Editor, The Herald:

The Rev. Fillmer Hevener (“Same-Sex Marriage Moving Society Toward Further Chaos,” Wednesday, June 3) quotes a bunch of right-wing loonies to support his contention that same-sex marriage is leading society toward chaos. Quite the opposite is true.

I think the reverend would agree that families help hold society together. Same-sex couples are more secure, family-wise, than when they do not have the same rights as other married folks. Children of same-sex couples, however they are conceived, are better off than children of single parents. Older same-sex couples who are beyond the childbearing/rearing stage have as much right as heterosexuals to the civil benefits of marriage and are more secure when they have them.

None of this leads to chaos. What leads to chaos is when bigoted people start howling at the moon and others follow suit.

Stephen Goldberger

Farmville