A letter to Sen. Al DeKruif
Northfield’s state senator, Al DeKruif, voted yesterday to put a constitutional gay marriage ban on the Minnesota ballot. Doing my best to have faith in my representation, I wrote him the following today:
Senator DeKruif: I was watching the floor debate on the marriage amendment bill, and I was intrigued by the claim of many of your fellow Republican senators who spoke. Their claim was that legislators and judges should not decide what marriage is; the people want to decide and should decide.
Some DFLers argued that, either way, gay/gender-neutral marriage would be illegal in Minnesota. But I want to have good faith in the Republicans’ intent, that they really do want to listen to the voices of the citizens of Minnesota, and that they feel this is the best way they have to determine Minnesotans’ opinion on marriage.
So to you, I make a simple request. If this amendment is on the ballot, and the people reject it, I ask that you accept and abide by the will of the people. Would you be willing, if the people reject the amendment, to take up legislation to permit gender-neutral marriage in Minnesota?
Thank you for your time.
