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Your U.S. Representative
Your U.S. Senators

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 have read that the proposed amendment is intended to deny the right to marry to gay and lesbian couples and limit 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.

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 believe this amendment would reverse the constitutional tradition of protecting individual freedoms. Previous such constitutional amendments have been negated by later more enlightened generations. 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 amendment.

I look forward to hearing your views on this matter.