The other GOP race to watch is the primary between incumbent State Senator Mark Grisanti and Kenmore attorneyKevin Stocker. Grisanti has been campaigning hard in the last couple months, and he can afford to do so: He has plenty of campaign money to spend, as well as an allowance of public money for printing and mailing leaflets to his constituents that all incumbent legislators enjoy. (Recently, for example, Grisanti sent out a flyer, produced and posted with Senate funds, touting his support for Roswell Park Cancer Institute. It looked and read like a piece of campaign literature, though such publicly funded mailings are meant to be informational rather than promotional.)
He has been blanketing the media with press releases about the bills he’s sponsoring, co-sponsoring, and voting for; he has already aired a TV commercial. All this activity suggests that the primary between Stocker and Grisanti—who changed party affiliation from Democrat to Republican to run in 2010, and who angered many of the GOP’s conservative faithful by voting in favor of same-sex marriage—may be closer than one might expect.
Monthly Archives: June 2012
Grisanti Could Face Close Primary Because of SSM Vote
Consequences of SSM: Catholic Hospital Sued For Same-Sex Benefits
Redefining marriage won't affect religious liberty? Tell that to this Catholic hospital in New York:
A lawsuit that could impact religious liberty in at least six states — and which also has implications for the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) — was filed in a federal district court in New York Tuesday.
St. Joseph’s Medical Center — a Catholic hospital in Westchester — and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, the private company that insures it, are the targets of a class-action lawsuit waged by an employee who was denied spousal benefits for her partner. The two women — named as Jane Doe and Jane Roe in the lawsuit — were legally married after the New York Legislature created same-sex marriage last year.
“I remember almost a year ago when this bill was signed into law, we were told that it would have no impact on religious freedoms,” said the Rev. Jason McGuire, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms. “Less than a year later it’s very clear that gay marriage is indeed having an impact on religious freedom here in the Empire State.”
St. Joseph’s Medical Center insurance plan is self-financed, which means it falls under federal law — -i.e., DOMA — rather than the laws of New York State.
“Our clients have a right to enjoy the full benefits of marriage afforded to other married couples in New York,” said the women’s lawyer, Jeffrey Norton, “and we are determined to achieve that right for them.”
Norton told CitizenLink any business headquartered in New York — or any of the other five states which currently allow same-sex marriage — must be governed by the laws of that state. -- CitizenLink
Southern Baptists Nearly Unanimous: Gay Rights Not Civil Rights
A day after electing their first African-American president in a historic move that strives to erase its legacy of racism, Southern Baptists passed a resolution opposing the idea that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue.
Thousands of delegates at the denomination's annual meeting in New Orleans on Wednesday were nearly unanimous in their support for the resolution that affirms their belief that marriage is "the exclusive union of one man and one woman" and that "all sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful."
The nation's largest Protestant denomination is attempting to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional white Southern base. At the same time, leaders said they feel it is important to take a public stand on their opposition to same-sex marriage.
The resolution acknowledges that gays and lesbians sometimes experience "unique struggles" but declares that they lack the "distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections."
"It is regrettable that homosexual rights activists and those who are promoting the recognition of `same-sex marriage' have misappropriated the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement," the resolution states.
Another resolution passed on Wednesday is intended to protect religious liberty. It includes a call for the U.S. Justice Department to cease efforts to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act and for the Obama administration to ensure that military personnel and chaplains can freely express their religious convictions about homosexuality.
Donor-Conceived Children Criticized For Wanting to Know Their Fathers
Alana, the child of a sperm donor, says that adult children who speak out about their losses in never knowing their biological origins face fierce criticism:
For children of anonymous sperm donors yearning for a connection to their biological father, the world can be an unwelcome place.
Instead of meeting compassion, many say that society treats their pain with a dismissive or even hostile attitude - a rift caused by lack of awareness as much as by the brute force of a $3.3 billion industry.
Alana, the child of a sperm donor and the activist behind AnonymousUs.org, says she realized the hard way what she was up against when she began her awareness campaign.
“I thought it would be so easy to arrive, state the obvious that children need their fathers, and everyone would be like, oh my God, thank you for reminding us!” she said in the documentary “Anonymous Father’s Day.” “But there is a huge monster of money and people desperate for children, who don’t want me to make it harder for them to buy and sell children.”
... Another hurdle, according to Alana - a women’s studies major who says she was inappropriately ridiculed as a Christian extremist because of her advocacy - is the gay and lesbian community, who see sperm donation as “the cleanest method for them to have children.” Another major demographic, she said, was “older couples with money.”
“The fact that they’re willing to spend $100,000 for a kid is—money talks, and I can’t compete with that,” she said.
Lahl said she was hopeful that the LGBT community would be won over to oppose sperm donation once they heard the stories of children conceived in this way. “If we can educate gay men on the harms of fertility drugs, on the harms of these procedures to the women that they need, and the reality of the children’s needs and children’s right to know, then I’m hopeful that we’ll win them over,” she said. --LifeSiteNews
President of Southern Baptist Convention: "I Disagree With Pres. Obama on Same-Sex Marriage"
Reverend Fred Luter, Jr., the first African American president of Southern Baptist Convention, talks about the momentous election and gives his opinion on gay rights, same sex marriage on Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien.
When asked if his agenda will include inclusiveness of gay Americans, Rev. Luter says, “No, I’m a man of the book. I believe in the word of God. I believe in the bible. God has specifically spoken about marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. That’s biblical. No president whether it’s a president in the White House, no governor, no mayor, no one can change that. God has already established marriage between a one man and one woman. So I would stand for that because that’s what the word of God says and that’s what I believe in.”
When CNN Anchor Soledad O’Brien asks if this view puts him in opposition to President Obama, Luter answers, “On this particular subject, yes. I support my president. He is my president. I pray for him and Michelle and his daughters on a daily basis. But on this issue, the President and I have two different opinions, for sure.”
Update -- here is video:
Southern Baptists to Vote on Resolution Opposing "Gay Rights are Civil Rights", Demanding DOMA be Defended
A day after electing their first African-American president, Southern Baptists were considering a resolution Wednesday opposing the idea that gay rights are the same as civil rights.
The resolution up for a vote at the denomination's annual meeting in New Orleans affirms Southern Baptists' beliefs that marriage is "the exclusive union of one man and one woman" and that "all sexual behavior outside of marriage is sinful."
It acknowledges that gays and lesbians sometimes experience "unique struggles" but declares that they lack the "distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protections."
"It is regrettable that homosexual rights activists and those who are promoting the recognition of 'same-sex marriage' have misappropriated the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement," the resolution states.
Another resolution to be considered Wednesday is intended to protect religious liberty. It includes a call for the U.S. Justice Department to cease efforts to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act and for the Obama administration to ensure that military personnel and chaplains can freely express their religious convictions about homosexuality.
Ryan Anderson on Reasoning for Marriage
Ryan Anderson at Heritage's Foundry blog writes an extensive examination of the bad reasons being used to redefine marriage:
The majority of Americans think it best to keep civil marriage as the union of a man and a woman. But a handful of judges have overruled the reasonable judgments and will of the people and their elected representatives, claiming that animus and anti-gay bigotry underlie such conclusions.
For example, Judge Joseph Tauro, a federal district court judge in Boston, when he ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, explained that “Congress undertook this classification for the one purpose that lies entirely outside of legislative bounds, to disadvantage a group of which it disapproves. And such a classification the Constitution clearly will not permit.”
In striking down traditional marriage laws, courts frequently appeal to the authority of social science. Consider the opinion of Judge Vaughn Walker. In the case that overturned California’s state marriage amendment Proposition 8, he included as a “finding of fact” that “children raised by gay or lesbian parents are as likely as children raised by heterosexual parents to be healthy, successful and well-adjusted. The research supporting this conclusion is accepted beyond serious debate in the field of developmental psychology.”
Only it isn’t accepted. Or, at least, it shouldn’t be. The jury is still out. That’s the message of two new peer-reviewed articles out last week in the academic journal Social Science Research. While much attention has focused on Mark Regnerus’s New Family Structures Study (NFSS), it is important not to overlook the work of Loren Marks. Marks reviewed all 59 studies that the American Psychological Association relied on when it issued a brief in 2005 embracing the conclusion that there are “no differences” in outcomes for children from same-sex parenting and traditional moms and dads.
Fortnight for Freedom Starts TOMORROW!
Dear Marriage Supporter,
If you've read the papers lately—or especially if you're a regular reader of my weekly e-newsletter—you know the alarming and increasing pressures on people of faith. Believers forced to abandon their religious convictions when they enter the public square. Religious agencies forced to shut their doors or violate key tenets of their faith.
Whether it's Catholic Charities being forced out of the adoption business, a Christian photographer fined for declining to film a same-sex wedding ceremony, or the HHS contraceptive mandate, the challenges for religious individuals and institutions are increasing to levels not seen in decades. I hope you'll take a moment to watch this new video from our friends at CatholicVote.com, powerfully explaining what is at stake in this fight.
And that's why NOM is pleased to join the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in observing a "Fortnight for Freedom," a period of prayer and public education beginning tomorrow as the Catholic Church celebrates the courage and conviction of St. Thomas More, and concluding on America's Independence Day, July 4th.
We are tremendously grateful for the leadership of Bishop Lori of Baltimore and of all the U.S. Catholic Bishops, setting aside these next two weeks to celebrate our heritage of religious liberty and educate the American people about the growing threats to our first freedom.
But religious liberty isn't just a Catholic issue—Americans from all faith traditions are joining together in this celebration of religious liberty! The Catholic Church is our nation's largest religious body, and by far the largest non-governmental provider of social services. The stakes are enormous...and all people of faith need to stand together to defend our freedom to participate in the public square as believing citizens.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
Here are just a few of the ways that individuals, churches and clergy across the country are coming together to celebrate and protect our religious freedoms over the next 14 days:
- Special religious services
- Focused prayer
- Sermons on religious heritage and faithfulness in the face of political persecution
- Bulletin inserts on religious liberty
- Ringing of church bells across the nation at noon on July 4th!
I urge you to join us in celebrating the Fortnight for Freedom! Please talk to your pastor to discuss how your diocese or church can participate. And if your church isn't hosting a special event, you can go to www.Fortnight4Freedom.org to participate with other churches in your area.
Star Tribune on Middle Class Moms Staying Single By Choice
Fewer middle-class women follow what one study calls the "success sequence" of education, work, marriage and childbearing. They may get married, but only later, and not have children. Increasingly, they are having children, but postponing the wedding.
The recession's financial stresses did nothing to slow the trend. If anything, the retreat from marriage is spreading from the least affluent Americans "into the solid middle of the middle class," according to the 2010 study, "When Marriage Disappears," by the National Marriage Project, at the University of Virginia.
Becca Bijoch, 25, feels no societal pressure to marry. "I think it's definitely different than it's ever been before, probably even in the past 10 years," said Bijoch, who works for a public relations firm in Minneapolis.
"Not feeling that pressure gives me the opportunity to focus on my career and have more great life experiences I might not be able to have if I was in a serious relationship."
...In Minnesota, almost one in three new mothers is unmarried, says the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), up from about one in four 10 years ago. Fewer than one in five are teenagers, continuing the decline in teen births. More than 42 percent are at least 25 years old.
What's going on with marriage here reflects national trends, which show an even stronger shift, with four in 10 births to unmarried women, more than double the rate in 1970, according to the NCHS. Of these births, 60 percent are to women in their 20s.
Roll Call: GOP Rips IRS Over Abuses
As evidence mounts that the IRS is more closely scrutinizing politically active nonprofit groups, Republicans on Capitol Hill have lashed out with assaults on the tax agency and fresh demands for an explanation.
The IRS may have stepped over the line this year by asking conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status to hand over the names of their donors, wrote Sen. Orrin Hatch(Utah) and 10 other Republican Senators in a letter this week to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman.
“Unfortunately, the public release of private donor information exposes citizens to possible harassment and intimidation by those who oppose the goals of the charitable organization,” wrote Hatch, ranking member of the Finance Committee. It’s the second letter from Hatch to Shulman on the topic this year.
The letter is the latest in a string of attacks by conservatives on and off Capitol Hill, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), on initiatives that would shed more light on political spending. In a strongly worded speech last week at the American Enterprise Institute, McConnell accused President Barack Obama of creating an “enemies list” and “attempting to change the First Amendment.”
... McConnell cast the IRS as the “speech police” for sending lengthy questionnaires to “dozens of tea-party-affiliated groups” seeking tax exemptions. He also accused the agency of leaking confidential tax information, citing reports last month that a leadership PAC run by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had donated $10,000 to the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage.
Video: What Conflicts Does Redefining Marriage Cause?
Kalley Yanta explains what experts on what both sides of the marriage debate say will happen if marriage is redefined.
"... the volume of new litigation will be immense."
"religious organizations, individuals that object to same-sex marriage will face a wave of new lawsuits under state anti-discrimination and other laws."
AP: Lawmaker Doubts Australia Will Allow Gay Marriage
The chairman of an Australian parliamentary committee that examined gay law reform said Monday that he believes lawmakers will maintain a ban on same-sex marriage when the contentious issue is voted on later this year.
...Committee chairman Graham Perrett, who has two gay brothers and supports gay marriage, said he does not believe a majority of lawmakers share his views.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, an opponent of gay marriage, will allow members of her center-left Labor Party to make personal choices on how they vote on the legislation. But opposition leader Tony Abbott, a staunch Roman Catholic, will insist that members of his conservative Liberal Party reject gay marriage.
Perrett, a Labor lawmaker, said he believes lawmakers would reject gay marriage even if Abbott allowed members of his party a free vote.
"My reading of it is that would not be the case" that gay marriage would be allowed, Perrett told reporters.
Reminder: Majority of Minnesota Companies Staying Neutral on Marriage
CEOs that come out in favor of redefining marriage are sure to receive a great deal of media attention, but what often goes unnoticed is how the majority of corporations --including large corporations-- are focusing on their business, and are not interested in taking sides on a hot button social issue. The Pioneer Press quotes some of them:
Ameriprise Financial: "We have not taken a public position on this matter, as it is a state issue that does not directly pertain to our business."
CHS: "CHS does not take positions on issues that do not directly affect its business operations. As always, we encourage our employees to exercise their rights as citizens to vote on public offices and issues on the ballot in their home communities."
3M: Has taken no stand on the marriage amendment. "We focus on business issues," said 3M spokeswoman Jacqueline Berry.
U.S. Bancorp: "This issue does not relate to our core business of banking. We as an organization are neutral and do not weigh in on social policy issues. Our employees, of course, are entitled to take their own actions and have their own views, and we support those rights."
Xcel Energy: "We typically do not take positions on ballot questions that do not concern energy policy and we have no plans to fund either side of this initiative. Our benefits package was expanded in 1995 to cover domestic partners and it will not be affected by the outcome of this election."
Other Minnesota companies, such as United HealthGroup, Hormel Foods, Land O'Lakes, Mosaic, Nash Finch, C.H. Robinson, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, simply refused comment.
UK Daily Mail: New Study Shows Relationship with Both Parents is Crucial
A father's love is as important to a child’s emotional development as a mother’s, a large-scale study has confirmed.
Examining the cases of more than 10,000 sons and daughters revealed how a cold or distant father can damage a child’s life, sometimes for decades to come.
The review of 36 studies from around the world concluded that his love is at least as important to youngsters as that of their mothers.
Researcher Professor Ronald Rohner said that fatherly love is key to development and hopes his findings will motivate more men to become involved in caring for their offspring.
‘In the US, Great Britain and Europe, we have assumed for the past 300 years that all children need for normal healthy development is a loving relationship with their mother,’ he said.
‘And that dads are there as support for the mother and to support the family financially but are not required for the healthy development of the children.
‘But that belief is fundamentally wrong. We have to start getting away from that idea and realise the dad’s influence is as great, and sometimes greater, than the mother’s.’
GOP Senate Leader McConnell Mentions NOM's IRS Leak in Speech on First Amendment Threats
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke Friday at the American Enterprise Institute on the growing threats to the First Amendment rights of Americans. As part of that speech he mentioned the IRS leak of NOM's private tax information for political purposes:
"The head of one national advocacy group has released documents which show that his group's confidential IRS information found its way into the hands of a staunch critic on the Left who also happens to be a co-chairman of President Obama's re-election committee. The only way this information could have been made public is if someone leaked it from inside the IRS."
For more on NOM's IRS leak, see our previous coverage here.
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