New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms

PO Box 107, Spencerport, NY 14559-0107 585.225.2340 (Office) 585.225.2810 (Fax)

info@AlbanyUpdate.com www.AlbanyUpdate.com

October 24, 2011 The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 Dear Governor Cuomo: It is with deep respect for the office you hold that I write these words. I have not always agreed with your position on certain issues of public policy, but I strive to treat the office you hold with honor. That is why I am hopeful you will realize the gravity of the words I share and act accordingly. Recent media reports indicate that at an October 18 panel hosted by the New York Times you were asked what arguments from authentic marriage advocates you found persuasive. I understand none of the arguments presented by traditional marriage advocates were able to sway your opinion regarding same-sex marriage, but I am just as troubled by the rest of your response. At the same event, you were quoted as saying: There is no answer from the opposition. There really isnt. Ultimately, its, I want to discriminate. And thats anti-New York. Its anti-American.i It is one thing to disagree on an issue of public policy, but it is quite another to question the patriotism of 150 million (or more) Americans. A May 2011 Gallup poll indicated that America is virtually split on the issue of same-sex marriage.ii Even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently acknowledged that his support of gay marriage would have cost him dearly in a national election.iii Potential candidates for any national contest must recognize that marriage matters to tens of millions of Americans. To say that those who disagree with your position are anti-American is more than just political rhetoric, it is a statement that drives us further apart, when the challenges our state faces should be drawing us closer together. It is not a bigoted statement to say that children need a mother and a father. I contend that many of the issues our state is struggling with can be traced back to absentee fathers, a general lack of parental involvement and the breakdown of the family: low graduation rates, out-of-wedlock births, runaway welfare and Medicaid costs, even the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. My support for authentic marriage is not just a statement of moral order and Divine purpose, but also one that recognizes that strong families have always been at the core of what makes this country great. Strong families mean a strong and stable state.

I am hopeful that when you realize the damage incurred from policies that tear at the fabric of the traditional family you will repent of your support for these policies. In the late 1970s, it was Governor Hugh Carey who signed Medicaid funding of abortion into law in New York State, but it was also Carey who later was remorseful over that decision and turned to support the sanctity of human life.iv It is my prayer that one day you too will come to realize that while supporting gay marriage may have been politically expedient at the time, it was ultimately harmful to the Empire State and her citizenry. In time I hope you will turn to recognize the sacredness of marriage. Governor, you were elected to represent all New Yorkers, but your recent comments attack half of the state you lead and the nation you call home. Retract your comments and apologize to millions of New Yorkers and other proud Americans you have offended. Sincerely,

Rev. Jason J. McGuire Executive Director

i

Paul Schindler. Cuomo: Marriage Opponents Had No Argument. Chelsea Now, October 18, 2011. http://www.chelseanow.com/articles/2011/10/18/gay_city_news/news/doc4e9ded0395873371364842.txt
ii

Frank Newport. For the First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage. May 20, 2011. Gallup, accessed October 24, 2011. http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/First-Time-Majority-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage.aspx
iii

Why Mike Wont Run. New York Post, October 21, 2011. Accessed October 24, 2011. http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/why_mike_won_run_qM3E0hM6gB6fhUeGBz2nUI

iv

A New American Compact: Caring about Women, Caring for the Unborn. Catholic Online, June 17, 2008. http://www.catholic.org/printer_friendly.php?id=28241&section=Cathcom