Urgent Call for Oregon Volunteers to Protect Marriage
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Among much else, Winston Churchill is famous for his bull-dog expression, and a phrase that still resonates with its determination. He said, "Never, Never, Never Give up." Those who seek to redefine marriage have mastered this idea-and it serves as notice for the vast body of Americans who want to protect and preserve marriage.
When it comes to political will, they have shown themselves relentless and unswerving, while family-centered citizens, too often, yawn and return to being mainly absorbed by their child's latest soccer game.

Protecting marriage is a long battle. It is not for the weary and faint-hearted. And, most disturbing, it is difficult to arrive at the day when we can all say, "Whew, the job is done."

Note what happened in Iowa last week. Since 1998, Iowa has had a Defense of Marriage Act, but Polk County Judge Robert Hanson turned that over last week with his ruling saying that allowing marriage only between a man and a woman violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued.

Twenty-four hours later he put a stay on that decision until an appeal was resolved, but it's clear that if one county judge can trample a law that has been in place for 9 years, the battle front remains open and can be taken by the determined.

For a great article that examines the Iowa decision, see "Defining Decision" in the National Review online, written by William Duncan, our partner at the Marriage Law Foundation

Five Minutes Longer

Oregon is another example. In 2004, Oregonians approved a marriage protection amendment by a healthy 57%. Not to be daunted, last spring, the Democrat-controlled legislature, with the urging of the governor, circumvented both the amendment and the will of the people and approved same-sex marriage by another name, domestic partnerships, all against the strong objections of the people and with phone calls and emails running 100 to 1 opposed.
In Oregon, a referendum has been filed, requiring 57, 179 signatures to place the bill on the ballot for the November 4th general election, but citizens have been slow to rally, saying, "We already did this to pass a marriage protection amendment. Why should we have to do it again?"

To use another battle analogy, this one from Waterloo, "The Duke of Wellington once said to some French soldiers that British soldiers were not braver than French soldiers; they were only brave for five minutes longer."

Marriage is on the line, and what will happen long-term will undoubtedly depend on who can keep on keeping on. Who will stay in the battle five minutes longer. And what if we fail? Our children will learn at school that sexual expression can take many acceptable forms. Terms like "mother and father", "husband and wife" will be considered hate speech. Marriage rates will fall as it loses its meaning, just as it has in some European countries. It goes on and on.

Out society has protected marriage because it has been a child-centered institution, and we recognize that the good of the whole and the strength and stability of future generations depends on encouraging it

Take Action:

In Oregon, we only have until Sept 25 to complete gathering signatures for the petition drive, and help is scant. If you are from Oregon and would like to help gather signatures, and be involved in this campaign, please send an email to Kenneth Stevens at kenneth.r.stevens@verizon.net