In yesterday's column, "Changes Abound in Madison," Joelle Parks incorrectly describes one of the major issues at hand in this election. By referring to SJR 53, she claims it is a vote on the definition of marriage in Wisconsin. While true, she neglects to mention half of the issue: whether to ban civil unions for couples in the state of Wisconsin. This is not a trivial difference. Polls show that a majority of citizens in Wisconsin support civil unions and by calling it an amendment on marriage, Miss Parks misses a critical part of the proposed constitutional ban. By also preventing civil unions, this amendment is too extreme and far-reaching. Civil unions are a necessary legal agreement that couples can use to help protect their loved ones. However, she is correct on one matter. Students can play a major role in this election and certainly need to go out and vote come November 7th. Students do care about this ban on civil unions and marriage and should stand up in the civil rights struggle of our generation.

Matt Weil, Sophomore, History and Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Major, [email protected]