[Today’s run: 3.6 miles]
January 14, 2023
To the Editor,
I am glad to say that as a voter in the State of Mississippi I’ve finally been able to have my say on Same Sex Marriage via my representatives in the United States Congress.
Now I would like to address an injustice that has occurred.
Since the benefits of marriage are no longer associated with the creation and development of the next generation of citizens, in fairness we should extend similar benefits to couples and loving families that are otherwise kept from marriage through no fault of their own. I’m speaking of those families which are made of up single individuals living together cooperatively and lovingly but do not engage in either hetero- or homo-sexual relations either because of their own preferences, the mores of society or the laws and traditions of our state.
Some examples of these cheated couples are adult siblings living together, single parent and adult child, and unrelated couples in committed but non-sexual relationships.
I propose that the State of Mississippi proffer benefits equivalent to marriage benefits to those couples by establishing a legal framework for Civil Union. And that persons should be eligible to establish a Civil Union if they are of marriage-able age and are not already joined in either a marriage or in another Civil Union. Also, I insist that the State of Mississippi establish this Civil Union in such a way that other states are required to recognize these unions exactly the same, and with all of the benefits of marriage.
I call upon my representatives in the government of this state to right this injustice.
Sincerely,
Christopher Howard
Columbus, MS
emailed: Columbus Dispatch, Meridian Star