Free Republic

Northern Virginians concerned by efforts to redefine marriage as something other than 'one man, one woman' are encouraged to get involved with a coalition of organizations involved in defense of the proposed Marriage Amendment to the Virginia Constitution. Please visit us at www.nova4marriage.org

Thanks EJ Dionne, for explaining to me that I’ve been used again. The entire week surrounding the vote on the Marriage Amendment, social conservatives were treated to liberal commentary like yours claiming that Republicans were cynically distracting the country from more important issues, like Social Security and repealing the estate tax. According to you and your liberal colleagues, I shouldn’t care about social conservative issues, like gay marriage or abortion. I should really care about George Bush selling me out for issues like “privatizing Social Security and cutting taxes on rich people.” I’m sorry to have to tell you this,...

Sen. Ted Kennedy, the notoriously outspoken solon from the Bay State, is never shy about passing judgment on anyone who deigns to view an issue opposite that of his perspective. He takes delight in impugning the integrity of those across the ideological aisle. (See Bork, Robert: Senate floor speech on Bork nomination to Supreme Court, 1987.) Well, he's done it again, in reference to the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. In an op-ed published in his hometown newspaper, Kennedy referred to the ban as "bigotry, pure and simple." His hyperbole went as far as to claim that an amendment...

State files brief in gay marriage appeal ATLANTA - The ballot measure approved by voters banning same sex marriage in Georgia does not violate the state's constitution, state lawyers argued in a brief filed with the Georgia Supreme Court. In May, Superior Court Judge Constance Russell, of Fulton County, tossed out the constitutional amendment, which 76 percent of voters had approved in 2004. She did not rule on issues related to gay marriage, but held instead that the measure violated the single-subject rule mandated by the state Constitution by asking voters to consider both same-sex marriage and civil unions. The...

I would like to offer a thought: the only reason that we are in this situation with gay marriage is that we have a perverted legal class. Please follow me: it is reasonable for the Court to examine Acts of Congress or of the President to see if these fall within the range of their enumerated powers. It is also reasonable to assume that, legislators being mere mortals after all, that any law may have implied penumbras if said law is to function according to original intent, or even function at all. Further, it is reasonable at assert when laws...

Courts allowing gay marriage may help opponents' cause After being rebuffed in the U.S. Senate, some opponents of gay marriage think losing a court case might help their case to ban same-sex unions across the country. High courts in New Jersey, New York and Washington state are deliberating cases in which gay and lesbian couples argue their state constitutions give them the right to marry. Similar lawsuits are working their way through the court systems in California, Connecticut, Iowa and Maryland. "If any of those courts mandate genderless marriage, you're going to have folks on the other side saying, 'This...

Same-sex marriage ultimate social engineering "DEARLY beloved, we are gathered together in the sight of God and before these witnesses to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony." So begins most "traditional" marriage ceremonies in Western culture for as long as anyone can remember. Now we are told such exclusivity of preserving marriage for men and women "discriminates" against people of the same sex who wish to "marry" each other. Some forms of discrimination are good, because they send a signal and provide an example that certain behavior is to be preferred over other behaviors for the betterment...

By Maurine Jensen ProctorHearing the Senate debate that ended in knocking the Marriage Protection Amendment down this round has been a little like watching a magician who tries to keep your eyes focused on his right hand, while he hides the card in his left. The opponents had a script repeated with few variations, whose lines were designed to skirt the substance of the issue, and chill debate.  Yet, redefining marriage is a serious business, whose implications nobody can entirely predict.  Surely this warrants thoughtful debate.Americans deserve better than the scripted rebuffs they received from those who opposed the...

On Wednesday the Senate fell 18 votes short of the two-thirds majority that would have been required to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The mainstream media joined Sen. Edward Kennedy in calling the entire debate a distraction from the nation's business and a wedge with which to divide Americans. Since the main business of Congress is to devise ever more ingenious ways (earmarked and non-earmarked) to waste taxpayers' money, any distraction from the main business is welcome. As for dividing Americans, who came up with the idea of radically altering the most ancient of all social institutions in...

New York County First to Order Recognition of Gay “Marriages” WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 9, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Westchester County in New York State now recognizes gay marriages, after county executive Andrew Spano issued an order Wednesday, making the county the first in the state to do so. New York City and several other municipalities already extend recognition to homosexual marriages. Homosexual couples will receive the same county privileges as heterosexual couples, including the right to purchase family passes to county parks and the right to emergency family housing, reported the AP yesterday. “I don’t see why people, just because...

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together in the sight of God and before these witnesses to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony." So begins most "traditional" marriage ceremonies in Western culture for as long as anyone can remember. Now we are told such exclusivity of preserving marriage for men and women "discriminates" against people of the same sex who wish to "marry" each other. Some forms of discrimination are good, because they send a signal and provide an example that certain behavior is to be preferred over other behaviors for the betterment of society. That a president...

The Marriage Amendment and Chafee in Rhode Island Yesterday the Senate defeated by a vote of 49-48 a motion for cloture on the Marriage Amendment that would define marriage as only between a man and a woman. That motion for cloture needed 60 votes to pass, following which the Amendment would have gone on to a debate and vote in the Senate again, where it would then need a vote count of 67 in the affirmative to send it on to the states for ratification. All of the Left and the media, and many on the right, decry the vote...

Spencer Supports Constitutional Amendment Against Gay Marriage Where Do You Stand, K. T? YONKERS -- The U.S. Senate is deliberating on a Constitutional Amendment against Gay marriage. John Spencer the Republican and Conservative Party endorsed candidate for Senate facing Senator Clinton made the following statement.  “I support Constitutional protection of marriage as between a man and a woman. It's sad we need to define such elementary facts in our Constitution. But we saw how left wing Activist judges in Massachusetts wrote gay marriage into the fabric of society in that state with one court decision. In a month, after only...

Alabamans to vote on marriage amendment MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP)--Alabama citizens, going to the polls today, may make the state the 20th in the nation to pass a constitutional amendment protecting the natural definition of marriage. The ballot issue, known as Amendment 1, would prevent Alabama state courts from redefining marriage. Since 2003, judges in five states have ruled for "gay marriage," and none of the states had marriage amendments. Alabama's amendment states, in part, that marriage is "inherently a unique relationship between a man and a woman." It also prohibits marriage licenses being given to "parties of the same sex."...

Governor Mitt Romney has sent this letter to every member of the Senate encouraging them to Vote "Yes" on this landmark peice of legislation--the Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA). A few excerpts are below: "Americans are tolerant, generous, and kind people. We all oppose bigotry and disparagement, and we all wish to avoid hurtful disregard of the feelings of others. But the debate over same-sex marriage is not a debate over tolerance. It is a debate about the purpose of the institution of marriage. Attaching the word marriage to the association of same-sex individuals mistakenly presumes that marriage is principally a...

The talk of a Republican apocalypse this fall is likely premature, but very well earned. A White House that can't seem to communicate its way out of a paper bag surely can't lead. A Senate which forgets it was elected to cut spending, reduce waste and change Washington should expect to be sent home. This is just reality. But there's more to this story than meets most eyes. There's also a real chance for redemption. Republicans in 2004 won an historic victory, on the wave of an overwhelming coalition of fiscal, defense and social conservatives representing a large majority of...

The music industry is to extend its copyright war by taking legal action against websites offering unlicensed song scores and lyrics. The Music Publishers' Association (MPA), which represents US sheet music companies, will launch its first campaign against such sites in 2006. MPA president Lauren Keiser said he wanted site owners to be jailed. He said unlicensed guitar tabs and song scores were widely available on the internet but were "completely illegal". Mr Keiser said he did not just want to shut websites and impose fines, saying if authorities can "throw in some jail time I think we'll be a...

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Hundreds of volunteers streamed into the University of North Dakota's hockey arena early today to join the search for Dru Sjodin, a 22-year-old UND senior missing since Saturday night. The volunteers were given identification badges and assigned to teams to search for Sjodin, who police believe may have been abducted. ``I was up all night, because I've just been itching to get out and do this,'' said Jerrod Arneson, one of the volunteers. ``You never think something like this would happen here, and when it does, you want to do something.'' Michelle Vogt said she lived...

LOS ANGELES -- The entertainment industry has announced new offensives in its battle with online piracy. The Motion Picture Association of America has filed lawsuits against nine ventures the association claims sold pirated titles through eBay. The Recording Industry Association of America reports that it has shut down an Internet site offering free copies of CD artwork and liner notes.

LOS ANGELES -- Apollonia Kotero's recent films include "Anarchy TV," which features a group of teens taking over a TV station and broadcasting in the nude. It's just the kind of thing Joseph I. Lieberman has been railing against for years. Yet there was Kotero - aka "Hot Tub Woman" in the film - at a swank Beverly Hills fund-raiser featuring the Connecticut Democrat, and praising him. She acknowledged that his strong blasts at movie industry excesses once worried her. Referring to Lieberman's criticisms of her industry, Kotero said that she "had been concerned all the talk could lead to...