Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz and former VP Walter Mondale have put their signatures to a letter for Lawyers United for All Families, a group working to fight the anti-gay marriage amendment that will appear before voters in November.
Minnesota stands at a crossroads in its history and our state's constitution has become the battlefield. Our constitution is a hard-earned gift from those who preceded us and an enduring promise to those who will follow us. It should be used to protect individual liberty, not to take it away. Constitutions should be amended only to address problems that find no other solution. Therefore, as concerned citizens and members of the legal community, we need to stand up against the efforts to legislate by constitutional amendment.
The Minnesota Post hears from them:
"Our constitution is a hard-earned gift from those who preceded us, and an enduring promise to those who will follow us," Mondale said in a statement. "It should be used to protect individual liberty, not to take it away."
Said Blatz: "At this crossroads in Minnesota's history we must not allow our state's constitution to get caught up in the prevailing winds of the day. We may disagree on how best to recognize committed same-sex couples, but I believe quite firmly that legislating this issue by constitutional amendment is both inappropriate and a threat to the legacy of our state."