To the Editor: Even though 10 to 15 children are gunned down each day in our country, (our state) Legislators have not let themselves be distracted from the real danger facing our nation: gay marriages.

Sarcasm aside, the recent actions by lawmakers to prohibit homosexual marriage disgust me. It's an issue of fear and hatred, pure and simple. Being uncomfortable with same-sex unions is understandable in our homophobic culture, but to be so threatened as to propose proactive legislation to ban them -- that's just sad. Especially when our leaders have so much else they should worry about: skyrocketing gas prices, overcrowded schools, dilapidated roads, children in unfit homes, and, of course, the ongoing war on our streets.

Opponents of gay marriage mask their intolerance with benevolent-sounding words such as "family", "Christian", or "values" -- the same tactics used to justify prohibition of interracial marriages just a few decades ago. And the argument that gay unions belittle the sanctity of marriage is rediculous and hypocritical. People espousing that view demonstrate the frailty of their own marriages.

Married couples receive many benefits such as tax breaks and the option of sharring insurance. If you don't want to call it a "marriage", fine, but two people who can live together in a successful union--a feat half of heterosexual couples can't accomplish--should get the same benefits. What are you so afraid of?