• The hope in approving Referendum 74 is that it will improve the lives of same-sex couples and their adopted children. However, approving R74 will not help.

Government can change every law, but government can’t change that a marriage between a man and a woman, who desire to have children, has the natural potential of being the best relationship any of us can be a part of.

I have a friend who was attracted to men. He lived in a gay relationship for many years. His family prayed for him, and after years of living with a gay partner he decided to change his life. He is now married to a wonderful women and has a child of his own.

When I was in elementary school, they did not teach what a family was. However, when I went to church, they taught me that raising a family is the best and brightest purpose of this life and the next.

We should all be grateful for committed gay and lesbian parents who are working hard to teach and love their children. However, I do not believe that redefining marriage will improve their efforts. Government may be able to redefine its laws, but government has no power to bring the natural benefits of marriage to a same-sex couple.

I think we should all love each other by encouraging one another to live the ideals we truly believe.

Michael Reynolds, Redmond

• Your Oct. 19 story about same-sex marriage says that after their gay wedding in Canada, Donald Schmidt and Donald Osmer had to fill out extra paperwork at the border when returning to the United States. That is a federal matter, which approving Referendum 74 would not change.

As for state law, Washington’s “everything but marriage” domestic partnerships not only afford same-sex couples official state recognition of their relationships, but also provide the same legal rights as married couples have. The law redefining marriage provides same-sex couples no additional rights or benefits because they already have full legal equality. Rather, if R-74 were to be approved, marriage would be redefined for all Washingtonians. Common sense terms like “husband” and “wife” would no longer be used. Same-sex couples have the right to live as they please, but not to redefine marriage for all of society.

Chip White, Mill Creek

Communications Director for Preserve Marriage Washington