Halloween Cards

Ever since I can remember while growing up, my family had the tradition of creating Halloween cards out of construction paper and mailing them to extended family members and close family friends. So, this year Nate and I decided to continue this tradition. Our cards were a bit more involved though than the ones I made as a child. They also took a good deal more time to put together, greatly limiting the number we could make. But we still had a lot of fun with them, so here they are:

Proposition 8

We have always been in favor of marriage being defined as strictly between a man and a women. However, it was not until talking with Nate's family (who live in California) last night that I started to fully realize the full implications of the legalization of same-sex marriage. Maybe I am just out of the loop with the whole thing, but I did not really understand until listening to Nate's family just how much the legalization of same-sex marriage encroaches on parent's rights to teach their children the moral values they feel appropriate and right, or how it encroaches on the freedom and rights of religious institutions. I have now heard stories of all the following:

• A father in Massachusetts was sent to jail at a meeting with school officials after repeatedly insisting that he be notified about what his children were being taught at school concerning homosexuality.
• A Catholic adoption agency shut down after being told that it was required to place children with same-sex couples.
• First graders took a school sponsored field trip to San Francisco City Hall to watch their teacher be married to her lesbian partner.

In places where homosexual marriage is legalized, schools are required to spend equal amounts of time covering homosexual relationships as they are cover heterosexual relationships and traditional marriage relationships.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as well as other churches are concerned that they will lose their tax-exempt status over this issue as well.

So, in reality legalization of same-sex marriage goes much deeper under the surface than just allowing such couples to obtain legal marriage status. It goes deeper than simply being "tolerant" of such relationships. It infringes on our freedom to uphold fundamental religious and social convictions, morals, values and to be able to teach our children those same values.

While most of you who read this blog do not live in California, I think it is still good and important to understand the implications of homosexual marriage being legal. We believe that Proposition 8 and traditional marriage are worthy causes to support, regardless of where you are living. For more information, or to support this cause, you can visit protectmarriage.com.