, President Obama has joined the pantheon of presidents who have taken courageous stands on civil rights.
Already some pundits are pointing to this as a bad political decision and a move that may cost him the election. Never mind that leadership sometimes requires taking an unpopular position, even in an election year.
Sometimes it's more important to do the right thing. I don't believe the president's support for marriage equality will cost him the election.
With enough introspection, Americans tend to come down in favor of civil rights. In another generation we will look back at 2012 and wonder what all the fuss was about.
The unintended consequence of the push for an anti-gay marriage amendment in Minnesota and similar campaigns across the nation will be the accelerated granting of marriage rights, as more citizens see the injustice involved.
DAVID HANSEN, OWATONNA, MINN.
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Let's have the state quit issuing marriage licenses and issue civil union licenses only. Then everyone, gay or straight, can have the benefits of a state-sanctioned union and the religious folk can still call their unions marriage if that makes them feel good.