I'm curious for a response from the North Dakota Family Alliance to answer the question that I've seen asked repeatedly, but always seems to get dodged. How does any two people's commitment to each other by marriage affect anyone else's commitment to their spouse and marriage in general?

The group, along with Focus on the Family, is using a "protect the children" or "every child deserves a mother and a father" war cry, but their actions don't address this issue. Their proposed amendment includes no language related to children or their welfare at all.

Since when is marriage a prerequisite or decisive factor in raising children? There are children raised successfully every day by single parent households, as well as unmarried spouses, including same sex partners. On the same token, there are children raised every day by a mother and father that many would consider to be unsuccessfully accomplished.

I get the impression that many supporters of the proposed amendments would have us believe that children will be born or raised by a union of two adults that consist of other than a man and a woman. While I've seen no studies or statistics on the matter, I think the majority of same sex couples raising children are doing so by virtue of one of the partners having naturally conceived the children. The rest do so via adoption. I also suspect that the majority of same-sex couples in fact do not raise children or have a desire to do so.

You may argue that children conceived by one parent and raised by that parent and a non-biological parent are somehow disadvantaged, but then so is any child of a divorce and subsequent relationship, even if it doesn't involve a remarriage. The children are raised by at least one non-biological parent, yet the welfare of these children isn't addressed by the language of the proposed amendments. Is this group advocating that children be removed from the homes of what they consider to be a non-traditional family? What affect will that have on the child's welfare?

In summary, I see the North Dakota Family Alliance's message about children to be at best a diversionary and scare tactic. Answer the question: How does anyone else's commitment to marriage affect your own?