Response to Focus on the Family Ads

St. Petersburg Times Letters to the Editor

1) Ad tried to hide mean-spirited agenda
Re: Focus on the Family Action ad, May 31.

After reading this ad asking citizens to call and encourage Sen. Bill Nelson to support the Marriage Protection Amendment, I feel compelled to share two thoughts with the Focus on the Family people.

First, as a compassionate member of society and an educator, my concern is only that every child have a loving, involved parent or two, regardless of gender.

Second, as a straight woman raised as a Christian, I do not feel at all threatened by gays, lesbians, their children or gay marriage. I do, however, feel threatened by small-minded, intolerant people who try to disguise their mean-spirited, true agenda behind a supposed concern for marriage and children.

Instead of focusing on other people's families, you might want to focus on putting a little more compassion and love in yours.

Karen Booher, St. Petersburg

2) There are better ways to serve children

Re: Focus on the Family paid political ad.

I wonder how much money this fear-mongering group has spent on media advertising in its effort to prevent people who love each other from sharing a life together in a legally recognized union. Heaven forbid that a loving, secure same-sex couple would care enough to invest their time and energy to provide a nurturing household to a child.

If the Focus on the Family's real concern was for the well-being of children, it could have donated the money spent on this advertising campaign to some children's advocacy or child abuse prevention groups. What a shame.

Adrienne Ruga, St. Petersburg