In a letter to the Waterton Daily Times, Tammy Hall of Carthage rebuts the assertion that allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry will somehow harm the children of opposite-sex couples.

This does not damage our children or families. It strengthens them by teaching our children humanity and compassion for the human condition.

You will, of course, believe as you wish. But please do not let unfounded fear stand in the way of another human being’s basic human rights. If your heterosexual children are exposed to homosexual couples, they will not suddenly become homosexual. They will simply see the love and go about their lives. That is what children do.

If homosexual couples express love, commitment, honor and respect in a ceremony which provides a piece of paper with rights attached, nothing is taken from the heterosexual marriage. It will still exist as an expression of love and commitment.

The debate over same-sex marriage across the nation does, in many ways, send the message to the children that it is okay to discriminate against others’ and their love, and sends the wrond message to children who may one day grow up to be gay or lesbian.