Help Protect
Marriage In an Election Year!
By
RoseMarie Briggs
Executive Director, Family Leader Network
On Friday's edition of the Washington Family
Weekly radio program Maurine Proctor, president
of Family Leader Network, asked for an army
of citizens to stand up and help protect marriage
before the election. She offered three easy
steps.
1. Get educated by joining Family Leader Network
to receive free email updates on issues affecting
families. To sign up, click here.
2. Volunteer just
one or two hours of your time in the critical
weeks leading up to the election. Simply make
phone calls or help pass out literature to your
neighbors. We'll provide the materials and specific
instructions, if you can provide the time. Email
RoseMarie Briggs at rkbriggs@verizon.net for
volunteer opportunities in your state.
3. Make a donation to Family Leader Network
by clicking here.
Why Your Help is URGENT
On November 7th, eight states will
be voting on marriage amendments. Right now
polls show razor thin leads in passing marriage
amendments in Arizona 52%, Colorado 52% and
Virginia 54%. In two states marriage amendments
are in serious danger of NOT passing. Polls
in Wisconsin report 48% of citizens voting yes
on the marriage amendment and in South Dakota
a bleak 41%.
Matt
Daniels, President for Alliance for Marriage,
has said the battle for marriage laws is ultimately
"a race between the courts and marriage
amendments." To date 20 states have marriage
amendments. This November we have an opportunity
to make it 28 states! With a little bit of your
time and money, we can help these critical states
win the race!
Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin currently
have laws defining marriage as the legal union
between one man and one woman. The reason for
passing marriage amendments in these states
on Election Day is to protect existing marriage
laws from legal challenges.
Remember what
happened in Massachusetts in February of 2003?
The Massachusetts high court ruled that its
standing man/woman marriage law was unconstitutional.
In fact, the judges said that man/woman marriage
is "rooted in persistent prejudices"
and "invidious discrimination." As
a result one year later Massachusetts was the
first state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex
couples.
The judicial activism
that triggered the new marriage law trampled
over democracy! Same-sex marriage advocates
hoped to capitalize on judges legislating from
the bench in other states, which set off an
avalanche of legal challenges to marriage laws
in at least 10 states.
Elder Oaks and Elder Wickman were recently interviewed
by the LDS Church Public Affairs Department
regarding same gender attraction and marriage.
During the interview Elder Wickman said, "Those
who are vigorously advocating for something
called same-gender marriage... have created
a situation whereby the law of the land, one
way or the other, is going to address this issue
of marriage. This is not a situation where the
Church has elected to take the matter into the
legal arena or into the political arena. It’s
already there... A redefinition of that institution,
therefore, redefines it for everyone — not just
those who are seeking to have a so-called same
gender marriage. It also ignores the definition
that the Lord Himself has given.
Elder Oaks explained how efforts to redefine
marriage puts religious freedom at risk and
thus the mission of the Church to take the restored
gospel to all people. Elder Oaks said, "This
is much bigger than just a question of whether
or not society should be more tolerant of the
homosexual lifestyle. Over past years we have
seen unrelenting pressure from advocates of
that lifestyle to accept as normal what is not
normal, and to characterize those who disagree
as narrow-minded, bigoted and unreasonable.
“Such
advocates are quick to demand freedom of speech
and thought for themselves, but equally
quick to criticize those with a different view
and, if possible, to silence them by applying
labels like “homophobic.” In at least one country
where homosexual activists have won major concessions,
we have even seen a church pastor threatened
with prison for preaching from the pulpit that
homosexual behavior is sinful. Given these trends,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
must take a stand on doctrine and principle.
This is more than a social issue — ultimately
it may be a test of our most basic religious
freedoms to teach what we know our Father in
Heaven wants us to teach. Click here
to read more.
As Maurine said in her Washington Family Weekly
interview, groups who seek to redefine marriage
laws for society are aggressively trying to
have marriage amendments fail at the ballot
box. Wisconsin, South Dakota and Arizona are
at the top of their list.
These groups are
well-organized and well-funded. They are funneling
millions of dollars into their campaign. They
have TV, radio and newspaper ads. They have
trained an army of presenters and have expensive
signage and propaganda in place. Already their
volunteers are making phone calls asking citizens
to campaign against "an amendment to ban
same-sex marriage" when in actually it
is to protect the current man/woman marriage
law from legal challenge.
Same-sex marriage
advocates are scaring voters with misinformation
that the marriage amendment is going to take
existing rights and benefits away from unmarried
people. This is a lie. Legal experts from Marriage
Law Foundation and elsewhere and state attorney
generals have said that the marriage amendments
will NOT take any existing rights away from
anyone, will NOT affect benefits by public or
private entities or change the current law.
Assuming you believe in the institution of man/woman
marriage and understand why it needs protection,
now is the time to go from believer to donor.
NOW is when your donation matters most because
this may be the only opportunity to pass marriage
amendments in these states. Please keep in mind
that the more states with marriage amendments,
the more likely the United States Congress will
be willing to pass a federal marriage amendment.
In May of 2006
the First Presidency issued a letter to members
of the Church in support of the federal Marriage
Protection Amendment. They urged members to
express their opinion to their elected officials
on this issue. Unfortunately the bill came up
short on the two-thirds votes necessary to pass,
but the good news is that the bill sponsors
have promised that it will be back.
What $15, $25, $50 Would Do!
We don't have millions to spend on a glitzy
advertising campaign — but we have two advertising
projects that can make a huge difference. First
take a look at these powerful pictures. Wouldn't
it be great for these pictures to be put on
the front doors of homes in key voting districts
in the critical days leading up to the election?
A competitive vendor
says it will produce 100,000 "door hangers"
for $3,500. Let's do the math! A donation of
$14.00 buys 400 door hangers $24.50 buys 700
door hangers, or $49.00 buys 1,400
door hangers.
Second we have been quoted a great rate to advertise
on the side of large delivery trucks. For $1,975
we could put a pro-marriage amendment add on
a large delivery truck that would be seen by
more than 1 million adults in major cities during
the five weeks leading up to the election. Imagine
having a picture of a toddler holding the hand
of a mother and a father with the words "Ask
a child, which is unnecessary — a Mom or a Dad?
Vote YES on the marriage amendment November
7th."
Let's do the math!
If 100 marriage supporters donate $20 each,
then we can influence more than one million
people. Click below to take a look at how major
campaigns and corporations use this
effective form of advertising to get their message
out.
Please don't look at your donation as a gift
to Family Leader Network. It is really a gift
to your family, your country and to future generations.
Invest in Marriage Today!
Family Leader Network is made up entirely of
volunteers. We are a 501 (c-4) corporation and
all of your donation will go to protecting marriage.
We need to write contracts with vendors ASAP
so our materials are ready in time.
Click here
to make a donation online. Or if you prefer
to send a check for $15, $25 or $50, made payable
to Family Leader Network. Please mail your donation
to our accountant at the address below. No amount
is too small. Remember just $15 buys 400 door
hangers! (Donations are not tax deductible).
Attn: Mr. Doug Arveseth, Family Leader Network,
10285 Latney Rd Fairfax, VA 22032-3247
