Letter: Vote ‘No’ to protect our free and open society

To the editor,

The Oct. 11 issue of the Hastings Star Gazette had an editorial-like “Pastor’s Corner” article in the Faith section of the newspaper. Randy Berg’s opinions on the proposed marriage amendment ignore the fundamental affect of the marriage amendment on Minnesotans, if it passes.

If you vote “Yes,” you are voting to deny the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment right to freedom of religion. A “Yes” vote effectively enshrines one religious view on all the rest of us. Freedom of religion is the very reason so many Puritans, Christians, Jews, Amish, Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists and others moved to this country in the first place.  Now we should “adjust” this freedom?

I am a proud Vietnam veteran who did not serve to see this country fall prey to any religion’s clerics. We have enough of that going on in the rest of the world. This is America!

I will proudly vote “No” so my children and grandchildren live in the same free and open society I thought I was protecting. 

Jack Bogrand

Hastings

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