CNN.com - Your e-mails: Same-sex marriage debate

AMENDMENT TEXT

"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS

(CNN) -- The U.S. Senate opened the debate this week on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

President Bush also has taken a stand in the controversy, saying Monday that such an amendment is necessary because "activist judges" have struck down state bans on same-sex marriages passed by overwhelming margins.

CNN.com asked its readers how such an amendment would affect them. Here is a sampling of responses, some of which have been edited:

I support the amendment. Marriage exists to support the family -- the basic unit of society. Children need both their mother and their father. This world is full of exceptions due to death and divorce, but we need to do all we can to support the rule, not the exception. If same-sex marriage is legalized, it will also turn the public schools (and sex ed) into the ultimate culture war. Those who feel homosexuality to be morally wrong will be legally required to support it. The amendment affects me because I consider myself, a woman, to have essential female qualities that contribute to the health and happiness of my husband and children. I am not interchangeable with a gay man.
Joni Stimpson, Columbia, Maryland

It wouldn't change anything for me. I already know that our good ol' USA thinks that they can tell everyone in every crack and crevice in the world how to live. I imagine the next move will be to bring out the big ships and move our children who are different to some remote island so these perfect leaders in our country can mold their perfect little worlds. Now I believe it's time to propose an amendment defining discrimination between one human being and another. How would that affect me? It would make me very happy to see these people reap what they dish out on our children. It's time to open our eyes and see what gays and lesbians contribute to our country. I am sick of this Dark Ages mind-set. What ever happened to the separation of church and state?
Linda Truesdale, Camden, South Carolina

This wouldn't affect my marriage at all, and I can't see how people think it would. Why are we making gay people second-class citizens? They are Americans and have the same rights and responsibilities as every other American. A constitutional ban amounts to discrimination, and the only argument for it is biblical, which shouldn't be involved with laws anyway.
Lee Brown, Warsaw, Indiana

It would affect me in that I could not marry my partner of 12 years. It means that we have to spend our money on powers of attorney, advanced medical directives, wills and other legal documents in an attempt to achieve the same rights that married people automatically enjoy. Sadly, in our home state of Virginia, voters this fall will likely vote for a law that would invalidate those very same documents. Why should we continue to pay taxes and be part of a community that goes against our free will? What good is freedom if we're not free to marry whom we wish? We used to think, "This is our country, too," and "We're proud to be Americans." Not anymore. We have begun talking about emigrating to Canada.
Jonathan, Richmond, Virginia

As a gay woman, that amendment would affect both my life and the life of my partner. We recently became engaged with the hopes that one day we can stand before our family and friends and make lifelong vows to one another. I think writing discrimination into our Constitution goes against everything this country stands for. It has nothing to do with morality, but rather everything to do with bigotry. President Bush and his supporters think that by letting gay men and women get married that somehow we will ruin everything that marriage stands for. He is dead wrong. We are normal people, and all we want is a way to stand up and say, "You're no longer better than us; we are just as equal." And I think starting the process with being able to marry the person we love, legally, is a step in the right direction.
Jess Eckler, New Port Richey, Florida

If homosexuals were allowed to legally marry this would affect me and the way I raise my children. I raise them to believe that right is right and wrong is wrong, and homosexuality is wrong. And yes, our laws are based on the Bible (study your American history). I am also raising my children in preparation for their own marriages, and you can't do that correctly if there are no standards. My son is being raised to be a good husband to his wife, and vice-versa for my daughters. Legalizing homosexual marriage would do nothing more than confuse the youth of today, who already have way too few positive role models.
Tammy, McKinney, Texas