I received an email from a reader with this letter. The writer of the letter, Ali, is ten years old. I had to strip out some of the pictures, but the main one which is referenced first is intact. Enjoy!
Dear Reader,
I am writing this after witnessing several videos in which hundreds of people protest for what they believe in. Just think about it! There were 18,000 gay-married couples in California who got off easy. But there are more people in this world than that! My family is my 14 year old brother, my mom, and her wife, Tanya. Tanya is part of our family now, and she is loved. I oppose Amendment 2 with all my heart. The HEART is the thing now. We love, and that keeps our world spinning. Never mind who we are, what race we are, what gender we are: Love is an equal right. Love makes a family.
What do you see in the above picture? An insult to marriage? An intrusion to marriage? A threat to marriage? Or do you see what I see? I see all that belongs to a family. I see 2 women who marry and live, even when laws and people and cars drive by and flip them off for standing in the rain protesting the hate that is heaped upon them. But love shall win. Love shall always conquer hate. So we shall stay out here in the rain, wondering: why? Not wondering why we fight, or why the rain comes down, not why the heck we chose this path. But wondering why these people choose to flip us off when they could stop and think: That little girl can’t be much older than my daughter/son. And that woman is drenched but she’s got a purpose and shows no sign of stopping now. Or even: They are all soaked. What drives them on? The answer being, of course: Love. L-O-V-E LOVE!
All you need is love. - John Lennon
What do you see here? 2 confused women? Hundreds of confused people? Guess what I see? Love. Not only do I see love, but I see people ready to defend the rights of that love. What I see are people, ready for whatever might come. For instance, I’m going to post this on my profile and kids in my class might laugh at me. I DON’T CARE!!!!!!! THEY CAN SNICKER ALL THEY WANT, BUT NOT BY A LONG SHOT WILL I LOSE GROUND!!!!!! IF IT BECOMES COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT MY MOTHER HAS MARRIED A WOMAN, NOT ONLY DO I AVOW IT, I EMBRACE AND TAKE PRIDE IN IT!!!!!!!
What truly saddens me is not only how many people support Proposition 8 and/or Amendment 2, but the fact that they exist. What person is so vain, stupid, or scared that they have nothing to do but sit around and criticize other people’s marriages? What person decided to crash the wedding, the domestic partnership certificate? Who decided love wasn’t enough to make a family?
Guess what? Love does make a family!
Thank you,
Ali T. -10 years old.
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25 comments:
What a smart young lady.
It's too bad a ten year old is more intelligent than most of the adults that she is supposed to be learning from...Her parents have done an awesome job raising such an open minded loving kid... :-))
Alright, I have a feeling that her mothers helped her with the letter. Still she brought up good points as well has the guts to weather it out.
i couldn't have said it more clearly myself...what an awesome kid!
I think we are all barking up the wrong tree. The Libertarian in me asks the question, "Why is the government in the business of issuing marriage certificates in the first place?" It's none of the government's business. They should *all* be civil unions, every one of them, including existing hetero marriages. If you want to call it a marriage, go talk to your pastor. It's none of the state's business, and they should get out of the marriage business completely.
I think they probably helped her too. I do not know a 10 yr old with grammar that good. But that's what parents should do :)
I think 3:54 makes a good point and I agree that all unions should be equal, whether or not they are called marriage. However, if some unions will be called marriages, all unions should be called marriages equally. His solution of no marriages is also acceptable to me. The bottom line for me is equality.
To the anonymous posters worried about whether she had help at 10. My 7 year old nephew writes that clearly about his beliefs and things he's passionate about. But then, his Kindergarten teacher wished there were advanced placement Kindergarten options. He left Kindergarten reading at a 4th grade level, spelling at a 5th, and is causing trouble in his advanced classes now because he's bored.
hi fellow lovers!!!!!
YOU GO GIRL!!!!
I was one of the first to marry in SF back in 04' and one of the first to loose that right!!!!! A few months after Mayor Newsom allowed us to marry it was revoked!!! How hateful to allow two people in love, of age to marry then rip it away....what hurts the most is that now the government has found away to separate what once was an unbroken circle of friends and family fighting for equal rights, and how they have done this is by allowing some to stay married and some not to!!!! Now is the time for us to come together harder and stronger, now is the time to push back because it is going to happen!!!!!!! Too many states are allowing us and what should have been ours from the very start to marry or at least have civil unions....we must fight this unjustified act from humans who have very little regards to the welfare of peoples rights on this earth!!! Who are they to make those choices for us...as long as we are not hurting anyone we should be able to marry who ever we want and nobody has the right to say NO to another human, they are not my creator or my ruler...I obey the law but when the law starts to tell me I am not allowed to have a paper saying that I am married to a woman I love, will love forever, to me they are breaking the law!!!
OH by the way for you thinkers of the child having help, that is just ignorance, have you not sat down and talked to a child about this issue??? what do children of non gay relationships think and feel...maybe that's what people need to do is go back to talking and acting and thinking like children do!!! this world would be a better place MINE are!!! my boys do not judge based on sex, or any other stereo type!!!
And for the record they read and write much better than most grown ups do!!
Children no NO hate they learn it from their parents and only parents, because we are the ones to set the standards for them to follow and if you say they learn it from others then you are wrong because my children listen to me and learn from me I am the parent not the world, I say the last words!!!
I teach my children LOVE and because of that they will not fight in a war and will not discriminate or bash or kill or rape or lie and steal they are good boys who love life and their TWO MOMS...you need to stop the hate now for our children if you don't they will grow up to do the same thing the haters do
She wrote it. She is 10. Gifted. And knows what a thesaurus and spell check are. All I did was open a word document and go fold laundry!
Dear Ali,
You are a true champ, a defender of justice, and a lover of freedom and equality. Thank you for sharing your family's story. I know it will inspire some, make others question, and motivate even more to get involved, stand up, and speak out. I'm a 38-year-old straight woman in a 10-year relationship with a man I love dearly but will not even consider marrying until every last American that wants to marry can. The two of us, and my 62-year-old mother, go out to every march, rally, and protest to stand up for equality, for love, for dignity, and what is simply right. We will continue to support our fellow citizens in this fight until it is finally won. We will keep you and your family in mind next time we are out in the rain in the name of love. Thank you! Chris
Good Lord, anyone who has ever spent four minutes with the child knows she wrote it entirely herself, and entirely without prompting. I have to pull out a dictionary at least once or twice every time I talk with her, and I have advanced degrees! But the more important issue is that even a TEN year old knows what LOVE is. We have so much to learn from our children, if we would only close our mouths long enough to open our ears and hearts. Delightful, thoughtful, and provocative, Ali. You go girl!
P.S. No, I'm not Tanya, Ali's mom (different Tanya). But I sure do have a lot of respect for both moms.
I know Ali, she wrote this hands down, I've read other things she's written. This is a child who not only has advanced educational skills but impressive critical thinking.
One thing this proves is that in "Queer" homes all over the US our children are learning to deal with issues and still see love for what it REALLY means.
Nae....
I just want to tell the haters of the world to absolutely SHOVE IT. A ten year old girl is not only more astute than they are but she has been shown and can show humility.
I think it requires some luck to have 2 mothers...haha..and I can see that in the little child's upbringing :)
Awesome letter! I love it!
Wow, this kid sounds like my girls. They are just as vocal and articulate about their moms. Yes, to all of those skeptics, a 10 year old can write like that if they are taught how early.
What a beautiful family and a smart kid. This one's being raised well. Kudos, moms :)
who says a 10 year old child couldnt write that by themselves?
i know a little girl named mysteria she is 10 years old she speaks like that in daily conversation, and guess what, her mother is a lesbian and her daddy is a woman, and yes her and her 2 younger sisters call her daddy, i agree the govt should not be allowed to be involved in marriage period marriage is between 2 people and god what does it haveto do with the govt at all? nothing thats what. hopefully more parents bring their children up top be more educated, loving, and open minded like this little girl and mysteria, the world would be such a better place, we are fighting the good fight right now but if we all teach our children to be more like this then maybe they can win this war at least before their lifetime is over if not before ours.
I'm not surprised this came for a 10 year old because most children are often smarter than they are given credit for.
My hat is off to you, Ali! I hope you always continue to speak out for what you believe in and speak out when you witness an injustice. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -MLK Jr. I think you embody Dr. King's message of equality. Don't stop talking, writing or protesting. We, as Americans, and I, as a gay man, need you.
Thank you for writing your letter.
-Reuben
What an amazing, inspiring child. I feel proud that the human race does indeed have such caring, warm, intelligent, thoughtful, humble people. I was honestly beginning to worry--since when does the government reserve the right to pass judgment on one of the most beautiful miracles in the world, love? There are institutions throughout history that have caused pain, suffering, etc. Even the "institution of marriage" causes pain and suffering--when a family divorces. But who the heck has the right to disallow two human beings to stand up for their love and pledge to honor and care for each other? Who has the right to claim that it is disrespectful to the institution of marriage, or even harmful in any way? If two people choose to pledge their love, then they should be allowed to. Loving is not a crime, but hating is, and being judgmental is ridiculous. These two women should be proud of the job they have done as parents. I only hope that one day when I am grown and have children I have such an amazing child. Never lose that amazing spirit, Ali.
Yeh, like I'm sure a 10 year old could write that.
Thanks for that!
I come from a Conservative Evangelical background, but have become increasingly Progressive because of my belief that God is Love.
I support the homosexual community's right to gay marriage, but until I read this letter I was unsure whether homosexuals could be good parents, since I thought it was necessary to have both male and female parents...
This has made me see that Love really is the important thing...that children feel loved is more important than whether one has parents of particular genders.
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