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February 5, 2004 - Volume 2, Issue 5 |
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February 5, 2004 - Volume 2, Issue 5 |
Massachusetts
Court Says "No" to Civil Unions and "Yes"
to Gay Marriage
In a landmark decision earlier this week, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that only full-fledged marriage rights for homosexuals would be allowed in that state. The Court’s opinion made clear that so-called "civil unions" were discriminatory against homosexuals and that only actual marriage rights were acceptable for gay couples.
State legislatures nationwide (most recently in Ohio) have acted to pass "defense of marriage" (DOMA) laws making clear that homosexual marriages will not be recognized. Ohio joins thirty-seven (37) other states, including Michigan, with similar laws on the books.
During the State of the Union address, President Bush said, "if judges
insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative
left to the people would be the constitutional process." However, the
President has not yet said if he would support a constitutional amendment
to protect marriage in the wake of the Massachusetts ruling. (
Several organizations have up to date information and suggested ways for you to become involved in helping protect marriage. Click on the links below for more information.
www.protectmarriage.orgTo read an article by Stanley Kurtz about the consequences of gay marriage in Scandinavian countries,
click here.
President’s
Healthy Marriage Initiative Needs Your Support
President Bush has made strong marriages and families a key part of his welfare reform policies. With the aid of key advisers such as Dr. Wade Horn, the President believes that an important step in moving people from welfare to work it to promote healthy marriages and strong families.
The President’s policies have been under attack by some members of Congress. Michigan Family Forum is encouraging interested individuals to contact your member of Congress and Senators Levin and Stabenow to ask for their support of the President’s Healthy Marriage and Family Initiatives.
Click here for contact information.
"People’s
Override" Off to a Stunning Start
In the three weeks since the January 15 kick-off of the "People’s Override" initiative, Right to Life of Michigan has processed 100,000 signatures of those who want to outlaw partial birth abortion in Michigan.
Signatures have been collected from each and every county in the state. Despite freezing rain and extensive snowfall in January, volunteer pro-life people have braved inclement weather to collect a record amount of signatures in a short amount of time.
It’s not too late to get involved. Right to Life hopes to gather at least 325,000 signatures in the days ahead.
Click here to find out how you can help gather signatures. Click here to view a recent news story on the initiative.CBS Pushes Decency Limits During Superbowl Broadcast
Families who gathered to view last week’s Superbowl game were exposed to more than they bargained for. Singer Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed during a particularly lewd portion of the halftime show sparking a firestorm of complaints to the FCC.
Individuals who are tired of the continual onslaught of vulgarity during "family time" on TV are encouraged to contact the FCC asking for swift action against CBS for allowing the broadcast.
Click here and scroll to the bottom of the article for contact information.Abstinence Bills Introduced
Senators Wayne Kuipers and Bill Hardiman have introduced two bills in the Michigan Senate to promote abstinence until marriage, encourage greater parental involvement in sex education, and establish clear guidelines for schools that promote sex education programs.
Click on the bill number to view the details of each bill.
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© 2003 Michigan Family Forum
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Phone: (517) 374-1171, Fax: (517) 374-6112
Executive Director: Brad Snavely
Editor: Jon Stanton
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