> From: Doug Pensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Culled from the MCMedia archive as my email program seems to be eating old > messages in my brin-l folder. > > JDG wrote: > > << > As I have hinted earlier, if I were forced to cast a vote, I would vote in > favor of the "Federal Marriage Amendment." This is despite the fact, as > noted earlier, that I don't particularly buy into the argument that gay > marriage is this imminent threat to heterosexual marriages. > > Anyhow, for those of you who are not familiar with it, the text of the only > proposed Amendment with a chance of passage is here: > > "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man > and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the Constitution of any State, > nor state or Federal Law, shall be construed to require that marital status > or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or > groups" > > Despite the rhetoric of some opponents, I find it very difficult to read > the above amendment is making civil unions unconstitutional. Rather, it > says to me that no Constitution can be interpreted by the Courts as > *requiring* civil unions, but that legislatures are free to instutiute > civil unions through the appropriate democratic processes. At any rate, > this is certainly the outcome I am advocating - and the outcome that is > advocated by the Amendment's primary sponsors. > >> > > What it says to me is that it is OK to outlaw civil unions or any aspect > of them. That SSUs can never expect to have the same rights conferred > upon them that traditional marriages do and that homosexuals are thereby > second class citizens. IMO it is therefore in conflict with the 14th > amendment. Furthermore, because there are religious aspects to the > concept of marriage, the proposed amendment is also in conflict with the > second amendment.
What it says to me is that it is a ban on ALL new marriages both heterosexual and homosexual. It will remove all 1049 'marriage' rights that now exist for all existing married couples. It will make it so that _only_ religions can 'marry' people, and only heterosexuals. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
