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(c) by Mary Griggs
A constitutional amendment against gay marriage introduced in Congress again.
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) introduced legislation to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage this past week. He said his “Marriage Protection Amendment” is a direct result of the 4-3 decision by the California Supreme Court on May 15 that ruled the state’s statutory ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.
On his website he claims to be using a 4 Way Test for all legislation:
I am committed to protecting the constitutional rights and pocketbooks of every American. I will apply the following four-way test to every piece of legislation that comes before the House for a vote:
1) Is it Moral / Right? 3) Is it Necessary?
2) Is it Constitutional? 4) Is it Affordable?
Right.
1) About morality, all I can say is that the man from Galilee was quite vocal about the importance of love and I think he’d be a supporter of any measures that increase the recognition of loving unions. But before we get into a morality argument, how can it be right in anyone’s perspective to codify discrimination?
2) As far as such a thing being constitutional, the judges in the case stated rather plainly “An individual’s sexual orientation — like a person’s race or gender — does not constitute a legitimate basis upon which to deny or withhold legal rights.”
3) I personally can’t see how anyone can think such legislation is necessary. We have high inflation and incipient recession, a war on foreign shores, effects of climate change including natural disasters, and food prices going through the roof. Dealing with these items has a higher priority than legislating the private lives of American citizens.
4) I do understand that the expansion of Social Security and other benefits to gay and lesbian spouses could be a financial consideration for Scrooge and his pals. However, the fact that it might cost should not be the reason to deny them.
Luckily for the nation, before such legislation could become part of the Constitution, the amendment would need to be approved by a two-thirds majority in the U.S. House and Senate, and then ratified by 38, or three-fourths, of the state legislatures.
They didn’t have those numbers the last time and I hope they don’t have it this time.
If you care, the other co-sponsors of the bill are: Reps. Tom Feeney of Florida; Lynn Westmoreland and John Linder of Georgia; Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania; John Shimkus of Illinois; Tim Walberg, Peter Hoekstra and Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan; Brian Bilbray and Duncan Hunter of California; Dan Burton of Indiana; Trent Franks of Arizona; Barbara Cubin of Wyoming; Todd Akin of Missouri; John Peterson of Pennsylvania; Ralph Hall of Texas; Scott Garrett of New Jersey; Henry Brown of South Carolina; Virgil Goode of Virginia; Virginia Foxx and Robin Hayes of North Carolina; Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland; Mark Souder of Indiana; Robert Anderholt of Alabama, Jeff Miller of Florida, Steve King of Iowa; and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma.
Mary Griggs 