Citizens in and around Rocky Mount have a lot at stake as we go to the polls for the primary. If you don’t educate yourself on the issues, you might end up misaligning your support.

On the face of it, if you are opposed to gay marriage, it might seem sensible to support the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. However, if you dig a little deeper, it’s not quite that simple.

Consider that gay marriage already is illegal in North Carolina. Consider that the potential judicial interpretation of the proposed amendment could forbid businesses from offering domestic partner benefits from any domestic partner, gay or straight.

Consider that Bank of America already has spoken publicly in opposition to the proposal believing it “has the potential to have a disastrous effect on our ability to attract talent and keep talent in the state of North Carolina.” Consider that employment is still sluggish, and the proposal threatens job growth. Consider that a similar act in Ohio resulted in the inability of authorities to protect a victim of domestic violence from her partner because they were not married. Consider such disparate influence centers as John Hood (John Locke Foundation), U.S. Rep. Renee Elmers, R-2nd District, the N.C. NAACP and the ACLU all oppose the amendment. Consider that, if passed, the amendment will be challenged in court, costing citizens thousands in court fees. Even the initiators of the proposal acknowledge that, if passed, it likely will be overturned within 20 years. Do we really want to spend our policy-setting capital and energy on such a short-term strategy?

Please take all this into consideration and then vote against the proposed marriage amendment on May 8.

Molly Winstead

Rocky Mount