1 March 2008
Chipping Away at Marriage in California
Posted by Terrie Soberg under: Constitution in Peril .
I received this from Family Leader. We have to keep a close eye on those trying to sweep these things in under the radar.
California residents probably thought they had the job of protecting marriage completed when they passed Prop 22 keeping marriage only between a man and a woman by 61.4% in 2000. But understanding what’s happened since then to chip away at the statute is a lesson in how unscrupulous politics can be in undercutting the will of the people.First, the politicians passed a domestic partnership law conferring the same legal status as marriage on same-sex couples. When the law was challenged in a Sacramento court, the court gave an argument that stretches credulity saying that the statute only protected the word “marriage” not the legal status.
Then in 2004 San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome openly defied Prop. 22 by issuing 4000 illegal marriage licenses to same-sex couples which the media featured in a parade of pictures hoping to drum up support.
Next, several new lawsuits were filed in San Francisco to overturn Proposition 22. The cases were coordinated together into one proceeding, called the Marriage Cases.
Then in 2005 and again in 2007, both houses of the California legislature passed a same-sex marriage law, becoming the first legislature in the country to do so. In both cases Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the laws, waiting for the court to decide on the fate of Prop 22.
The lesson is evident. Just as vigilance is the price of freedom, so is it the price to pay for protecting the traditional family. Like a thief who wants to find his way into your house, same-sex marriage proponents try every window and door to find a crack to subvert traditional marriage and force their view upon us. This is only a sample of what is happening across the nation as the drive to destroy marriage continues unabated. We hope that you are up for the fight.
Thus, the stakes are high about the future as the California Supreme Court will hear three hours of oral arguments on March 4 about the constitutionality of keeping marriage only between a man and a woman. Defending marriage are briefs from many churches including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the California Catholic Conference, the National Association of Evangelicals and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. Family Leader has also stepped up to the plate with a brief prepared by Bill Duncan and Monte Stewart of the Marriage Law Foundation. Click here to read our brief.
Regardless of the outcome, it is clear that marriage in California cannot be protected only with a statute and that a state marriage protection amendment is needed Family Leader California has joined many other pro-family groups under the umbrella of ProtectMarriage.com in a petition drive to gather over one million signatures by the end of April to get a constitutional amendment on California’s November ballot so the people can vote.
4 Comments so far...
Jan W. Says:
1 March 2008 at 4:43 pm.
I think the day is coming when the courts will disenfranchise churches if they don’t change their position on the gay issue. The balance of power is so messed up by the judicial system. What the people vote for doesn’t matter if the opposition just gets a court injunction and then a judge decides to throw out the voice of the people.
Matt Says:
1 March 2008 at 10:04 pm.
There is a saying that as California goes, so goes the rest of the country later.
Cavetrollhead Says:
2 March 2008 at 12:45 pm.
This is what is going to happen;
California will get a marriage amendment
It will then have to go to the supreme court and it will.
The current court will uphold the amendment but when McCain, or Obama, or Hillary put in liberal justices, it will be struck down.
Then the legislature will have to try to pass a marriage amendment. They will need two thirds I believe.
Getting back to a point that Chuck made a while back, we need to elect conservatives to congress- on this issue a conservative congress is as important as a conservative presidency.
Nalvy Says:
2 March 2008 at 10:01 pm.
This whole thing makes me sick…really it does.
How can people just throw such a beautiful thing as marriage away? Sadly I used to live in California and I never knew how messed up it is until I moved out…it is like living there means you have a blindfold on.
Hopefully things begin to look up.
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