Monday, August 25, 2008

www.protectmarriage.com

Here is some information from this site:
Myths and Facts about Proposition 8
MYTH: Proposition 8 enshrines discrimination in our Constitution.
FACT: Proposition 8 does not discriminate against gays; it simply restores the meaning of marriage and protects it as an essential institution that has benefited mankind since the beginning of time. Every culture in the world understands that marriage is between a man and a woman. Californians from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, whether religious or not, agree that marriage is between a man and a woman.
Proposition 8 does not take away any rights from gay and lesbian domestic partners. Gays and lesbians in California can already enjoy all the legal rights and benefits of marriage. The California Family Code says, “domestic partners shall have all the rights, protections and benefits” of married spouses. There are NO exceptions to this. Proposition 8 will not change that.
MYTH: Allowing gay couples to legally marry does not affect anyone else.
FACT: The narrow decision of the State Supreme Court effectively renders all civil marriage meaningless and will result in tremendous confusion for children. The state Education Code (§51890) requires that teachers instruct children as young as kindergartners about marriage. If the gay marriage ruling becomes permanent, teachers will have little choice but to teach young children there is no difference between gay marriage and traditional marriage.
We should not accept a court decision that results in public school teachers teaching our kids that gay marriage is acceptable. That is an issue for parents to discuss with their children according to their own values and beliefs. It should not be forced on us against our will.
MYTH: This proposition is the work of right wing radicals and extremists to attack the rights of gays.
FACT: Proposition 8 is supported by a broad range of organizations and individuals, including faith leaders representing virtually every faith in California – and those who subscribe to no faith at all. People from every walk of life believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. Over 1.1 million Californians signed the petitions to put Proposition 8 on the ballot.
If gay marriage advocates want to change the definition of marriage, they should have to put a ballot measure before the voters to do so. This has never happened. Instead, they have gone behind the backs of voters and convinced four activist judges in San Francisco to redefine marriage for all of society. That is the wrong approach.
Proposition 8 does not interfere with gays living the lifestyle they choose. However, while gays can live as they want, they should not have the right to redefine marriage for the rest of society.
MYTH: The majority of the State Supreme Court said that gay marriage is a “right”, so the rest of us should leave the issue alone.
FACT: Ultimately, the legal meaning of marriage is up to the people to decide. Four judges on the Supreme Court declared that gay marriage is a “right” because the traditional definition of marriage did not expressly appear in the state Constitution itself. Proposition 8 overturns the court’s flawed decision by amending the state Constitution to include the common-sense definition of marriage that was previously approved by over 61% of the voters (Proposition 22, enacted in 2000, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California”).

3 comments:

Max Coutinho said...

Hey D!

"We should not accept a court decision that results in public school teachers teaching our kids that gay marriage is acceptable" - well, that is the least of the problems, cause the issue goes beyond of teaching kids that gay marriage is acceptable (since it is acceptable by many people); I think that it is going to result in teachers having to teach that gay marriage is NORMAL, when it is not. Gay relationships are not normal, never were and never will be; even though they must be respected as the human beings they are. As I told you before, prior to being gay, homosexuals are human fellows, brothers even.

I agree that they should have the same rights & benefits as heterosexual couples.

There can be no doubt that the definition of a legal marriage is a union between a man and a woman, with the purpose of forming a family.
If we take the fact that living together is also considered a marriage (at the end of 5 years, at least here), gays are to be considered married at the end of a certain time.

"However, while gays can live as they want, they should not have the right to redefine marriage for the rest of society." - Hear! Hear!

Brilliant article!

Cheers

matt said...

I think there are a lot of other ways that marriage needs to be protected before banning homosexual couples. We should criminalize adultery. You cheat, you go to jail. We should also just make divorce illegal. Once you're married, you're married.

The real problem is that the instant the state started granting protections to "married" couples, marriage ceased to be a religious institution, at least in the legal sense of the term. If the goal is to protect RELIGIOUS marriage, then we should simply eradicate every reference to the word marriage in civil law. Let the government ONLY concern itself with civil unions, gay or straight, and "marriage" simmply would no longer be an issue.

Anonymous said...

"ONLY concern itself with civil unions, gay or straight, and "marriage" simmply would no longer be an issue."

Getting rid of marriage is a lazy quick-fix to this important issue....don't be ridiculous.