Posted on 03/13/2004 8:48:01 PM PST by Kentucky
------------------------------------ March 12, 2004 Re: State Constitutional Amendment on Marriage (SB 245)
Dear Friend,
MIXED NEWS - The State Constitutional Amendment to Protect Marriage (SB 245), which passed the full Senate yesterday with a bipartisan 33-4-1 vote, has now reached the House. (That's THE GOOD NEWS.)
There are serious concerns about its well-being there. (That's THE BAD NEWS.) Suffice it to say that not all who have spoken publicly in the news on the issue are being totally honest. Some are saying that they are FOR the amendment, but are actually working extremely hard to make sure it doesn't come to the full House floor for a vote. Democrat legislators who have questioned the leadership of the House Democrats have been cruelly humiliated in closed-door meetings.
My friends, this is a fierce spiritual battle, complete with all kinds of under-currents, many of them very ugly.
(MORE BAD NEWS) The groups AGAINST the bill (gay and lesbian groups) are planning their counter-rally this week -- Tuesday, March 16. And, by the way, a former staffer at the Kentucky Commission on Women is promoting the rally broadly. (Remember last year when we exposed the KCW for being radically pro-choice and the Herald-Leader wouldn't buy it? Well. . . the KCW was radically "other things" as well.)
Why is a state constitutional amendment needed? Please remember that debates on this issue in recent weeks with gay and lesbian leaders have always had them saying "there is no need to pass a state constitutional amendment because there already is a law on the books -- a Defense of Marriage Act." Well . . . Wednesday's Herald-Leader had them quoted as saying they've been planning on challenging the law in the court system (and, of course, an amendment to the state constitution would give no judge any leeway to rule in their favor). All it will take is one newly "married" same-sex couple from San Francisco or Massachusetts to come back to Kentucky and challenge the law through a liberal judge and viola -- the Defense of Marriage Act is gone. The ONLY WAY to protect Kentucky from what has happened in Massachusetts and San Francisco is for our state constitution to have it written in black and white.
Isn't this discrimination? No. Nothing in the amendment discriminates. It just defines marriage for legal purposes -- the way it has always been understood. Here's the language: "Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Kentucky. A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized."
I suggest that you pray and act. Pray as though it all relies on God. Act as though it all relies on you. Besides making your calls to Frankfort, please remember that activating many others is the next best task. EVEN THIS WEEKEND!!!
Reply email us if you can help. . . (we just sent materials out across the state and they should have landed in your county TODAY). Call us if you can help the county coordinator get them out THIS WEEKEND!!! 859-255-5300
The current Action Item note is attached if you need to print and copy it for church or if you need to make the call.
Prepare for next week (to contact friends broadly) because MORE and DIFFERENT Action Items will be coming.
Kent Ostrander The Family Foundation
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