August 30, 2010 – 3:33 pm
All the media attention is focused on the 9th Circuit but the 10th Circuit now has two similar gay marriage cases headed the Supreme Court's way. The LGBT community is worried. Marriage suit vexes gay-rights activists:
CHEYENNE — Many gay-rights activists are fuming over a new federal lawsuit challenging Wyoming’s ban on same-sex marriage, saying it’s legally dubious and could undo years of political efforts on a variety of gay-rights issues.
The lawsuit, filed Aug. 13 by Cheyenne residents David Shupe-Roderick and Ryan W. Dupree, is likely the first court case to contest Wyoming’s definition of marriage as being a contract solely “between a male and a female person.”
But Wyoming’s gay-rights activists and supporters, who were blindsided by news of the lawsuit, say the suit isn’t likely to accomplish anything. And some fear that the case could galvanize the state against gay rights in general. . . .
August 30, 2010 – 12:48 pm
Federal Judge Vaughn Walker is truly a visionary.
Peering at the 14th Amendment, Walker found something there the authors of the amendment never knew they put there, and even the Warren Court never found there: The states of the Union must recognize same-sex marriages as equal to traditional marriage.
With his discovery, Walker declared Proposition 8, by which 5.5 million Californians voted to prohibit state recognition of gay marriage, null and void. What the people of California voted for is irrelevant, said Walker; you cannot vote to take away constitutional rights.
If the Walker decision is upheld by the Ninth Circuit and Supreme Court, homosexual marriage will be imposed on a nation where, in 31 out of 31 state referenda, the people have rejected it as an absurdity.
This is not just judicial activism. This is judicial tyranny. . . .
Read more.
August 30, 2010 – 12:40 pm
A friend was watching the live stream of the Restoring Honor rally, and snapped a pic of me with the "black-robe brigade" of mostly pastors.
I have to tell you, I don't usually anticipate enjoying events like this. I come alive at the thought of 10 profs around a table discussing the latest social science data not mass rallies on the Mall. But I found the event profoundly moving. Beck says that he expected to do a political rally but instead, on his knees, he got a different answer than he was expecting: "faith, hope, charity." He told his staff this was the new direction and they said "what does that mean?" He told them "I don't know," and went back to prayer. "Lord!" he says he said, "I must be one of your dumber children, please speak slowly." The answer he got was "You have the pieces, put them together."
The three great theological virtues: faith, hope and charity. And of these the greatest is Love.
A purely reactionary movement, based on fear alone, rises and withers and dies. A cultural movement that lasts has to be based on a vision of the good, of the things we are for, not the things we are against. "From fear to love," was the message. And he's right.
Incidentally kudos to the NYT for this story. They got it right: "At Lincoln Memorial, a Call to Religious Rebirth”
More blogging later today, but here's the photo:
August 30, 2010 – 8:47 am
The last Rasmussen poll taken Aug 3, had Jerry Brown with a 2 point lead. Judge Walker ruled on Aug. 4. The latest Rasmussen poll in the California governor's race shows Meg Whitman, who has promised to defend Prop 8 in court up 7 points over Jerry Brown, who is refusing to defend Prop 8. Whitman 48, Brown 41 percent. The undecideds are currently breaking for Whitman.
August 30, 2010 – 8:42 am
Charles Krauthammer at National Review connects a lot of dots, excerpt below with a link to the full column:
"Now we know why the country has become “ungovernable,” last year’s excuse for the Democrats’ failure of governance: Who can possibly govern a nation of racist, nativist, homophobic Islamophobes?
Note what connects these issues. In every one, liberals have lost the argument in the court of public opinion. Majorities — often lopsided majorities — oppose President Obama’s social-democratic agenda (e.g., the stimulus, Obamacare), support the Arizona law, oppose gay marriage, and reject a Ground Zero mosque.
What’s a liberal to do? Pull out the bigotry charge, the trump that preempts debate and gives no credit to the seriousness and substance of the contrary argument."
Read more.
August 29, 2010 – 2:29 pm
NOM Chairman Maggie Gallagher issued the following statement this afternoon in regard to Ken Mehlman:
"We respect Ken Mehlman's right to his personal life. Supporting gay marriage, however, is a very different and very public matter. The fight over same-sex marriage really isn't about Mr. Mehlman's personal life. Marriage, as a public legal status, is a man and a woman for a reason: It is the only civil institution that brings together the two halves of humanity to ensure the children they create have the best opportunity to be raised by their own mother and father. We will fight all attempts to redefine marriage to be something that it is not -- a genderless, adult-centered sexual relationship centered on the alleged rights of adults and not the needs of children. The American people -- including over 80% of Republicans and even 40% of Democrats -- oppose same-sex marriage. NOM has already proven in races from New York to California that it is a particularly bad idea for Republicans to support gay marriage. The disconnect in Washington stems from politicans who refuse to pay attention to the values of the people they represent. If Mr. Mehlman wishes to help us elect pro-marriage GOP politicians, we welcome his support. If not, we welcome the victories that will come in the battle that must necessarily ensue."
August 29, 2010 – 2:02 pm
I tweeted 8 photos and comments live for you. Really I did. And then I discovered so many people were tweeting I could not get a message out. I lost all those photos I tweeted--"message discarded". . . . But I have more on my phone and will share some with you, as soon as I master the technology. : )
(I have a photo of Sarah Palin's shoes. To die for! And I shook Chuck Norris' hand!)
I know, I know, more stuff of substance tomorrow.
Up on the stage, I looked out and saw a sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see--a half million or more. A friend came up to me on stage and said (He said, not me): "If we can do this, we can pass a marriage amendment.”
It was the nicest crowd I've ever come across. Every person was from someplace different: Texas, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Philly, North Carolina, Rochester, NY, Kentucky, Florida. . . Gotta get some sleep. And put the anesthetic on the sunburn.
Maggie
August 28, 2010 – 12:10 pm
I just got back from Glenn Beck's Divine Destiny concert/lecture/thingy at the Kennedy Center. Mr. (and Mrs.!) Chuck Norris appeared--and with a becoming humility Chuck Norris mostly recited from four great American speeches--two by George Washington, one by Benjamin Franklin and one I hadn't heard by Sam Adams. Pastor Miles "Do Something!" Macpherson rocked---challenging every Christian to get out of our churches and go find the people looking in the wrong places to ease their suffering--drug abuse, bars, sex addicts, prostitutes, the poor, the lonely, the depressed, the addicted and just say, "How can I help?"
For marriage advocates there was a lot of meat. Rabbi Lapin reminded us we are all created by God, "touched by the finger of God" and therefore he said "The three M’s" Marriage came first. The first few chapters of the Bible, he reminds us are God's meaning of marriage. And it didn't happen because some cavewoman said to some caveman "Hey, I think it would be a really good idea if you never touched another woman in your life."
The distinguished philosopher from Steubenville, Patrick Lee, spoke next. And he reminded us from Ephesians that we are God's handiwork, which implies that we do not create the truth, we discover it only. From that he deduced three great principles, "a duty to gratitude to God, to respect the true nature of marriage, and to respect every human life. These are truths, not choices." Big applause.
Glenn Beck is very engaging in person. Chuck Norris: "Only two things could get me and my wife off our ranch--God and Glenn Beck."
-Maggie
August 27, 2010 – 5:39 pm
An excerpt from NOM Founder Professor Robert George’s recent speech on the importance of keeping social and economic conservatives working together:
The moral foundations of economic conservatism are precisely those of social conservatism: respect for the human person, which grounds our commitment to individual liberty; and the right to economic freedom and other essential civil liberties; belief in personal responsibility, which is a precondition of the possibility of moral desirability; individual liberty in every domain; recognition of subsidiary as the basis for effective but truly limited government; respect for the Rule of Law, even against courts which want to act like legislators instead of judges; and recognition of the vital role played by the family in the flourishing of any decent and dynamic society.
Full speech, plus some commentary, at Red State
