Posted on 06/03/2006 8:14:25 AM PDT by nwrep
President Bush on Saturday backed a resolution to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman even though the idea has little chance of being passed in the Senate.
"Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and a wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society," Bush said in his Saturday radio address. "Marriage cannot be cut off from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening this good influence on society."
Democrats say Senate floor time is being wasted on the issue, and accuse Republicans of making a pre-midterm election appeal to social conservatives whose votes were key to Bush's re-election.
This November, initiatives banning same-sex marriages are expected to be on the ballot in Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
"Sadly, President Bush is playing election-year politics with this divisive issue," the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said Friday. "He is shamelessly using this ploy to energize his right-wing base. We should never rewrite the Constitution to enshrine intolerance."
The White House said Bush did not devote his radio address to the issue or decide to host a presidential event Monday to again endorse the amendment because it is politically expedient, but because there's a vote on it scheduled next week in the Senate.
"On Monday, I will meet with a coalition of community leaders, constitutional scholars, family and civic organizations and religious leaders," Bush said in urging Congress to pass the amendment and send it to the states for ratification. "They're Republicans, Democrats and independents who've come together to support this amendment."
The amendment would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages. To become law, the proposal would need two-thirds support in the Senate and House, and then would have to be ratified by at least 38 state legislatures.
Bush said the amendment would fully protect marriage from being redefined, while leaving state legislatures free to make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than marriage.
It stands little chance of passing the 100-member Senate, where proponents are struggling to get even 50 votes. Several Republicans oppose the measure, and so far only one Democrat — Sen. Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska — has said he will vote for it.
Acknowledging that emotions often run hot in this debate, Bush urged calm.
"As this debate goes forward, we must remember that every American deserves to be treated with tolerance, respect and dignity," he said. "All of us have a duty to conduct this discussion with civility and decency toward one another, and all people deserve to have their voices heard."
David Buckel, Marriage Project director of Lambda Legal, a national organization working to protect the rights of lesbians, gay men and others, said the amendment would be damaging to the lives of same-sex couples and families, which raise millions of children.
"It would brand lesbian and gay men as legally inferior individuals," he said. "It would write into the supreme law of the land that this group of people are inferior and when it's the law, it's a message to everyone else in society that they have license to discriminate."
In his radio address, Bush struck back at judges who have overturned state laws similar in intent to the proposed legislation.
"Unfortunately, activist judges and some local officials have made an aggressive attempt to redefine marriage in recent years," the president said.
Bush said there is broad consensus in America to protect the institution of marriage.
Voters in 19 states have approved amendments to their state constitutions that protect the traditional definition of marriage, he said. Moreover, he said, 45 of the 50 states have either a state constitutional amendment or statute defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
They know they're in trouble so they bring out the marriage card to feed angry conservatives.
You nailed it.
We'll see who the real fools are in the coming congressional elections.
We wouldn't have to re-write the Constitution if activist judges didn't keep trying to change society with pronouncements that have the force of law without being approved by any majority of voters.
President Bush will hold a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House to reiterate his support of the FMA Federal Marriage Amendment. The Rose Garden press conference is scheduled for Monday, June 5, a day before the Senate is expected to vote on the Constitutional Amendment.
The Senate votes on the Federal Marriage Amendment is only days away, there is no longer enough time to mail your Senators. However, You can contact your senators by e-mail by clicking here: E-Mail Your U.S. Senators.
You may use this sample text in your message:
Dear Senator [name]:
I strongly support Senate Joint Resolution 1 , the Marriage Protection Amendment, which will be brought up for consideration soon. It would amend the U.S. Constitution to state that “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.”
Marriage is more than a lifestyle choice. It makes a unique contribution to the common good of society by providing a way for a man and a woman to bring children into the world and to care for them in the context of a loving, committed, lifetime relationship. I ask you to vote in favor of S.J. Res. 1, in order to permanently protect the institution of marriage.
Sincerely,
[Your name] [Your address]
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Action Ping List.
You can go directly here to email your Senators and/or Representatives:
Time for all Catholics to take action! Use the wording above or compose your own message!
This shows how that at least half of the Senators in Washington are completely oblivious to the will of the people they supposedly represent. Every state which has put a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman on the ballot has had it passed by a lopsided margin. Here in GA it was 76%-24%, and even in very liberal OR it passed with 63%. Polls show that the voters of every state polled would approve such an amendment. Yet half of the Senate is in the pocket of the sodomite lobby and recites the same old lies as to why they refuse to vote the way their state's people want.
If the constituents of those Senators who are kowtowing to the sodomite lobby's money bags would just for once forget party loyalty for one election and throw the bums out at the next opportunity, maybe the next crop would pay a teensy weensy bit of attention to what the voters of their state want them to do.
IF you are a true conservative republican, your slap in the face is worse than if from a lib...He has been for this all along. You act as tho' he just woke up this morning and decided, "Oh, this will make me look good."
He is doing this out of long held conviction - not to impress YOU or anyone else...
From the down right self-righteous, judgmental posts I"ve seen in the past few weeks here by people who purport to be conservative pubs screaming that Bush is wrong wrong wrong - and now, it's "yeah, well, he's only doing right to look good'???
PUKE on all such
Guess what?
There are more issues in the world than immigration -
You want a president like Ji8mmy Carter who- during the long months of the Iran hostage situation, sat contemplating his navel in the rose garden because he couldn't think of two things at once...
oh forget it = talking to some people is like spitting in the wind. (following remarks are for others - you don't need to read)
as Thoreau said: "There are some who would find fault with the morning red - if they ever got up early enough"
(I said you didn't need to read it -go back to bed)
zzzz
see this other FR thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1642950/posts?page=2
Good grief, folks. NO JOKE and ,p.it's happening here also - wake up. This gay agenda is now being pushed into our schools across the country - they used to be 'under the radar' with books not listed as in the curriculum. Now they're openly pushing it for required curriculum , starting in kindergarten. you stop it NOW - or never, Take the example that passed the state legislature in California - that Gov. Schwarzenegger vows to veto http://www.claremont.org/localliberty/archives/004993.html wake up, Sheeple - this agenda has been pushed, hardcore, for 30 years - books for little kids in school have long ago eliminated any references or pictures of a husband/wife., father/mother relationship, While the Two Mommies and Two Daddies books are being taught. GOOD LORD, when are the sheeple going to wake up. Decent people can't conceive that such evil could actually permeate our schools - time to take of the blinders
This is obviously not going to pass the Senate. I think it may end up backfiring regardless.
You can find links to all mentioned right here on FR.
Many links here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/search?m=any;o=score;s=Pedophilia%20Party%20Launched%20in%20the%20Netherlands
My credibility is bolstered -- "for the sake of the children"!
You wish.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.