To the editor:

Recently I read an editorial in the Journal-Express by Sam Osborne from West Branch. He argued that homosexual marriage was guaranteed by Article 1, Section 6 of the Iowa constitution "All laws of a general nature shall have a uniform operation; the general assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which upon the same terms shall not equally apply to all citizens." He gave as an example that it would be unlawful to sell fishing, and motor vehicle-operator licenses to men, but not women. My first was thought was that the law of Iowa, which stipulates that marriage can only be between one man and one woman does have a uniform operation. Every man or woman in the state of Iowa has the right to marry someone of the opposite gender.

However two years ago the Democratically controlled legislature paid back the homosexual lobby, which funded their return to the majority, by forcing public and parochial schools to amend their policies against harassment to include sexual orientation and transsexuals. Even a school whose policy excluded harassment for any reason, would not be in compliance with the new law, the homosexual wording had to be in the policy. That law was followed by the Democrats including the same homosexual wording into the Iowa Civil Rights Code. By our reelection of the Democrats in November, we've given our approval of adding new genders (homosexual and transsexual) into every level of government policy. I believe this will soon lead to the Iowa Supreme Court overturning the Iowa marriage law, and thousands of years of Western civilization limiting marriage to one man and one woman. The next step will be to make it a hate crime to preach that homosexuality is a sin, as they have in Canada.

Why should we care? Because our Founders gave us a Republic which guaranteed our liberty, but they warned us. Washington, in his farewell address, included: "Of all the dispositions and habits which leads to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."

Ben Franklin said, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters"

John Adams: "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Samuel Adams: "Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people who are universally corrupt."

I was very surprised that American Christians have ignored the frontal assault on morality in our recent elections, and the apparent apathy when

Mr. Osborne asserted the right to a new gender in the Journal-Express. Are we asleep, or just ready for the chains of our new masters?

Bob Jahner

Knoxville