Editor:

Same-sex marriage? ("Star-Spangled Rainbow," July 4.) What kind of mental images does this concept provoke? A majority of California voters viewed this union in a negative way as they passed Proposition 8. My question is why?

Granted, there are people who object to any marriage that does not involve a WASP couple. For example: mixed race couples, mixed faith couples, mixed nationality couples, age difference couples, and polygamy unions have all raised somebody's hackles. Being a byproduct of a broken home which consisted of a man and woman, and knowing just how many broken homes and divorces result in a loveless union between heterosexuals, on what grounds do people stand in objecting to a union (OK, a marriage) between two adult people who love, respect and care for one another regardless of their gender?

Ah! Perhaps it's the word sex that gets people to shake their heads. While intercourse, in whatever manner is chosen, is a factor in a relationship, it's far from the most important element, in my opinion.

Same-gender marriage? I can live with that, as long as there's no attempt to get me to change my mind regarding the joys of my 40-plus-year hetero-gender marriage.

Arthur Jones, Blue Lake