Kansas Becomes "Number 18" in Fight
to Uphold Marriage
 The
state of Kansas became the eighteenth state to protect marriage
in their constitution after voters overwhelmingly cast their votes
in favor of traditional marriage. By a vote of 70-29 percent,
Kansans approved a constitutional amendment that reaffirms the
state’s long-standing policy of recognizing marriage as
only between one man and one woman.
The amendment also declares that only such traditional
unions are entitled to the “rights and incidents”
of marriage, prohibiting the state from authorizing civil unions
or any other benefits package for same-sex couples. "The
marriage amendment is an unfortunate, necessary reaction to activist
courts," said Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline. Alabama,
Minnesota, South Dakota, and Tennessee are among the states voting
on constitutional amendments defining marriage next year. For
more on this story, click
here.
Marriage as an "Institution"
 Washington
Post columnist William Raspberry recently wrote an opinion piece
entitled "Marriage is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts."
His main point is that it is often the components of marriage
as a social institution that sustains relationships and brings
stability to society.
"If this seems a strange subject for an op-ed,
the truth is that almost everything I touch these days impels
me to consider the troubled institution of marriage" he writes.
"I think of it when I see so many of my Duke University students
settling for uncommitted relationships -- living together or merely
'hooking up.' I think of it when I see young children struggling
academically because their single mothers are unable to give them
the economic, emotional and directional support they need. I think
of it when I see young boys run amok -- and young men overpopulate
our prisons -- in large part because they haven't had the loving
discipline that fathers can provide. I think of it when I see
young women who don't know how to judge the men who pursue them
because they haven't had the experience of a good man at home."Source
To read the rest of William Raspberry's column,
click
here. Please note, registration is required to view the article.
Congress Debates Abstinence
Funding
 The
U.S. house and Senate are both considering Human Services funding
bills that include money under Title V programs for abstinence
education. President Bush has pushed for increased funding for
abstinence-based programs largely because it is the only one-hundred
percent effective method of preventing teen pregnancy and the
spread of STDs.
Critics in Congress, including California Democrat
Henry Waxman, have threatened to introduce amendments that would
reduce funding for these programs. Citing flawed statistics, Waxman
and others insist that the abstinence-only message is not as successful
as so-called "comprehensive" sex ed programs that include
education in how to use contraceptives such as condoms.
To read more about attempts to undermine the government's
pro-abstinence policies, click
here.
Remembering Pope John Paul
II
 Michigan
Family Forum joins the rest of the world this week in mourning
the loss of Pope John Paul II. The pope was a tireless advocate
for marriage, children, and the family.
"Marriage is not just any union between human
persons that can be formed according to a variety of cultural
models. Man and woman experience in themselves the natural inclination
to be joined in marriage." These words, spoken by the pope
in 2001, are proof of his unwavering support for the traditional
institution of marriage.
To read more writings from Pope John Paul II on
the sacredness of traditional marriage, click
here.
Governor Supports Long-Term
Care Changes
 Governor
Jennifer Granholm announced this week that she supports a plan
to provide increased Medicaid funding to long-term care facilities
(nursing homes) for the purpose of renovations. The plan would
boost payments to facilities that renovate to provide private
rooms, spacious community meeting places, and a more "home-like"
atmosphere.
"One of Michigan Family Forum's core purposes
is to honor our elders," said Executive Director Brad Snavely.
"We have recommended in our legislative agenda that the Legislature
and other state officials work to create a system that promotes
the dignity of the individual in their final years of life and
one that is free of regulatory roadblocks that discourage a more
home-like setting. The Governor's proposal is encouraging."
To read more about the Governor's proposal, click
here. To view MFF's legislative agenda and policy recommendations,
click
here.
|
