Veritas Rex

Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It

Ryan T. Anderson with The Heritage Foundation has a great piece on marriage.  For those looking for a thoughtful white paper from a traditional marriage supporter on what marriage is and why it is important to prevent its redefinition, this is a great piece for you:

 

At the heart of the current debates about same-sex marriage are three crucial questions: What is marriage, why does marriage matter for public policy, and what would be the consequences of redefining marriage to exclude sexual complementarity?

Marriage exists to bring a man and a woman together as husband and wife to be father and mother to any children their union produces. It is based on the anthropological truth that men and women are different and complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the social reality that children need both a mother and a father. Marriage predates government. It is the fundamental building block of all human civilization. Marriage has public purposes that transcend its private purposes. This is why 41 states, with good reason, affirm that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Government recognizes marriage because it is an institution that benefits society in a way that no other relationship does. Marriage is society’s least restrictive means of ensuring the well-being of children. State recognition of marriage protects children by encouraging men and women to commit to each other and take responsibility for their children. While respecting everyone’s liberty, government rightly recognizes, protects, and promotes marriage as the ideal institution for childbearing and childrearing.

Promoting marriage does not ban any type of relationship: Adults are free to make choices about their relationships, and they do not need government sanction or license to do so. All Americans have the freedom to live as they choose, but no one has a right to redefine marriage for everyone else.

In recent decades, marriage has been weakened by a revisionist view that is more about adults’ desires than children’s needs. This reduces marriage to a system to approve emotional bonds or distribute legal privileges.

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Big Abortion's War Against Women and Babies

Abortion providers are under-regulated and pose a threat to women's health and safety...not to mention the fact that they are in the business of killing babies for money.  Below is an excellent look at abortion providers around the country and a great reminder why common sense regulations like Senate Bill 371 (requiring abortion clinics to give a possibly life saving ultrasound, if the patient has an ectopic pregnancy, before selling abortion pills) and Senate Bill 489 (making sure abortion providers offer women an ultrasound and full information on fetal development before performing an abortion) right here in Indiana are so important.  

 

Obama Administration: Marriage Moderates Will Be Punished

As I've debated so-called same-sex "marriage" over the years I have come across well meaning moderate friends who don't necessarily want to completely redefine marriage but are open to "civil unions".  

I've mentioned on those occasions that, among a long list of problems with granting special privileges for people based on their sexual preferences, Leftist advocates will use this appeasement by marriage moderates against them.

In swoops the Obama Administration to make my point for me.  Recently the Obama Department of Justice filed a brief with the SCOTUS in favor of so-called same-sex "marriage" in the California Prop. 8 case.   

In that brief the Obama administration argues that because California recognizes domestic partnerships and civil unions but refuses to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples, the State of California is discriminating against same-sex couples and should be forced to recognize so-called same-sex "marriage" (SCOTUS blog backs me up).  In federal district court openly homosexual Judge Vaughn Walker gave basically the same argument when he ruled against marriage.

California gave "GLBT" activists almost everything they wanted.  All the rights of marriage short of the name?  You got it.  Public recognition?  You got it.  But when California balked at changing the definition of what marriage is, their herculean works of appeasement were used as weapons against them, both in federal court under openly homosexual Judge Vaughn Walker and again by the Obama Administration.

Support for creating special rights based on sexual preferences of any kind is a gift in the Left's war on marriage.  You cannot be pro-"civil unions" and pro-marriage.  If marriage is to be protected, creating these sorts of legal structures meant for compromise with "GLBT" activists must be avoided.  As the Obama Administration and Judge Walker have shown us:  Marriage moderates will be punished.  

Pro-Life, Pro-Women's Health and Safety Bills Pass Indiana Senate

2 important bills passed the Indiana Senate today.  As usual, IRTL is on the ball and has a great presser on this below and here:

NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release February 26, 2013 Contact: Becky Rogness beckyrogness@protectinglife.com Pro-Life Bills Pass Indiana Senate      SB 371 Corrects a Major Safety Issue INDIANAPOLIS - Today, the Indiana Senate passed two bills supported by Indiana Right to Life, SB 489 and SB 371. SB 489 allows a woman seeking an abortion to opt out of hearing the fetal heart tone and seeing an ultrasound of her preborn baby prior to termination and it provides her with medical information about the abortion procedure. SB 371 corrects a major oversight in Indiana law by requiring health and safety standards at chemical abortion facilities. Both bills now go to the Indiana House for consideration.  Currently, chemical abortions are being performed at Planned Parenthood's Lafayette facility without any state inspection or licensing requirements. This means that no one at the Indiana State Department of Health knows if a doctor is present at the Lafayette Planned Parenthood facility, how the gestational age and position of the baby in the uterus is being determined, if abortions on girls under 14 are being reported to child protective services or if the structure of the building allows ambulance crews to access a patient in the unfortunate case of an emergency.  Abortion-inducing drugs carry serious risks as detailed by the manufacturer and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. As of April 2011 according to the FDA, 14 U.S. women died after a chemical abortion and more than two thousand adverse chemical abortion complications have been reported.  SB 371's requirement that abortion providers perform an ultrasound before doing a chemical abortion is a safeguard against the next chemical abortion death occurring in Indiana. An ultrasound verifies the unborn baby is less than 9 weeks old and that it is not an ectopic, or "tubal," pregnancy. Taking an abortion-inducing drug while experiencing an ectopic pregnancy will rapidly lead to a life-threatening situation. "We thank our senators for addressing a major issue for women's health and safety," said Becky Rogness, Communications Director for Indiana Right to Life. "SB 371 will require Planned Parenthood in Lafayette to become a licensed abortion facility like other Indiana abortion facilities. Once SB 371 is signed into law, abortion-seeking women will not have to wonder if basic standards in care are being met. Lawmakers are not 'playing doctor' as some have claimed but are rather correcting a flaw in current law. This legislation also prevents new chemical abortion facilities from opening for business without being regulated and licensed.  "SB 371 requires a common sense ultrasound to be performed before the abortion. According to Planned Parenthood's website, ultrasounds are already performed by them as part of their chemical abortion protocol so it's surprising they oppose this requirement in SB 371. Furthermore, SB 371 does not mandate what type of ultrasound is performed. The doctor performing the abortion will decide what type of ultrasound is most effective." Indiana Right to Life recently produced a video with Indiana OBGYN, Dr. Geoffrey Cly, explaining that either a vaginal or abdominal ultrasound can determine the location of the preborn baby in an early pregnancy. SB 371 passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of 33 to 16. SB 489 passed by a vote of 40 to 10.  Click here for the FDA's Adverse Events Summary through April 30, 2011.   Click here to watch Dr. Geoffrey Cly, OBGYN explain ectopic pregnancies and the different types of ultrasounds.   Indiana Right to Life's mission is to protect the right to life, especially of unborn children, through positive education, compassionate advocacy and promotion of healthy alternatives to abortion.  # # #

George Washington's Example on Religious Liberty

Today is President's day.  Below is an excellent article by the Heritage Foundation with timely analysis marking this holiday.  It's worth the read:

 

George Washington's Example on Religious Liberty

Instead of celebrating George Washington’s birthday, today we’ve lumped him in together with no-names including Millard Fillmore and William Henry Harrison as we celebrate a generic “Presidents’ Day.”

But George Washington was not simply a President. He was theindispensible man of the American Founding. Washington’s words, thoughts, and deeds as a military commander, a President, and a patriotic leader make him arguably the greatest statesman in our history.

All Presidents can learn from Washington’s leadership in foreign policy, in upholding the rule of law, and—especially now—in the importance of religion and religious liberty. While the Obama Administration claims to be “accommodating” Americans’ religious freedom concerns regarding the Health and Human Services (HHS) Obamacare mandate, it is actually trampling religious freedom. President Washington set a tremendous example for the way that Presidents should handle such conflicts.

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Anti-Common Core Rally Wednesday and Committee Hearing

A growing group of conservatives are joining together in opposition to the Common Core curriculum.  SB 193 is a bill that would give Indiana back state control of curricula in Indiana.  Check out the information below from Anti-Common Core advocates and join us at the rally on Wed.

 

Anti-Common Core Rally and Committee Hearing

Date: January 16, 2013

Time: 12:00 PM

Event Description: WE NEED YOU! PLEASE COME LEARN ABOUT THE COMMON CORE FROM NATIONAL EXPERTS

Where: Indiana State House 200 West Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 US

12:00PM RALLY IN THE ROTUNDA FOLLOWED BY 1:30PM COMMITTEE HEARING

If you wish to preserve local control of education and testing, and you reject the Common Core Initiative, please come and hear national experts testify before the Senate Education and Careers Committee.

Come early for a pre-rally, where you will be able to address and interact with individuals, such as Governor Rick Perry's former Superintendent, Robert Scott, Dr. Sandra Stotsky, and many more. This is our chance to make our voices heard. It is crucial that we get as large of a public showing on the 16th as possible.

If Senator Schneider's legislation (SB193) doesn't make it out of committee, the Common Core marches forward into Indiana schools and there will likely be no turning back. 

Check out these articles for more information:

HSLDA, homeschooling advocates

Russ Pulliam, Indy Star article

 

WISH/Ball State same-sex marriage poll a fraud

When I heard the report that a WISH/Ball State poll found that 54% of Hoosiers oppose the Marriage Amendment and 53% support decriminalizing marijuana I immediately knew something wasn't right.  This is Indiana.  Mitt Romney won by double digits even though Hoosiers weren't that excited about him.

When you look at the fine print of the poll (page 22), you find the truth.  They over-polled liberals big time.  45% of those they polled were Democrats.   Only 41% were Republican.  Even worse, 60% were moderates or liberals.  Only 32% were Conservatives.  That is not an accurate representation of Indiana. 

It's a shame that WISH TV 8 and Ball State are paying for this sort of propaganda.  A donation to Indiana Inequality wouldn't have even been as valuable to the Left as free propaganda from the mouthpieces of the "mainstream" media and a state university.  If WISH TV and Ball State really want to be seen as honest brokers in the community they should immediately apologize and admit that this poll is a fraud. 

I wonder if tax dollars were involved in this mess...to be continued...

 

 

More to Violence than Guns

State Senator Mike Delph sent out a very thoughtful and heartfelt press release recently regarding the unspeakable horror that was the massacre of so many innocent lives in Connecticut.  It is below.  His words should be remembered in the days ahead as we look for ways to prevent future acts of violence.