Former Vice President Walter Mondale
and former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz have
backed a lawyers group opposed to a proposed amendment which would
define marriage as a heterosexual union in the Minnesota
Constitution.
In a letter released Tuesday, Mondale
and Blatz endorsed the efforts of Lawyers
United for All Families.
“Our constitution is a hard-earned
gift from those who preceded us, and an enduring promise to those who
will follow us,” said Mondale. “It should be used to protect
individual liberty, not to take it away.”
Added 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.”
Voters will decide on the issue during
the November general election.
(Related: Catholics
protest church's support for Minnesota's proposed gay marriage ban.)