California Strikes Major Blow to Gay Marriage

CBN NEWS ^ | August 13, 2004 | John Jessup

[John Lenin]

WASHINGTON - California's Supreme Court has given supporters of traditional marriage a huge victory. The court struck down San Francisco's same-sex marriage licenses.

It was an unanimous ruling. California's highest court agreed San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom overstepped his authority when he directed state employees to issue same-sex marriage licenses earlier this year.

In its 5-2 vote, the court struck down the 4,000 marriage licenses from the month-long marital frenzy that started back in February.

"I think what we did was right and appropriate and history will judge that," Mr. Newsom said.

Though the decision is the biggest recent setback for gay marriage, the court has yet to settle whether gay marriage is legal in California under the state constitution.

And that has wider implications for the rest of the country. And that could revive the debate over amending the state and federal laws to limit marriage to one man and one woman.

Voters overwhelmingly support traditional marriage. That was most recently evidenced last week in Missouri, where 71 percent voted in favor of traditional marriage, the first state referendum cast since gay marriages became legal in Massachusetts.

Eight other states have already put marriage amendments on the November ballot. Three more are working to put the initiative on the ballot. And, four states -- Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska, and Nevada -- already have laws on the books, from constitutional amendments in years past.

Same-sex marriage could be a factor in the presidential race as well. President Bush backed the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, but it failed in the Senate last month.

Democratic nominee Sen. John Kerry says he opposes same-sex marriage, but he disagrees with a constitutional ban. Instead, he proposes enforcing the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that says a state does not have to recognize another same-sex marriages from any other state.

But that statement could expose a vulnerability with Kerry's position. In a 1996 commentary to the gay newsmagazine The Advocate, the Massachusetts senator compared the defense of marriage act to a marital caste system, going on to say: DOMA does violence to the spirit and letter of the Constitution by allowing states to divide.

Supporters of same-sex marriage vow to keep on fighting, looking for sympathetic court rulings that may give them a victory in the same-sex marriage debate.

[EagleUSA]

What we are looking at in this travesty created by a rogue, activist, leftist (aren't they all?) city official is as dangerous as terrorism, in my opinion. First, this so-called public official BROKE THE LAW, and in the face of the will of the people, as voted in Prop. 22, told the public to pound sand with his illegal and deliberate "approval" of marriage licensing of gays. The Penal Code of California deems it a felony to issue instruments of license against the law and codes of the state. Yet this radical activist, law breaker will not be punished.

Aside from this anarchy in public government at the individual level, is the massive danger reflected in the 5 to 2 decision of the California Supreme Court. This vote states that we have judges THAT BELIEVE THAT ACTIVISTS CAN REWRITE AND BREAK THE LAW, AT WILL. We saw this judicial anarchy in Florida during the Gore ruse. Judges, sitting on the bench, thinking they can legislate from that bench at will, to suit some activist, personal agenda, in the very face of the law and the people.

TAKE NOTE! This is a growing trend amongst the leftist/Marxist activists in this country that either are part of, or are pandered to, by judges who do NOT UPHOLD THE LAW in favor of unlawful political agendas.

This is serious. So I ask the question...WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE IN THIS COUNTRY OVER THIS ANARCHY WITHIN OUR JUDICIARY????