Purpose of marriage more than offspring

In a recent letter, the executive director of the Illinois Family Institute took a stand against same-sex unions, citing the “public purpose” of marriage. Considering that the vast majority of marriages are still heterosexual, and that even a cursory glance at a newspaper will indicate that needs of society are not being adequately met, I question his conclusions.

But I digress. Mr. Smith's comments regarding marriage are a slap in the face to heterosexual as well as same-sex couples. By claiming the primary goal of marriage to be procreation and nurturing, he reduces women to being little more than baby-making machines and men to the role of providing the genetic material needed to jump start the process. Adding insult to injury, he cites government sanctions regulating relationships.

By his yardstick, my wife and I should never have been allowed to marry, for reasons of infertility. After the death of his spouse, my father should never have been allowed to remarry, because he and his new wife were past child bearing years. Clearly we had nothing to provide to Mr. Smith's view of society.

Perhaps Mr. Smith should take time from his busy schedule of analyzing social science and remember the real reason most couples marry. Because they love each other.

B. Gannegan

Palatine