A lay Catholic in California put together a graphic showing why debating marriage can be "fraught with peril" -- it also underscores how central to society the meaning and definition of marriage is:
Monthly Archives: August 2012
NYTimes on Senator Chuck Schumer: The Capital Cupid
August 21, 2012 – 12:00 pm
The New York Times proves "nudging" works!
Even by the standards of Capitol Hill, where ambitious and awkward young people are thrust together in cramped workplaces and crowded bars, the nuptial output of Senator Charles E. Schumer’s office stands out.
Schumer staff members, put simply, like to marry each other. There have been 10 weddings so far, and two more scheduled this fall — an average of nearly one “Schumer Marriage” (his term) for each year he has spent in the Senate.
Cupid’s arrow lands where it will, but many of the couples say that Mr. Schumer, a New York Democrat, has an unusual knack for guiding its journey. He keeps close track of office romances, quotes marriage-friendly Scripture (“God to man: be fruitful and multiply”), and is known to cajole, nag, and outright pester his staff (at least those he perceives as receptive to such pestering) toward connubial bliss.
...The encouragement rarely stops at the altar. Mr. Schumer is described by aides as a fabulous wedding guest, quick to request a Jefferson Starship song from the D.J. and eager to dance with the bride. And his focus, like many a politician’s, never strays far from his legacy: first comes Schumer Marriage, then come Schumer Babies.
“Have kids; have a lot of kids,” Mr. Schumer, who has two daughters, is known to intone. “Start early and keep having them.”
Marquardt & Culhane Write in Opposition to California's "Multiple Parents" Bill
August 21, 2012 – 11:00 am
John Culhane, Professor of Law and Director of the Health Law Institute at Widener University School of Law and Elizabeth Marquardt of the Institute for American Values write in the Huffington Post:
When it comes to parenting, three's a crowd. SB 1476, the "Parent-Child Relationships" bill introduced by state senator Mark Leno, which seeks to clarify judges' ability to recognize more than two legal parents for a child, is well-intended but flawed. It has passed the senate and could reach the assembly floor this month. California legislators should not support this bill.
... And why stop at three? Senator Leno's bill places no limit on the number of possible parents. If three's a crowd, four or more is a mob.
...Prominent LGBT rights organizations have come out in support of this bill, but the issues it addresses are not limited to same-sex couples. For example, In Re M.C. would not have been different if already-pregnant Melissa had married a man. The ambiguity about who is the legal parent, the biological father or (in that case) the husband, would remain. And in either case, the court should make that decision.
Courts are dealing with complex and often tragic situations. The search for responsible adults can tempt judges into "discovering" additional parents. But the law should continue to use, and refine, more precise instruments to assist children without warping the sound "rule of two."
Politico: Gay Marriage Endorsement Caused "Disharmony" in White House
August 21, 2012 – 10:00 am
Politico has published a behind-the-scenes report about, among other things, what happened in the White House during the roll-out of Obama's same-sex marriage switch:
Biden’s misstep, also in May, in announcing his approval of gay marriage — which forced Obama to do the same before he intended — caused greater disharmony in the White House than was reported at the time.
Biden blamed Campaign Manager Jim Messina for “throwing him under the bus” with the media during the gay-marriage flap — a charge that turned out to be untrue. In an emotional one-on-one meeting with Obama, Biden apologized profusely and said he’d been betrayed by Obama’s aides.
The president tried to calm him down, saying, “Look, Joe, there are people who want to divide us. You and I have to be on the same page from now on. You and I have to make sure that we don’t get divided.”
Plouffe and other West Wingers were even angrier that Biden had screwed up his boss’s carefully laid plans to announce his position before next month’s Charlotte convention — even as Biden previously had counseled against weighing in on the issue for fear of alienating battleground-state independents.
FRC Shooter May Have Targeted At Least One Other Pro-Family Organization
August 21, 2012 – 9:00 am
The head of a second Christian conservative organization said Friday she was told by authorities that a note containing her group's contact information was found in the pocket of a man charged with opening fire at the Washington offices of another such group, wounding a security guard.
Traditional Values Coalition President Andrea Lafferty said FBI agents visited her group's Capitol Hill offices hours after the Wednesday morning shooting as part of their investigation. The next day, she said, members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force came by and confirmed that "our information was in his pocket," including the location of the group's offices.
"I was stunned," Lafferty told The Associated Press, adding that she believes her group may have been targeted.
... Like the FRC, the Traditional Values Coalition has supported the president of Chick-Fil-A and his staunch opposition to same-sex marriage.
Tony Perkins, who heads the Family Research Council, hinted Thursday at a news conference that the FRC was not the only group targeted, although he did not elaborate.
"Maybe, going forward, you may find out more information that we may not have been the only one," he said.
The National Organization for Marriage Announces Success of Starbucks Protest
August 20, 2012 – 3:45 pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 20, 2012
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)
"Starbucks supported same-sex marriage, saw their support from Republicans dwindle, missed sales projections, and watched the company lose $4.4 billion overnight and over $10 billion from their 2012 high." —Brian Brown, NOM president—
Washington, D.C.—Today, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) announced that their protest of Starbucks is achieving results. "Starbucks supported same-sex marriage, saw their support from Republicans dwindle, missed sales projections, and watched the company lose $4.4 billion overnight and over $10 billion from their 2012 high," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "While executives of publicly traded companies have had a wonderful time claiming that not supporting same-sex marriage hurts their employee recruitment and retention efforts, we now have a case study in how alienating millions of customers can directly affect the bottom line of a public company and damage shareholder value."
On Wednesday, March, 21, 2012, Starbucks Chairman and CEO told shareholder Thomas Strobhar, in response to Strobhar's question of whether or not the corporate decision to endorse a controversial social matter was prudent, that Starbucks was going to measure this situation by whether it was in any way dilutive to shareholder value, and that to date it had not damaged their business and that the decision was in the best interest of the entire company. Over $10 billion dollars in shareholder value later it is no wonder that Starbucks turned down same-sex marriage advocates who initially sponsored a Starbucks Appreciation Day and responds to customer inquiries about their corporate position on same-sex marriage with a statement that Starbucks has never donated any actual money to same-sex marriage advocates in Washington State where they endorsed same-sex marriage.
"True success in this protest effort will not be achieved until Starbucks steps back from the debate over the meaning of marriage. The fact is that Starbucks has alienated millions of customers worldwide, has seen their sales fall behind even their own conservative estimates, and has watched their stock value drop as investors and shareholders have gotten cold feet. This should give pause to any publicly traded company that is looking to advocate against the traditional definition of marriage," continued Brown. "Stock prices and sales are subject to a myriad of factors, but business leaders and voters would do well to consider the experience of Starbucks, and the millions of people who voted in support of traditional marriage at Chick-Fil-A on August 1st with their pocketbooks, when they are being told by gay marriage proponents that support of same-sex marriage will be good for their bottom line and the business community in general."
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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Jen Campbell (x145), [email protected], at 703-683-5004.
Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).
To learn more about DumpStarbucks, visit www.dumpstarbucks.com.
Video: Would Passing a Marriage Amendment End the Conversation About Marriage?
August 20, 2012 – 12:00 pm
Kalley Yanta for Minnesota Marriage Minute answers the question "Would passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment end the ongoing conversation that our state is engaged in concerning the appropriate definition of marriage in Minnesota?"
She responds:
"Actually, the opposite is true. There's no doubt that the issue about whether we should redefine marriage is one of the most hotly debated across the nation. [...] Here in Minnesota, enacting the Marriage Protection Amendment would not end the conversation about marriage, it is actually the only way to guarantee that voters will always be a part of the conversation. Without the amendment, special interest advocates could take their cause to activist politicians and judges who would then decide the definition of marriage for us, without letting us have a say. Voters will be excluded from the decision. That's what happened across the border in Iowa. "
Naomi Riley Writes on the Academy Saying "Shut Up"
August 20, 2012 – 11:00 am
Naomi Shaefer Riley in the New York Post on the state of the academy when it comes to unpopular speech:
"...Mark Regnerus, a professor at the University of Texas, Austin, recently challenged this idea with an article in Social Science Research, in which he suggested that children of gay parents tend to have lower levels of economic success and more problems with mental health.
Some scholars have reasonably disagreed with Regnerus’ methodology, but interest groups and the guardians of sociology’s orthodoxy have demanded his head. As a result, UT has launched an investigation into accusations of scientific misconduct.
Though the article was peer-reviewed and published by a respected academic journal, one columnist wrote that Regnerus’ study was “designed so as to be guaranteed to make gay people look bad, through means plainly fraudulent and defamatory."
Reasonable people may disagree about Regnerus’ conclusions, Wood’s views of climate science or my opinions on black studies, but on these topics, there is no room for discussion in the Ivory Tower.
And the enforcers of this orthodoxy are shameless. A study out next month in Perspectives on Psychological Science finds: “In decisions ranging from paper reviews to hiring, many social and personality psychologists admit that they would discriminate against openly conservative colleagues. The more liberal respondents are, the more willing they are to discriminate.”
At least they’re honest."
Black Churches Holding Pro-Marriage Vigils in Maryland
August 20, 2012 – 10:00 am
A group of several black congregations will be holding a vigil against same-sex marriage in Maryland, a state that will be holding a referendum on the issue in November.
Organized by the National Black Church Initiative, the vigil will take place in Baltimore on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The Rev. Anthony Evans, president of NBCI, told The Christian Post that this vigil was the first of many to be held throughout the state leading up to the November election.
"We are going to hold a series of vigils all across Maryland up until the election. We are determined to gather an army of Christians who believe that biblical marriage is between one man and one woman," said Evans.
"And we are going to defeat same-sex marriage and we are going to continue to defeat that around the country."
Evans explained that NBCI had the support of over a hundred churches in Maryland as well as "the commitment of over 8,000 volunteers."
Husband, Wife Team Up to Fight Gay Marriage in Maine
August 20, 2012 – 9:00 am
Matt Hutson, who was campaign manager for state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin's U.S. Senate run, has been hired as campaign director by Protect Marriage Maine. His wife, Megan, will serve as grassroots coordinator, the campaign announced Wednesday.
"Matt and Megan are a great addition to our team," said Bob Emrich, chairman of Protect Marriage Maine. "They share our belief that traditional marriage clearly benefits society, and are strongly committed to protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman."
Matt Hutson has also worked as state director for Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and was the central region director for Rick Santorum for president.
"Megan and I believe strongly in the sanctity of marriage and are thrilled to work with Protect Marriage Maine," Matt Hutson said in a prepared statement. "If the initiative on the November ballot passes, marriage will be redefined for everyone and will be the only legal definition of marriage for anyone in Maine."
RedState: "SPLC has Pursued a Political Agenda in Recent Years to Defame Conservative Organizations"
August 20, 2012 – 8:00 am
Daniel Horowitz for Red State:
"...[Last week's] shooting at the Family Research Council brings to mind something that has bothered me about self-described civil rights organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center. For years, the SPLC has ingratiated themselves to the public by evincing an image of a politically neutral organization that serves as the one-stop resource for information on bigoted and violent organizations. But instead of focusing exclusively on true “hate organizations” like white supremacists and Islamic jihadists, the SPLC has pursued a political agenda in recent years to defame conservative organizations by lumping them in with neo-Nazis and skinheads.
... In 2010, SPLC labeled the Family Research Council as a hate group and listed them together with no-name neo-Nazi groups on their site. They did the same for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that simply advocates lower levels of immigration out of fiscal and national security concerns. When did we get to a point where groups that have a different political agenda from the SPLC are branded as hate groups?"
The Blaze and Christian Post Report on NOM's Chick-fil-A Wednesdays!
August 19, 2012 – 10:00 am
A national organization advocating for defining marriage being between one man and one woman has announced that they intend to hold a weekly "Chick-fil-A Wednesday."
In response to the success of the Aug. 1 observance, the National Organization for Marriage began having weekly "Chick-fil-A Wednesdays" beginning Aug. 15.
Jonathan Baker, spokesman for NOM, told The Christian Post that having weekly observances of "Chick-fil-A Wednesday" is meant to "help people to realize they are not alone in their support for marriage."
If you thought the massive support that Chick-fil-A received in the wake of the controversy surrounding its president, Dan Cathy, and his public comments against gay marriage was a passing ship, you’re wrong.
Just weeks ago, following public outcry and claims of “hate,“ Mike Huckabee organized ”Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” bringing scores of individuals out of their homes and into the restaurant to support its ideals. Now, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), an organization that supports traditional marriage, is coming out with a weekly way to support the food chain — “Chick-fil-A Wednesdays.”
Don't forget to send Chick-fil-A and Dan Cathy a quick note of thanks for taking a firm stand on marriage! http://www.thankchickfila.com/
Canadian Sperm Donor Father Denied Access to Son Being Raised by Lesbians
August 18, 2012 – 11:00 am
Canada, which has redefined marriage and therefore parenthood, is facing growing cases like this one:
A judge in this small northern Ontario town has ruled that allowing a biological father access to his 22-month-old son, who is being raised by his biological mother and her lesbian partner, is not in the best interests of the child because of “the risk of there being an adverse affect to the child.”
Citing arguments that introducing the child to his father would cause the boy confusion and insecurity, Justice Norman Karam of the Ontario Superior Court in Cochrane said, “Despite the child’s young age, it is impossible to know what disclosure of [the father’s] status as his parent might mean. All circumstances considered, the risk of there being an adverse affect to the child is too great to ignore.”
Justice Karam said he considered allowing access, but imposing limitations on what the child was told about his father, but decided that, “attempting to enforce such limitations would be virtually impossible.”
... Rene deBlois, the biological father of the boy, had requested interim access to his son in January, 2011 pending the outcome of the trial scheduled for October 22, 2012. That trial will look into the paternity rights muddle created when deBlois and the boy’s lesbian mother, Nicole Lavigne, entered into a home-made written agreement that deBlois, who had known Lavigne since childhood, would provide sperm so she could artificially inseminate herself, with the understanding that he agreed to relinquish his paternity rights.
According to a National Post report, part of deBlois and Lavigne’s agreement was that Lavigne would provide deBlois with a child of his own using his sperm following the birth of the first child. deBlois alleges that Lavigne reneged on her offer to carry a second child for him because it was not part of the written “Donor Agreement” that he signed.
In his application to the court for paternity rights, filed three months after his son Tyler’s birth in October, 2010, deBlois stated that he had been coerced into signing the Donor Agreement by Lavigne, who he described as a “bully” who forced him to sign “under duress.” -- LifeSiteNews
Study: Loving Dads Play Significant Role in Early Child Development
August 18, 2012 – 9:00 am
Fathers who lovingly bond with their babies in the first months of their lives have a good influence on their later behaviour, a study has shown.
Researchers watched dads interacting with their infants at three months and then assessed the same babies’ behaviour at twelve months.
They found that babies whose dads were more engaged at three months had fewer problems when assessed at twelve months.
But babies with remote or distant dads were more likely to have behavioural problems when they reached the age of one.
The report referred to research showing that the “roots of enduring behavioural problems often lie in early life, and the trajectories of behavioural problems often extend back into the preschool years”.
Dr Paul Ramchandani, who led the research, said: “We found children whose fathers were more engaged had better outcomes.”
Video: Minnesotans Voting Yes on the Marriage Protection Amendment, #7
August 17, 2012 – 5:00 pm
Let's wind down this busy news week with some testimonials from more pro-marriage activists in Minnesota explaining why they are voting yes in November!
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