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Roseville Human Rights Commission May 16, 2012 - Minutes Page 5 of 8 Chair Grefenberg asked if any Commissioner had any final thoughts or wished to give their reasons for voting for or against the motion. Commissioner Wayne Groff thanked Brisbois and the committee for their impressive work and report. Chair Grefenberg said he was impressed with the sincerity and the personal experiences of the people who testified which he believed the Commission had heard. He said he supported the motion because the proposed marriage amendment was un- American in that it did not recognize the separation of Church and State, and, as Commissioner Doneen said, it allowed one religious perspective to dominate all others. Grefenberg added that the proposed amendment was unfair in that if passed it would penalize certain families and, as the Commission heard at their public hearing, would cause distress to their children and their parents unnecessarily questioned what good would come from passing such an amendment. To believe that it would protect Marriage by extending the benefits of marriage to more couples was not rational. He called the Commissioners' attention to the comments of many heterosexual couples last week that their marriages would not be threatened in any way. He concluded that he believed the reason for this amendment was basically a fear of the unknown and the perception of its proponents that this was an opportunity for the government to bolster their individual faith that they were not in the minority. Commissioner Marie Siliciano said it was important for the Commission to address this issue. She continued that the right to marry is absolutely a human right and all people should have the right to marry whomever they want. As a youth commissioner, she wanted all youth to feel welcome and safe in Roseville, and passing this resolution would be an important step in achieving that, she concluded. Commissioner David Singleton also thanked the committee. He cited his reasons for supporting the resolution, which paralled those mentioned in the committee's report, including that the constitution is designed to protect the rights of minorities from the arbitrary imposition of unjust barriers, the proposed amendment would have a negative impact on many Roseville residents by denying equal protection under the law, and residents need to feel welcome and safe in the city of Roseville. Commissioner Joan Dao said the Commission must represent a city full of diversity -- including a minority - -to make the City whole. Commissioner Thelma McKenzie said everyone present knew her position on this matter, and asked for the vote to proceed. In response to a question from the Chair as to whether she had any final comments on her motion, Commissioner Brisbois said that her reasons for supporting the motion were contained in the Committee's report, and that she agreed with all the previous comments commissioners had made.