"...I support the current definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, for two main reasons:First, marriage is not just about love and commitment; it is also about the procreation and rearing of children. While love and commitment are certainly present in marriage, they are also present in other relationships, such as friendships. But government does not recognize or regulate friendships, so there must be a characteristic that distinguishes marriage from friendship. This distinguishing characteristic is the inherent capacity of the marital relationship between a man and a woman to generate new human life....

... Second, changing Minnesota's legal definition of marriage would automatically change every law in our state that mentions marriage. We know from other states and countries that have redefined marriage that these changes have devastating consequences for individuals and religious organizations that cannot accept the government's new definition. In Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, Catholic Charities was forced to abandon its adoption and foster care programs. Additionally, Massachusetts schools began teaching children as early as first grade that same-sex unions were equivalent to marriages. Parents were not allowed to opt their kids out of these lessons. Lastly, in Canada, a sports reporter was fired from his job for tweeting his support for traditional marriage on his personal Twitter account.