An appeals court in California has upheld the state’s ban on gay marriage! “We conclude California’s historical definition of marriage does not deprive individuals of a vested fundamental right,” the justices said. This ruling reversed an earlier ruling by a San Francisco judge, who decided to allow gay couples to marry in that city. Although the law still leaves opportunities for gay-marriage supporters to appeal, it is a significant victory for gay-marriage opponents such as yours truly.
Happy birthday, George W. Bush! The president turned 60 today and announced at a press conference that “It’s not as old as you think.”
Also today, gay marriage was dealt a blow in two states! A court in New York decided that gay marriage is not legal under the state’s present constitution, and the top court of Georgia reaffirmed its belief in a gay marriage ban, which had been enthusiastically approved by voters in 2004. Good job, courts!
For all the details, see http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/07/06/gay.marriage.ap/index.html.
Not surprisingly, the Senate failed to approve a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Here’s what the text of the amendment would have been:
“Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.”
I support such an amendment for the most part, but here are the pros and cons:
Reasons to oppose an anti-gay-marriage amendmentt:
- The amendment is known as the “Marriage Protection Amendment” — I have no desire to protect marriage, as it is an immoral institution that ought to be abolished
- Supporters of the amendment (including President Bush and Speaker Bill Frist) have made gross comments about how marriage helps to create a moral society and is “the most fundamental institution of civilization”
Reasons to support an anti-gay-marriage amendment:
- Opponents of the amendment have made statements just as gross as those of its supporters. For example, according to Ted Kennedy, “The Republican leadership is asking us to spend time writing bigotry into the Constitution. A vote for it is a vote against civil unions, against domestic partnership, against all other efforts for states to treat gays and lesbians fairly under the law.” Jack would be rolling in his grave! I can’t believe the Kennedys call themselves Catholic.
- The U.S.A. needs to have an official policy on marriage. Marriage is an issue of morality, and therefore it should be handled not by the states, but by the federal government.
- The amendment restricts marriage, and I support allowing as few people as possible to marry. The less marriage, the better! It even seems to ban civil unions too. (Note the phrase, “the legal incidents thereof”!)
So, although I can sort of understand some reasons why people oppose the amendment, I think the Senate made a bad decision. The American people must unite to ban gay marriage once and for all!
Today is a sad day in history: on this date in 2000, Governor Howard Dean of Vermont signed a bill legalizing civil unions for gay couples. Vermont gets the disgraceful distinction of being the first state in the U.S.A. to institute legal recognition of gay couples. I oppose gay marriage and civil unions (which are the same thing as marriage) because it is far more honorable to live one’s life independently and celibately than to devote one’s life to someone else and lose one’s innocence. Marriage is an immoral institution that should be abolished. The fewer marriages allowed, the closer marriage is to being abolished!
On a somewhat similar topic, Robert Travaglini, the president of the Massachusetts State Senate, has proposed that, instead of cutting the income tax to 5% for everyone in the state, only people who care for children or elderly relatives should get a tax break! This is a terrible, unjust idea. Having a baby doesn’t make you better than people who don’t have babies. In fact, it makes you worse, because it is less individualistic and contributes to overpopulation, which is a HUGE problem. It makes no sense to reward the most immoral people in the state with tax breaks while punishing maidens and bachelors who might actually be living morally.
Pope Benedict XVI has approved a document that bars anyone who practices homosexuality or supports the “so-called gay culture” from the priesthood. The Imperial Leader applauds the Pope’s decision. Also, on this date in 2004, Scott Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife Laci and his unborn son Conner. In my opinion, this conviction was unjust. Killing a fetus cannot logically be considered murder, because a fetus cannot think, feel emotion, or have moral beliefs. Also, on this day in history, Leon Trotsky was expelled from the Communist Party in 1927, the Battle of Guadalcanal began in 1942, and Japanese premier Hideki Tojo was sentenced to death for war crimes in 1948.
