Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Thursday, September 07, 2006
Speaker says it’s about the children
Traditional marriage must be legally defended for the sake of children, the executive director of the Family Research Institute of Wisconsin told a local group at a forum Wednesday night.
“Children need moms and dads,” Julaine Appling said at the informational forum at First Evangelical Free Church. “When we purposely create motherless or fatherless homes, we’re saying children don’t matter.”
Appling came to La Crosse to offer information and encourage support of a Constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot Nov. 7 that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. Twenty states already have passed a similar amendment, she said, and it will appear on ballots in eight states in November.
Appling also said a failed amendment would lead not just to same-sex marriage, but legalized polygamy and group-marriage.
“Right behind (the homosexuals) are standing the polygamists,” she said.
Federal law prohibits polygamy.
Appling spoke at the invitation of the Rev. Corey Sateren, one of approximately 300 pastors in the state to have signed a pledge supporting the amendment.
Among the reasons she listed was “Why Marriage Matters,” a book listing 26 problems children of unmarried couples face in life. The book cites research in the social sciences and says children fare worse in school, are more prone to delinquent behavior and more likely to be in failed marriages.
Parishioner Dean Jobe, 41, said her message reinforced his already strong support for the amendment.
“God’s words are very clear on what marriage is,” he said.
Kris Petersen, 20, said he doesn’t support the amendment, and Appling’s speech didn’t change his view. “She’s very talented, but a lot of what she said simply isn’t true,” he said.
If passed, he said, the amendment would lead to the denial of hospital visitation rights for all unmarried couples, among other consequences.
State Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, voted against putting the amendment on the ballot. She attended Wednesday to hear the other side of the story.
“I still don’t understand the perceived threat to (traditional) marriage,” she said afterwards.
“I oppose using gays and lesbians as political pawns.”
Dan Simmons can be reached at (608) 791-8217 or dsimmons@lacrossetribune.com.
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