I believe marriage is and should be between a man and a woman. To suggest otherwise is an affront to many who consider marriage to be a sacrament.
	Redefining marriage is not the way to solve the problems that have arisen with contemporary lifestyles.
	Nonetheless, I recognize that the Ozzy and Harriett model of the American family is no longer the norm. In an age when over 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, the term "nuclear family" has taken an entirely new meaning.
	As a case in point, consider the case of my clients, both "born again" Christians. He and his wife both consider marriage to be between a man and a wife, in the Biblical sense. However, she once had a relationship with a woman that resulted in two donor children (an embryo from each, fertilized by the same male donor). My clients are raising those children and share custody with the former partner and her new partner, who has her own three children by a previous heterosexual marriage! All five children call each other "sister" (regardless of the biological relationship, or lack thereof) and all of the parents (my clients, the ex-partner, the new partner and the ex-husband) all work together to do what is best for the children . However, if any of them were to be hospitalized or worse still, die, the consequences could be tragic. For instance, my client has no legal standing whatsoever regarding one of his children. Adoption is impossible as one of his step-children is the biological child of his wife's ex. and adoption would disenfranchise her. So, if the child were hospitalized, he might be barred at the door. If his wife died, he could lose the children to his father/mother-in-law, as could the ex. This is wrong.
	In recognition that, loving relationships come in many forms, I support the creation of a (voluntary) database by the Motor Vehicle Administration (just as we keep a database of organ donors) of "in case of emergency contacts" for use by police, fire and rescue departments and hospitals, so caregivers are never denied access to loved ones in an emergency, regardless of the relationship.
	I will also support legislation to do what is best for the children and modernize family law to recognize contemporary co-parenting relationships.
	Copyright © 2006 John R. Austin