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Editor — February 5, 2012  Sunday, February 5, 2012   To the
editor:  Karen Testerman's argument against gay marriage (Sunday
Citizen, Jan. 29) is based on the idea that the sole purpose of
marriage is to produce children. It's a shoddy argument and one
not borne out historically. If the only reason for marriage were
to produce children, then would we allow an 80-year-old man and
an 80-year-old woman who meet in a retirement village to marry
and move in together? Would we call that marriage "not genuine"?
Yet we do allow such marriages, and usually with joy for such
couples — we have always allowed adults of any age to marry,
regardless of their ability or desire to have children.  The
marriage license application in New Hampshire asks each partner
simple questions, such as name, address, age, whether or not
previously married, names of parents. It also asks some
questions that have to do