Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, July 1, 2009
D.C. liberals may have squeaked same-sex “marriage” through the District’s Superior Court yesterday, but fortunately Bishop Harry Jackson doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit.” “We have a plan,” he told reporters, “and we’re not going away.”
In his suit, which was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Stand4MarriageDC, Bishop’s team asked the court to stall the implementation of a law that would recognize same-sex “marriages” performed outside the city. Judge Judith Retchin refused, dashing any hopes of a local referendum on the matter. But as Bishop Harry Jackson said, “This is the first battle in a war.”
It’s a war, unfortunately, that the city is determined to stop voters from fighting. By siding with the D.C. Elections Board, Judge Retchin denied D.C. residents a voice on the fundamental issue of marriage. “A citizen’s disagreement with constitutionally sound legislation, whether based on political, religious, or moral views, does not rise to the level of an actionable harm,” she wrote in her ruling.
If Congress doesn’t intervene (and it looks increasingly unlikely that members will), the same-sex “marriage” law will take effect in the capital city as early as next Monday. “Essentially,” Bishop Jackson said, “the D.C. residents…have been disenfranchised and unable to vote on an important public policy matter because political elites would rather serve a radical agenda than the people they represent.” D.C. officials know as well as we do that whenever people have had an opportunity to vote, traditional marriage has prevailed! When the issue is bogged down in activist courts, however, anything is possible–including a complete disregard for established law and democracy.
After exhausting their legal options, Stand4MarriageDC immediately turned its attention to a getting a marriage question on the District ballot. If Bishop Jackson and his team can find enough resources, the initiative could be accomplished in as little as six months. If not, it would have to wait until the normal election cycle in 2010. Either way, an initiative will give the people of D.C. what Judge Retchin would not: a voice.
American Spectator: Superior Court Rejects Marriage Referendum in D.C.
The Washington Times: Bishop leads the battle against same-sex unions
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU09G01&f=PG07J01
Retchin Stretchin’ the Law
Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, July 1, 2009
In his suit, which was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Stand4MarriageDC, Bishop’s team asked the court to stall the implementation of a law that would recognize same-sex “marriages” performed outside the city. Judge Judith Retchin refused, dashing any hopes of a local referendum on the matter. But as Bishop Harry Jackson said, “This is the first battle in a war.”
It’s a war, unfortunately, that the city is determined to stop voters from fighting. By siding with the D.C. Elections Board, Judge Retchin denied D.C. residents a voice on the fundamental issue of marriage. “A citizen’s disagreement with constitutionally sound legislation, whether based on political, religious, or moral views, does not rise to the level of an actionable harm,” she wrote in her ruling.
If Congress doesn’t intervene (and it looks increasingly unlikely that members will), the same-sex “marriage” law will take effect in the capital city as early as next Monday. “Essentially,” Bishop Jackson said, “the D.C. residents…have been disenfranchised and unable to vote on an important public policy matter because political elites would rather serve a radical agenda than the people they represent.” D.C. officials know as well as we do that whenever people have had an opportunity to vote, traditional marriage has prevailed! When the issue is bogged down in activist courts, however, anything is possible–including a complete disregard for established law and democracy.
After exhausting their legal options, Stand4MarriageDC immediately turned its attention to a getting a marriage question on the District ballot. If Bishop Jackson and his team can find enough resources, the initiative could be accomplished in as little as six months. If not, it would have to wait until the normal election cycle in 2010. Either way, an initiative will give the people of D.C. what Judge Retchin would not: a voice.
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU09G01&f=PG07J01