**Previously recorded by Phyllis Schlafly // February 2016 **
Never in the course of human history has such a fundamental institution as marriage been changed so quickly. Same-sex marriage has gone from a non-issue to a supposed civil right in less than 20 years. Liberals quickly silence those who oppose this change, claiming that religious or moral opposition is “bigotry” or “hate speech.” Bumper sticker slogans have replaced common sense on this issue that will fundamentally shape the future of society. When considering the issue of marriage, Americans should base their opinions on solid evidence, not emotional slogans.
Weakening the definition of marriage will lead to disaster for the family. Liberals use the slogan “love is love,” because they believe that marriage has nothing to do with having children. In fact, the recognition of homosexual marriage was a direct attack on the link between marriage and children. Defenders of traditional marriage recognize that marriage is not just about two people, but also about the home that they make for their children.
In Ryan Anderson’s book Truth Overruled, he explains why traditional families are better living environments for children. He says, “Studies that control for other factors, including poverty and even genetics, suggest that children reared in [homes with a mother and father] do best in measurements of educational achievement, emotional health, familial and sexual development, and delinquency and incarceration.” As Anderson points out in his book, the U.S. government has a compelling interest to seek what’s best for the generations to come. American children eventually grow up to be the working citizenry of our nation. We have an obligation to ensure that future generations of Americans have stable homes to grow up in. The traditional family unit has been proven through research and history to be the ideal place for children to live, learn, and grow up.
