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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(June 2006) |
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The news articles and features presented below are simply an indication of how topical, controversial, and all-encompassing the issues surrounding marriage are throughout our society--and the world-- today. Some of the views and opinions expressed, and their respective web sites, do NOT reflect the views or opinions of The Real Proposal™ magazine. Many are highlighted largely to reiterate that the alarming statistical trends on the chaotic state of "Marriage" and "Family"--outlined in "A Mere Glimpse"--will continue unabated without a fundamental grasp and purposeful dissemination of TRUTH on the issues.
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- Media
provides cover for assault on traditional marriage
CNN.com, By James C. Dobson,
June 28, 2006
-- On June 7, the U.S. Senate voted
for a second time on an amendment to define marriage in the U.S.
Constitution as being exclusively between one man and one woman.
Again this year, the amendment failed to pass by a wide margin,
falling 18 votes shy of a required two-thirds majority. The final
tally was 49 in favor, 48 opposed. Rarely has there been a greater
disconnect between members of the Senate and the American people
who put them in power. . . . However, there was
another "poll" that the media completely ignored. In fact, there
were 19 of them. They represented the 19 states in which voters
overwhelmingly defined marriage as being between a man and
a woman. Not one state has chosen by popular vote
to permit marriages between homosexuals. . .
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- Romney said the people, not courts,
should define civil rights Boston Globe.com, By Steve-LeBlanc- AP, June 28, 2006
BOSTON --Gov. Mitt Romney,
renewing his support for a ballot question banning gay marriage,
said Wednesday it's the job of voters -- not the courts or
lawmakers -- to define what constitutes a civil right. "Who's going
to tell us what a civil right is and what's not? Well, the people
will," Romney said at a news conference calling on lawmakers to
allow a vote on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that
would ban same-sex marriage here. That vote is scheduled for July
12. Supporters have long cast same-sex marriage as a civil right
that should not be subject to a popular vote, likening it to the
desegregation battles of the 1950s and 1960s, where the courts
played a central role in expanding rights for blacks. . .
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- Parenting Issues: NEA Backs Down
From Gay Marriage Support Queerty, NY - Filed by David, June 28, 2006
One
of the United States' largest academic unions – the National
Education Association, which represents teachers, higher education
faculty, and other education professionals – was all set to
encourage its 2.8 million members to support gay marriage and civil
unions in all 50 states. But two days after a NEA delegate leaked
language of the resolution to the American Family Association (yes,
that American Family Association), the NEA changed the
language of the original bill. Now the org's officials are claiming
they didn't change their support of gay marriage because of the
AFA's threat of protests but rather decided not to take a stance on
the issue. . . .
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- Vatican Worried About Positions on
Family Los
Angeles Times, By MARIA SANMINIATELLI, June 28, 2006
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican is
worried its opposition to abortion, embryonic stem cell research
and gay marriage could one day land it before an international
court of justice, a senior Vatican official said in an interview
published Wednesday. Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who heads the
Pontifical Council for the Family, reiterated traditional Roman
Catholic Church positions and criticized some European countries,
including Belgium, the Netherlands and France, for giving legal
recognition to civil unions. "We worry especially that, with
current laws, speaking in defense of life and the rights of
families is becoming in some societies sort of a crime against the
state," . . . . .
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- Wedding bells
ring only once for most Canadians: Study CBC NEWS, June 28, 2006
Most Canadians take only one trip
down the aisle in their lifetime, according to a new study on
marriage. Almost 90 per cent of married Canadians have been
wed only once, says the study in the Canadian Social Trends
survey, released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. The study,
"Till death do us part? The risk of first and second marriage
dissolution" appears in the June 2006 issue of Canadian Social
Trends. Ten per cent of respondents in the study had married
twice, and less than one per cent had gotten hitched more than
twice. . . . . According to the study, first marriages were
more likely to succeed if the couples: . . .
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- Gay pair asking to be wed in Mass. say no ban in R.I. BOSTON GLOBE, By Brian MacQuarrie, June 27, 2006
A Massachusetts Superior Court judge heard arguments yesterday that a gay couple from Providence should be allowed to marry in the Bay State because Rhode Island law does not explicitly ban same-sex marriage. . . .
- The death of marriage? Guardian Unlimited, UK, June 26, 2006
Love and love, love and marriage - no longer go together like a horse and carriage. Marriage is on its last legs, trotting swiftly towards its demise, both socially and statistically. It's not just the increasing frequency of divorce - though of course divorce is a growth industry. But to get divorced you must first get married. Fewer and fewer are doing so. . . . . When did you last hear the phrases "living in sin" or "illegitimate child", let alone "bastard" or any of those other god-awful expressions? Today a high proportion of kids in any school - certainly any non-faith school - are the fruit of unmarried partnerships. It's far too widespread for anyone to bother about. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Marriage is giving way to cohabitation in SA Independent Online, South Africa - June 26, 2006Z
RELATED ARTICLE: Dated, discredited and deeply ungroovy? Times Online, By Shane Watson, June 25, 2006
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- Kidman weds her Urban cowboy Herald Sun- Austrailia, June 26, 2006
NICOLE Kidman and Keith Urban were married in a romantic twilight ceremony yesterday at a clifftop chapel in Sydney. Veiled and wearing an ivory gown designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, Kidman was every bit the princess bride as thousands of well-wishers lined the streets. She exchanged vows with Urban in a traditional Catholic ceremony at the Gothic-style Cardinal Cerretti Memorial Chapel at St Patrick's Estate, Manly. The church bells rang out at 6.25pm to indicate the couple were married. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Kidman weds Urban NEWS.com.au, Australia, By Holly Byrnes, June 26, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: How did Nicole Kidman re-marry in a Catholic church? BBC NEWS- UK, June 26, 2006
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- After the wedding Jamaica Gleaner- News, By Karen
Blair, June 26, 2006
. . . . . It's
simple. When your wedding day ends, your marriage begins. All too
soon, we come to the realisation that the glamour and the glitz
slowly fade away. The bouquets wilt, the family members and friends
return home, the attendants cash their cheques and say bye and all
you are left with is each other. You now live with another person
for the rest of your life; this other individual, whom you pledged
to stick with, come what may. It's not as scary as it sounds and
can be a beautiful experience, but you must know how to approach
your marriage and how to survive life after the wedding is over.
Firstly, you need to know the facts. . . .
- More couples use nuptials to raise cash
for causes Chicago Sun-Times, US, By Brad
Foss, June 26, 2006
... It is a trend that is picking up
momentum, wedding planners said, with help from a handful of
Web-based nonprofits that serve as virtual intermediaries. .
. 'We were looking for ways to cut back on the excess," said
Crane, who like many brides-to-be these days was astounded by how
quickly the costs of a wedding can escalate. "The whole wedding
industry is a little bit out of control." Because weddings are
increasingly secular "commercialized" events -- Americans spend
$26,000, on average -- "people are looking for a way to reflect
that they are deeper than all that,". . . .
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- European Muslims resort to virginity ploy
Hymen repair, fake virginity certificates sought to protect family honor MSNBC.com-AP, June 26, 2006
SAINT-DENIS, France - Chastity can exact a painful price from young Muslim women, forced into lies or surgery to go to the marriage bed as virgins. Hymen repair, fake virginity certificates and other deceptions, said to be commonplace in some Muslim countries, are practiced in France and elsewhere in Europe, where Muslim girls are more emancipated but still live under rigid codes of family honor. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Students make case for virginity: A confident minority choose chastity, going against the grain of popular culture CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, By Mary Beth McCauley, June 22, 2006 edition
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- 'Marlboro Man'
Marine, wife divorcing USA TODAY.com, Posted by Michael Winter, June
26, 2006
The honeymoon is over for the
"Marlboro Man" — and so's the marriage for the former Marine who
gained notoriety for the now-famous photograph of his grimy face
with the dangling cigarette in Fallujah two years ago. Just three
weeks after Americans contributed $15,000 to a "dream wedding," the
man from Pikeville, Ky., has filed for divorce from his bride. . .
. The happiness lasted nine days. By June 12, court papers show the
pair were living apart, and Miller filed for divorce June 20. . .
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- Spain sees first gay divorce a year after
legalizing marriage EiTB-24, Spain, June 26,
2006
Some 1,300 gay weddings have now taken place in
Spain. The marriage legislation gives same-sex unions the same
status as heterosexual ones, including inheritance rights and
adoption. A year after legalising gay
marriage, Spain is now seeing its first gay divorce, complete with
a custody fight over the couple's dogs, a newspaper reported on
Monday.The claimant is
asking for the right to stay in the marital home and to take
custody of their pets. . .
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- Court ruling talk of Gay Pride parade
Statesboro Herald-
AP, GA -June 26, 2006
Floats and participants fill the street for
the Gay Pride parade in midtown Atlanta Sunday. One of the largest
Gay Pride parades
in the country was held not far from where the Georgia Supreme
Court will hear arguments two days later on whether to reinstate a
constitutional ban on gay marriages that was thrown out by a judge last month despite its
overwhelming popularity among voters in 2004. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Judge:
Georgia Gay Marriage Ban Violates State
Constitution FOX News -
May 16, 2006
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- 'They cared for the children'
Amid shifting social winds, Catholic Charities prepares to end its
103 years of finding homes for foster children and evolving
families BOSTON GLOBE, By
Patricia Wen Globe Staff, June 25, 2006
When abortion was legalized in
1973, Catholic Charities of Boston saw the number of babies put up
for adoption plummet, and its caseload fell from about 500 to 50
children a year. The agency changed its focus to finding homes for
older foster children. . . . . But on Friday, the adoption
agency will shut down, for the first time encountering a painful
conflict between cultural change and Catholic doctrine that it
could not resolve. Caught between the church's opposition to gays
adopting children and state law that gives gays the legal right to
become parents, the agency could not navigate a way forward. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Banned in Boston: The Coming Conflict
Between Same Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty Cover
Story- The Weekly Standard, By Maggie Gallagher, May 15, 2006
Issue
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- Marcia Cross weds Tom Mahoney USA Today, By Donna Freydkin, June 25, 2006
She's desperate, but only on the small screen. Marcia Cross, 44, who plays tightly wound widow Bree Van De Kamp on ABC's Desperate Housewives, married her stockbroker fiancé, Tom Mahoney, 48, on Saturday. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Marcia Cross Gets Married People magazine, By Ulrica Wihlborg, June 24, 2006
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- Dated, discredited and deeply
ungroovy? Times Online, By Shane Watson, June 25, 2006
On the contrary. Despite divorce, the demise of religion
and all evidence to the contrary, marriage is thriving more than
ever, particularly among the young. So what’s the attraction ?
Divorce has been on our minds a lot lately, what with the news of
the McCartney marriage and various high-profile court cases.
Meanwhile, a change in the law has given Britain’s 4.4m cohabitees
a new level of financial protection. The message seems to be coming
over loud and clear: marriage isn’t working. Yet nobody is
listening. . . . .
- What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy
Marriage New York Times( Free Subscription)-US, BY Amy Sutherland,
June 25, 2006
. . . . I listened, rapt, as
professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip
and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same
techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the
American husband. . . .
- Truth should be more important than
unity Telegraph.co.uk,
By Michael Nazir-Ali, June 25, 2006
In many ways, the United States is a study in
contrasts. It is full of clashing colours and jangling messages.
Socially and politically, it is very divided. . . . . Why, then,
should I have been shocked on entering the Greater Columbus
Convention Centre in Ohio, where the General Convention of the
Episcopal Church (the Anglican Church in the USA) was being held?
Should I not have expected tension, difference and debate? There
was, first of all, culture shock.. . . . There is a serious breakdown of marriage discipline and, while
I was there, the ECUSA bishops passed a resolution indicating their
advocacy of same-sex marriage. This happened without any debate on
the nature of marriage and how the Church contributed to a public
understanding of such a vital social institution. . .
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- Cheating in
Marriage Jamaica Gleaner, June 25, 2006
UTTER THE words cheating and marriage in the
same sentence and the listener may immediately think a third party,
besides the husband and wife, is involved. However, Kingston-based
marriage counsellor George Ramocan believes that couples are quite
capable of cheating each other within the marriage and frequently
do. . . . "In my experience,
deprivation happens both ways, but wives are especially prone to
'disciplining' their husbands by the act of withholding sex," the
counsellor said. .
- Marriage is for
grown-ups SturgisJournal.com, By James and Audora Burg, June 24,
2006
We sometimes
wonder how it comes off that a couple of young pups married only
eight years presume to offer insight and advice about marriage when
some who read these columns have been married longer than either of
us has drawn breath. Jim can quote statistics and research findings
and the accumulated professional wisdom about relationships and
marriage — and we often do here — but it's head knowledge, not life
experience. So we thought we’d defer to the real experts for a few
paragraphs — those who live the beauty of love, proven by
commitment, tempered by time. . .
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- Strengthen your
marriage South
Florida Sun-Sentinel, By June Hall, June 24, 2006
Dear June: Is it possible to love two men at
the same time? After 17 years, I never thought I'd look at another
man with longing eyes. I'm wondering if I would be happy having
everything with this man, who is my customer, that I already have
with my husband. I'm wondering if I am falling in love with him. We
have such great conversation and we can't wait to see each other.
We've met by accident at the same place at the same time. My
marriage is a happy one, but could I have feelings for someone else
also? -- Anonymous. . . . . . Dear June: Regarding the woman who wanted to
have a ladies' retreat but didn't tell her husband, I am surprised
at your response. . . .
- Marriage is also a commitment to
God Seattlepi.com, By
Dr. Billy Graham, June 24, 2006
DEAR DR. GRAHAM: Our marriage isn't what it used to be, and
to be honest, I find myself very attracted to a divorcee who has
moved into our apartment complex and is very friendly and
sympathetic. What's wrong with being friendly with her? Doesn't God
want us to be happy? -- B.R. . .
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- Parenting Issues: Teen Plans to Marry Man
She Met on MySpace ABC News-Good Morning America, June
23, 2006
— A Michigan teenager who met a man on the
Internet and secretly flew to the Middle East to meet him before
being captured by the FBI still plans to marry him, she says. "I
love him very much," Katherine Lester told "Good Morning America"
in an exclusive television interview. "I'm definitely going to
marry him." Lester, who turned 17 on Wednesday, first met Abdullah
Jimzawi, 20, seven months ago on the popular Web site MySpace.com.
She said she fell in love with him, and together they devised a
plan so the two could be together. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: No Change at MySpace.com Real Tech News, By Jimmy Daniels, June
22, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: MySpace.com adding security
measures CNN.com, June 21, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: MySpace.com teen is back in her space at
home CNN.com, June 12, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Teen
sneaks to Mideast to meet MySpace pal
CNN.com, June 9, 2006
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- Christian Activists Shouted Down, Threatened at Philly's
Homosexual Rally Agape
Press, By Jim Brown, June 22, 2006
- The head of a Philadelphia-based Christian
ministry says his group was targeted by a "lawless mob" of
homosexuals at the city's annual homosexual pride event -- and that
city police refused to enforce state laws against harassment and
disorderly conduct at that time. New video footage from Repent
America shows homosexuals with the group "Anti-Racist Action"
shouting profanities at RA director Michael Marcavage and even
threatening him with physical violence in the presence of
Philadelphia police officers. Members of the group also yelled
"Christian fascists" at RA participants while ministering at the
June 11 event. Marcavage suggests the pro-homosexual groups
participating in the event are getting special treatment. . . .
.
RELATED SITE: Repent America: Calling a
Nation in Rebellion Toward God to Repentance
RELATED VIDEO: Repent
America (RATED: R FOR LANGUAGE)
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- Parenting Issues: Educators
say pre-school set needs straight talk on gay
issues Bay Windows, By Ethan Jacobs, June 22, 2006
Despite the controversy that can
arise when gay issues are talked about in elementary school
classrooms, a group of educators are trying to give schools the
tools they need to do just that. This year Wheelock College offered
a new course for early childhood education workers on making
schools and daycare settings welcoming for same-sex couples and
their children. The course prompted the formation of the
Massachusetts LGBT Early Childhood Education Initiative, a
consortium of people in the field working to make classrooms around
the state more inclusive of LGBT families. . . . For its first
project, the initiative organized the Cambridge City Hall
celebration June 14. The event featured photos from the traveling
exhibit “Love Makes a Family,” which shows families in all their
various constellations. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Parenting Issues: Controversy Over Kid's Book Depicting
Gay Marriage CBS4Boston, Boston - Apr 20, 2006
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- What marriage really needs is
rewards NorthJersey.com (Scripps Howard News Service), By David
Waters June 22, 2006
Now that the Senate has been unable
to find any WMD -- Weddings of Mass Destruction -- maybe we can get
serious about defending the institution of holy matrimony. . . .
It's hard out here for a married couple. Just look at the divorce
rate. One of every two marriages fail. If one of every two
incumbents failed to get re-elected, Congress would have passed the
Incumbent Protection Amendment years ago. About the only thing
harder than being and staying married in this society is being and
staying married with children. Instead of making it harder to get
married, Senator, how about finding ways to make it easier to be
married?. . . .
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- Marriage
problem? Yes, but it's not same-sex unions The Hook, By John W.
Whitehead (Rutherford Institute), June 22, 2006
. . . . Supporters of the Amendment insist that same-sex
marriage threatens the very foundation of the traditional family.
But a quick glance at today's American family, which is far from
traditional or cohesive, shows that the issue of same-sex marriage
is merely a small symptom of a much bigger problem. For instance,
America's divorce rate is close to a staggering 50 percent. Many
experts point to financial struggles, marriage at young ages, work
stress, and lack of education as key contributors to this alarming
statistic. Furthermore, while evangelicals in the so-called "Bible
Belt" states have been leading the charge to protect and defend the
institution of marriage, divorce rates in that region of America
are higher than in traditionally liberal states. . . . .Perhaps
even more surprising are the divorce rates among professed
evangelicals. .
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- Sex the Second Time Around
For remarried couples, intimacy has a whole
new set of expectations and issues ChristianityToday.com, By Ginger Kolbaba,
Summer 2006 Edition
. . . . Sex is different
after a divorce. Because sex is the most intimate thing you can
share with a spouse, sex can take the hardest hit in a new
marriage. Trust, betrayal, anger, hurt-all are things that affect
intimacy. Thus, this is one area that needs the most attention in a
remarriage. . . .Sex the second time around encounters a handicap
before the couple even gets started. Usually, once a couple gets to
the point of divorce, the sex is no longer really great-if it's
there at all. So couples may enter remarriage believing their
spouse is going to fulfill all their sexual desires. It becomes
quite a jolt, then, when that doesn't happen. . . . Also,
women may enter into a second relationship with certain anxieties
that men may not necessarily have. If she's had children, for
instance, she may have more of a body image issue than in her first
marriage. If you and your spouse are struggling with intimacy
issues, there's hope. Here are eight things to keep
in mind. . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Boomers: Sex most important to
marriage UPI, June
22, 2006
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- Catholic League to Canadians Who Oppose
Gay Marriage: "Prepare to be further marginalized" LifeSiteNews.com, By John-Henry
Westen, June 21, 2006
"Ryerson's half-hearted support of
its own decision to give Dr. Somerville this honour is yet another
example of how the forced acceptance of the gay 'marriage' agenda
is restricting free speech in circles including the academy."
That was the comment of Phil Horgan, President of the Catholic
Civil Rights League, on the controversy surrounding the decision of
Ryerson University to grant an honorary degree to Margaret
Somerville, professor of the Faculties of Law and Medicine at
McGill University. Dr. Somerville accepted the degree and addressed
the graduates at the convocation ceremonies. Even though
Somerville supports civil unions for homosexuals, while opposing
same-sex "marriage," gay activists launched a campaign to have the
honour rescinded. Several professors on stage turned their backs to
her in protest. The university, while it refused to
withdraw the degree, issued a statement suggesting it would not
have invited her to receive it "if it had known her views on same
sex marriage.". . . .
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- Wedding countdown begins NEWS.com.au, Australia -From Sydney
Confidential, June 22, 2006
WEDDING fever stepped up a notch yesterday as the
groom's family and the bride's celebrity friends filed into town,
as Nicole Kidman celebrated her hen's night and the rest of Sydney
waited for the big day on Sunday. The day started early when
Kidman's close friend and suspected bridesmaid Naomi Watts touched
down in Sydney about 6am. . . . It has also emerged that Kidman is
not pregnant, with her US publicist strongly denying recent
rumours. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Happy ever
after for Kidman? BBC News-
Entertainment, June 20,
2006
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- How to be a Great Wedding
Guest ABC-7 Online-
WABC-DT New York, June 2006
There's
more to attending a wedding than getting dressed up, shedding a few
tears, and partying all night long -- you've got responsibilities,
too! Here's everything you need to know to be a great guest. . .
. Getting an
Invitation: When you receive an invite (usually six to eight weeks
before the wedding), don't let it get lost on the coffee table --
check the date and decide if you'll go. Whether you can or can't,
respond ASAP -- the R.S.V.P. date noted on the invitation isn't
arbitrary. . . . . A few dos and don'ts:. . .
RELATED ARTICLES: The Ultimate Wedding Planner ABC-7 Online- WABC-DT New York
RELATED SITES:
The
Knot Consciousweddings Consciouswedding.com (different site)
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- Tom Cruise Threatens To Have 10
More Kids
Entertainmentwise.com- By Lowri Williams, June 21,
2006
Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise has announced that
he plans on having at least 9 more children with his fiancée Katie
Holmes. Gulp! Holmes gave birth to Cruise’s first biological child
Suri in April; he already has two adopted children from his
marriage to Nicole Kidman. Speaking at the Shangai premiere of his
recent film 'Mission: Impossible III’ he said: "I always wanted to
be a father. I remember my whole life, I wanted to be a father. So
I'm hoping maybe I have 10 children. "It was the best Father's
Day". . . . . Reader Comments: Has he forgotten that he is
already a father to two children? What makes this fathers day any
better than the others he shared with Conor and Isabella. Comments
like this will surely make those children feel like outsiders just
because they are not his biological
children - ANGELA, LONDON.
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Tom Cruise Delays marriage, But Eager For
More Kids Cinemablend.com, By Mr. H,
June 21, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Angelina: Zahara Is Jealous of
Shiloh People magazine, By Stephen M.
Silverman, June 21, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: Marriage
Impossible? National
Ledger, AZ - By Lynda Johnson, May 9, 2006
RELATED CELEBRITY
ARTICLE: 'TomKat'
thumbs nose at marriage and reality
IndyStar.com, By Lori
Borgman, April 23,
2006
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- Are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt 'Colonial
Overlord's? Entertainmentwise.com- By Lowri
Williams, June 21, 2006
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have come under fire from
Namibia's National Society For Human Rights. The NSHR have labelled
Brangelina as "colonial overlords" and has accused the celebrity
couple of "using heavy-handed and brutal tactics" in their bid for
privacy while staying in the African country. An NSHR spokesman has
said: "To shut down a national border so she can give birth in
peace is a massive abuse of power." . .
.
RELATED
ARTICLE: Brad
and Angelina's Baby Girl People magazine, June 1,
2006
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- Beyond Gay Marriage
A circle of friends point toward the next battle for
acceptance VILLAGE VOICE- NY, By Corina
Zappia, June 20, 2006
Watch the news reports on gay
marriage and you'd think the queer community had magically morphed
into a Noah's Ark of same-sex couples—all conveniently packaged two
by two, a place for everything and everything in its place. Fit
neatly into one of these circumscribed categories and maybe we'll
make room for you at the dinner table. Now consider this proverbial
wrench: a Brooklyn-based group of lesbian, gay, transgender, and
straight friends who hang out, make out, and uphold an
anything-goes policy on who gets with whom. A lesbian can kiss a
gay man, a transgender can sleep with a straight woman—without fear
of the reproach they might receive elsewhere from members of the
queer and straight communities alike.
. . The battle for gay marriage is just the
beginning. . . .
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RATED: MA
FOR MATURE READERS ONLY
SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL |
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- Robert Evan's Seventh Wife seeks
Divorce The Washington Post-AP, June 20, 2006
-- Robert Evans is headed to divorce
court _ again. His seventh wife, Victoria White O'Gara, filed for
divorce June 16 in Superior Court, citing irreconcilable
differences, according to People magazine. Michael Levine,
spokesman for the 75-year-old former Paramount production chief,
declined comment Tuesday. The pair were married last August in Cabo
San Lucas, Mexico. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Divorce No. 7 for Producer Robert Evans People
magazine, Mary Margaret Acoymo, June 20, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: When Love and Fame aren't enough MSNBC.com, Commentary By
Michael Ventre, Oct 5, 2005
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- Taking your marriage vows
seriously EnidNews.com- OK, By Peggy Goodrich, June 20, 2006
Do you take your
marriage vows seriously? Think about it. June is National Wedding
Month. Many young people are united in marriage to start wonderful
lives together. Their world is all ahead of them. They have a plan
for the future. New families are formed. New horizons are in view.
What a great time in their young lives. . . . We take the phrases
of the marriage vows very seriously about “through sickness and in
health, for richer or poorer, until death parts us.” We want them
to love, honor, trust, and cherish each other forever. We want
every happiness for them in their new life together. . . . .
- June ... A Sacred Month For
Marriage Wedlock.com- By Laurie Sue Brockway, June 20, 2006
Rejoice! If you are in Las Vegas to
tie the knot or renew your vows this Wednesday, June 21, you've
made a very lucky choice. It’s summer solstice … the longest day of
the year, a time when the sun is at the height of it’s power and
good vibrations abound. . . . . Because the midsummer celebration
marks the center of the year, a complete six months away from
winter solstice, it is viewed as an aspect of yin-yang,
male-female. The two points of the year, together, are considered
the marriage of heaven on earth. It is a time of year that
celebrates the rites of summer and encourages people to fall in
love and consume each other in fiery summer passion. .
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- Parenting Issues:
Giving Parents a break
TiVo helps out
Townhall.com, By Chuck Colson, June 20,
2006
Kids
are revealing everything about themselves to complete strangers
over the Internet on MySpace. The TV networks are suing to keep the
FCC from cracking down on indecency. And ingenious minds are making
it easier than ever to access porn, by way of cell phones and
iPods. It seems as though technology is always working against us.
The more innovations and inventions go on the market, the harder
parents have to fight to protect their kids from a steady stream of
smut, violence, and even sexual predators. But that gives us all
the more reason to celebrate when we find technology that can
actually benefit our families. . . . TiVo has now unveiled a new
product called KidZone, designed specifically to help parents find
and record family-friendly programming and to block kids from
finding not-so-friendly programming. . . . .
RELATED SITE: TiVo Kid
Zone
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- Is Catholicism now
"Unacceptable"? TownHall.com, By Pat Buchanan,
June 20, 2006
On the political roundtable
"21 This Week," on Maryland's tiny Access Montgomery cable channel
21, Robert J. Smith has been a regular panelist. Introduced as a
"Republican activist," Smith was also Gov. Robert Ehrlich's
appointee on the Metro Transit Authority board. No more.
Smith has been fired for remarks that the GOP governor considers
"inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable." What did Smith
say? . . . . . Smith interrupted: "That's fine, that's
fine. But that doesn't mean that the government should proffer a
special place of entitlement within the laws of the United States
for persons of sexual deviancy." . . . . . Smith held his
ground. "Homosexual behavior, in my view, is deviant," Smith said.
"I'm a Roman Catholic." . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Banned
in Boston: The Coming Conflict Between Same Sex Marriage and
Religious Liberty Cover Story- The Weekly
Standard, By Maggie Gallagher, May 15, 2006 Issue
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- A Father's
Presence Helps Young Girls Resist Shallow, Sexualized
Self-Images BlackAmericaWeb.com- By Tonyaa
Weathersbee, June 20, 2006
. . . . While there’s a saying
that it takes a father to teach his son to be a man, I believe that
an addendum ought to be that it takes a father to teach his
daughter to love herself for what’s inside, not for what’s on the
outside. . . Look at the teen magazine racks these
days, and you’ll find not only pouty, sexualized teen models
gracing the covers, but teaser articles that tend to be more about
how girls can make boys like them than how to prepare for college.
There’s Lil’ Kim, who has found lewdness and lawbreaking to be
lucrative, and Kim Roberts, the second stripper and convicted
embezzler who e-mailed the public relations firm that represented
Lil’ Kim for advice on how she could market the Duke lacrosse team
rape scandal to her advantage. . . . . And who can forget
Karrine Steffans, the video vixen whose sexual prowess with
assorted rappers earned her the nickname “Superhead.” . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Real fathers don't abandon their
children Philly.com, June 18, 2006
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- Father's day and
the current state of fatherhood TownHall.com -By Armstrong Williams, June 17,
2006
As Father’s Day 2006 approaches I am
absolutely devastated about the current state of fatherhood in this
country. It is terribly troubling that our society accepts
fatherhood as a luxury, not a necessity. An involved, loving,
active father has become the exception in this country, and it’s
time we make it the norm again. There are some things that only a
father can provide his children. . . . As we celebrate Father’s
Day this year, we should praise the men who are true fathers - the
men who willingly involve themselves in their children’s lives. We
should thank them for their love and dedication, and be proud of
their achievements. However, we must also call attention to the
cowards who father a child but never become a true dad. . .
.
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- Parenting Issues: The Price of Day Care Can Be
High New York Times (Free
Subscription), By David Leonhardt, June 14, 2006
THERE is one place in North America where parents of
young children don't have to worry about child care. In Quebec,
full-time day care costs just $7 a day — Canadian dollars, at that
— thanks to a government program aimed at one of the thorniest
problems that workers in their 20's, 30's and 40's face. . . .
. Almost a decade after the family policy started,
however, there was still a big mystery about it. Nobody had done
the work to find out how it had affected children. The province was
spending $1.4 billion a year on a grand social experiment, yet no
one had bothered to look at the results. So three economists took
up the challenge a few years ago, realizing that the program
offered an excellent way to examine a much-debated topic. . .
.
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- Marriage always requires tinkering Toronto
Star, Canada -By Ellie, June 14, 2006
Q. My first wife died
suddenly. Ten years later I married a widow whose husband died
three years prior. I'm 59, semi-retired; she's 54. While dating, we
enjoyed many activities together and our sex life seemed terrific.
Then, when her daughter gave birth to a son, my wife agreed to look
after the baby two days weekly while her daughter worked. I was not
asked. Now my wife is devoted to her grandson and daughter's family
at every moment.... I'm
uncomfortable having her family in my face daily. And she's
uncomfortable having me around the house when I'm not working. .
. .
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- And now, FEMA
fixes marriage Chicago Tribune, By Charles M. Madigan, June 13,
2006
A brilliant idea came to me as the Senate Republicans
pushed their hopeless proposal for a constitutional amendment to
protect marriage from amorous gay people. I agree with all of the
arguments about marriage being a foundation in our culture and the
best way to raise a family and nourish values. That being the case,
let's focus on the real threat. It's time to arrest and imprison
everyone who has ever been divorced, make it illegal to have
serious marital problems and set up a federal agency to enforce it.
It's just that simple. . . .
RELATED STORY: Cupid: Not enough
arrows Chicago Tribune, By Charlie Madigan, Feb 13,
2006
- Marriage.
Commitment. Forever. How Do I Know If I Love Him? New York Observer- The Bridal
Blog, June 13, 2006, Posted by Mary Dixie Carter
. . . . . The answer feels hollow and
it brings to the forefront the nagging question that's been in the
back of my brain. How do I know if I really love Todd? Do I really
love him or is it just that he puts up with me and loves me,
seemingly unconditionally? Am I getting married to fulfill some
societal standard of what I should be doing at 34? . .
.
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- Getting Creative to Pay for
Your Wedding? Tell Your Story ABC News, June 13, 2006
— It's June and wedding bells
chime. But with the national average cost of a wedding at $28,000,
saying "I do" has become an increasingly expensive proposition. To
ease the cost, some enterprising brides are finding creative ways
to finance their dream weddings, such as finding corporate or local
business sponsors who place ads in the wedding program or on place
cards at the reception. One New York couple even rented out a
baseball stadium and is busy selling advertising space on the
billboard. Is this tacky or practical? Have you or anyone you know
tried something like this for an upcoming wedding? ABC News is
looking for people who have gotten creative to pay for a wedding. .
. . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Couple Signs Advertisers to Sponsor Wedding
Day Advertising Age- By Willow Duttge, June 13, 2006
- Thousands of Weddings Tied Up in Red Tape
Homeland Security Paperwork Glitch Delays
Citizen-Immigrant Marriages AOL News-AP, By Lara Jakes Jordan,
June 13, 2006
- True love waits for no one - except
maybe the Homeland Security Department. Red tape has put wedding
bells on hold for about 10,000 U.S. citizens seeking visas for
their foreign brides and grooms as the department works on new
paperwork for their applications. The form change was required as
part of a law, enacted in March, to protect foreign mail-order
brides from abusive American spouses. But Homeland Security missed
its deadline three months ago, putting the visa applications of
thousands of law-abiding lovers in limbo. . . .
.
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- Life with--and
without--father Townhall.com- By Rebecca Hagelin, June 13,
2006
Do dads make a difference? Judging by
the way they’re often depicted in pop culture, the answer would
seem to be no. From the big screen to the small screen, from books
to advertisements, fathers are mostly bumblers, abusers or
dullards. When they’re around at all, that is: Many a plot revolves
around deadbeat dads who are they’re simply gone, and no one seems
the worst for it. As a recent article in The Washington Post noted,
“There’s an increasingly endangered species on modern television:
functional marrieds.” . . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Fatherless in
America The Patriot
Post- By Mark Alexander, June 17,
2005
- Father's Day by the
numbers Townhall.com- By Maggie Gallagher,
June 13, 2006
On Sunday, we appreciate all good men
who are fathers, which is necessarily a bittersweet experience for
Americans who mix a profound gratitude for the men who protect,
provide and care for their children with the deep sadness of
knowing so many children do not have a father they can count on. .
. . .So, ladies, if you want to live divorce-free, here's the
statistical recipe: Marry a 26-year-old college-educated Latino man
who has never cohabited. . . .
.
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RELATED
STUDY: 2006 Media Advisory- Fertility, Contraception, and
Fatherhood: Data on Men and Women from the National Survey of
Family Growth National
Center For Health Statistics, May 31, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: A Vision for Father's Day
2025 OpinionsEditorials.com-Frontiers of Freedom, By Davis R.
Usher, June 12, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE:
The Health of
Fatherhood
OpinionsEditorials.com-Frontiers of Freedom, By Gordon E. Finley,
Ph.D, June 12, 2006
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- Gay marriage law
overturned The Age- Austrailia- June 13,
2006
The federal government has
used its powers to disallow the ACT's same-sex unions laws,
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said today. Mr Ruddock said he and
Territories Minister Jim Lloyd met Governor-General Michael Jeffery
this morning in Executive Council to invalidate the ACT's Civil
Unions Act. The Act would be invalid from midnight tonight. . . .
"The ACT civil relationships ordinance has been disallowed,'' Mr
Ruddock told reporters. "During the course of the afternoon, that
will be entered into the relevant register and that means, in
effect, that the legislative amendments introduced to establish a
civil arrangement for same-sex parties and others in the ACT will
no longer be law. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Fresh bid on gay marriage
laws The Austrailian June 14,
2006
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- Investigation, Information, or
Intimidation? USA Today.com- June 12, 2006
Sign a formal petition to back a constitutional
amendment or a state law that would ban same-sex marriage, and your
name could end up on the Internet. A Massachusetts effort to put
the names online is now expanding south, the Boston Globe reports
today. "KnowThyNeighbor.org,
a website that contains a searchable database of the names of
Massachusetts residents who have signed a petition for a
constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage, has helped a
church in Jacksonville, Fla., build a similar database of
Floridians who have signed a 'marriage protection' ballot
initiative in their state." "The website's creators say its purpose
is twofold -- to root out signature fraud and to provide public
information that gay marriage supporters can use to identify
petition signers they know and engage them in 'open and meaningful
dialogue.' But opponents of the site say its real purpose is to
intimidate.". . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Another website to list gay marriage
foes The
Boston Globe- By Lisa Wangsness, June 12, 2006
- Q&A With Congress:
Can Government Define Marriage Any Way It Wishes? Human Events Online, By Amanda B. Carpenter, June
12, 2006
When the Supreme Court heard
arguments in 2003 on the constitutionality of a Texas law banning
same-sex sodomy, the lawyer arguing against Texas implied that the
majority in that state had no right to enact laws imposing their
vision of morality on the sexual practices of others. Justice
Antonin Scalia begged to differ. "But society always … makes these
moral judgments," Scalia said. "Why is this different from
bigamy?" When the Supreme Court eventually declared in
Lawrence v. Texas that same-sex sodomy was a "right," Scalia
predicted in dissent that the court was paving the way for same-sex
marriage to be declared a "right." The Massachusetts Supreme
Judicial Court soon proved Scalia right by citing Lawrence when it
did exactly that. Thus, Scalia’s question is more pertinent today
than it was three years ago: If a court can declare same-sex
marriage a "right," why not bigamy, polygamy, consensual incest or
group marriage? . . . .
.
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- Democrats hypocritical
on marriage The Conservative Voice, By Nathan Tabor, June
12, 2006
. .
. For
decades now, homosexual activists have been part of the core of the
Democratic Party. When Democrats talk about
diversity, they are not simply speaking about skin color. National
Democratic leaders, in fact, routinely invoke “gay pride” in their
attempt to pander to people who want government validation for
their lifestyle—a lifestyle that, in the end, can lead to a myriad
of tragic consequences: STDs, alcohol and drug abuse, suicide
attempts. . . . The
mayor of San Francisco—the hub of the homosexual rights
movement—has had the audacity to say that the defense of marriage
is a Republican attempt to placate evangelical Christians. As if a
mayor who issues marriage licenses to homosexual couples in a city
considered to be the center of “gay power” is not pandering to his
“core constituency.” . . .
.
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- Has Farrell Wed Bell? Hollywood.com -By WENN, June 12, 2006
- Hollywood hunk Colin Farrell has
been seen wearing a wedding ring, prompting rumors he has married
new love Lake Bell in
secret. The Phone Booth star, 30, met Bell, 27,
on the set of new movie Pride and Glory, and has admitted
to being in love, but remains elusive when asked if they plan to
wed. A film crew member tells Irish newspaper the Sunday
World, "The set is abuzz with talk that they wed in a private
civil ceremony during a shooting break. Colin's a changed man
since he went into rehab last December. He no longer gets high and
shoots from the hip; he's become quiet, reserved and utterly
charming. The old Colin would have blabbed straight away if he'd
got hitched. Who wears a wedding ring before they get married?
Colin has it on almost every day. . . . .
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- Jen and Vince do Paris Sky Showbiz- SkyNews.com, June 12, 2006
Now, there's being patient and then there's being
inefficient. And out of fear of being labelled the latter, we've
decided that it's about time to life the lid on just how in love
jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn really are. The couple are
currently in Paris to promote their new movie, The Break-Up, and
have taken some time out to do a spot of sight-seeing and chilling
out. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Dr.
Love On Jen and Vince Sky
Showbiz- SkyNews.com, June 12, 2006
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- Love and Marriage
The Lake House star Sandra Bullock dishes
about her husband Jesse James Edmonton Sun- Canada, By Louis B. Hobson, June
11, 2006
HOLLYWOOD -- In the romantic fantasy
The Lake House, Sandra Bullock plays Kate Forster, a lonely Chicago
doctor who is willing to wait years for the perfect man to complete
her life. When Bullock arrived with her co-star Keanu Reeves for
their recent L.A. press conference to promote the flick that opens
Friday, she knew exactly where the questions would lead. Last July,
Bullock, 41, married celebrity mechanic Jesse James, 36, the host
of TV's Monster Garage. . . . . Question: Why didn't you marry
before Jesse? . . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Inside The Lake
House
RELATED SITE: The Lake House
Movie
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- Tips to preserve
your marriage The Tide Online-Nigeria, June
11, 2006
The family institution has been under
attack for a long time, dating as far back as human history. Our
first parents, Adam and Eve, rocked crisis into marriage. The
uninhibited pursuit for selfish interests is one of the plagues of
marriages. According to the book, The Case for Marriage,
“marriage as an ideal is under a sustained and surprisingly
successful attack”. Sometimes, the attack is direct and
ideological. The institution itself has become seemingly outdated
and no longer viable in modern civilisation. Many who seek quick
result and instant gratification have become inpatient with the
perceived slow pace in marriage and have given little or no thought
to divorce with the illusion of freedom and independence. Building
a happy marriage may not be very easy but you can try. . .
.
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- Parenting issues: Kids, divorce and
faith USA Today- By Eve
Tushnet, June 11, 2006
Honor thy father and thy mother. The Holy Family.
"Our Father, who art in Heaven ... " Jewish and Christian
religious symbolism is filled with images of marriage and family —
from the Song of Solomon to statues of the Madonna and child. But
how can someone understand these images when his own family was
torn by divorce? How can a child understand God as a loving father
when she rarely sees her own father? How can adults figure out how
to honor their divorced fathers and mothers when they couldn't
figure out how to honor one another? Divorce often shakes
children's ability to trust and admire their parents. Divorce
suggests that nothing is stable, not even home or family. . .
.
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- Thanks EJ
Dionne, for Explaining it All to Me TownHall.com, By Jennifer
Roback-Morse, June 11, 2006
Thanks EJ Dionne, for explaining to me that I’ve
been used again. The entire week surrounding the vote on the
Marriage Amendment, social conservatives were treated to liberal
commentary like yours claiming that Republicans were cynically
distracting the country from more important issues, like Social
Security and repealing the estate tax. . . . . What does this have
to do with the marriage amendment? Same sex marriage is a massive
social experiment, completely unprecedented in human history.
American society has not recovered from the last round of social
experimentation. These conservatives whom you think so little of
and know so poorly, include many victims of the sexual revolution.
. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: President baits supporters-- Takes up gay marriage
and burning flags to rally conservatives
WorkingForChange.com, By E. J.
Dionne, Jr. (Washington Post Writers Group), June 7,
2006
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- Prominent scholars release "Ten Principles on
Marriage and the Public Good" The Witherspoon Institute, June 9, 2006
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In recent years,
marriage has weakened, with serious negative consequences for
society as a whole. Four developments are especially troubling:
divorce, illegitimacy, cohabitation, and same-sex
marriage. The purpose of this document is to make
a substantial new contribution to the public debate over marriage.
Too often, the rational case for marriage is not made at all or not
made very well. As scholars, we are persuaded that the case for
marriage can be made and won at the level of reason. . . . .We
affirm the following ten principles that summarize the value of
marriage- a choice that most people want to make, and that society
should endorse and support. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Scholars Defend Marriage for Public
Good The Christian Post- By
Pauline J. Chang, June 10, 2006
- Evaluating Marriage: Does Marriage Matter to
the Nurturing of Children? By Robin Fretwell Wilson- Professor of Law, University of
Maryland School of Law , 42 (3) SAN DIEGO LAW REVIEW 847
(2005)
INTRODUCTION: Americans
are talking more about marriage now than ever. Although much of the
recent discussion has been sparked by the Massachusetts Supreme
Court's recognition of same-sex marriage, the discussions do not
end there. They extend to foundational questions about the proper
role of the state, if any, in supporting and promoting marriage
between heterosexual adults. Three decades ago, it would have been
inconceivable for people to discuss seriously the idea of
withdrawing the legal and financial support society gives to
marriage. In recent years, however, we have seen more serious
thought about this possibility. Once exclusively the grist of
arcane law reviews and little-read policy journals, the popular
press is now exploring the merits of scrapping marriage as a
category entitled to the state's support. . . . .
.
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- Nancy's Notes: What Would Jen
Think?
Access Hollywood, June 9, 2006
. . . I can only imagine what Jennifer might be
thinking about all the "what she is thinking" coverage. My point
about Jennifer's reaction getting so much coverage is that no one
is addressing what THEY are REALLY thinking. Would Jennifer's
reaction even matter if no one thought Brad and Angelina had an
affair...emotionally or physically? I am CERTAINLY NOT accusing
anyone of anything... just pointing out that IT IS the reason why
everyone seems to care so much about how Jennifer feels. But why is
that subject not addressed at all anymore anywhere... even a
sentence?. . . . Have our values as society changed so much
that it is not shocking anymore and that it is more newsworthy to
try and get the reaction of the one left allegedly behind?. . . .
.
RELATED ARTICLE: Welcome,
Baby Shiloh! (Main) People magazine, May 27, 2006
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- Royal wedding The Times Online June 9, 2006
The marriage of the Prince of Wales
and the Duchess of Cornwall is illegal — according to the official
advice of 1996. A briefing paper from the Cabinet Office, released
to The Times under the Freedom of Information Act, stated
then that, under the Royal Marriages Act 1772, the marriages of
members of the Royal Family in England and Wales must be performed
by Anglican clergy. When the Prince and Camilla Parker Bowles
announced their intention to be married last year, the Lord
Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, emerged to reinterpret the
law. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Ministers were told that civil wedding would not be
legal The Times Online June 9, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: "The Marriage
between HRH The Prince of Wales and Mrs. Parker
Bowles" Speeches- Parliamentary
Statements, Feb 23, 2005
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- Maiden marriage comes at 80 for Turner
woman Statesman Journal, OR- By Capi Lynn, June 9, 2006
-- The guest list. The rings. The satin gown. The
pink and white flowers. The music. The photographer. The
three-tiered cake. Marian McCuistion has agonized over every last
detail. After all, she has waited eight decades for this day.
McCuistion will get married Saturday for the first time, and many
of the staff members and residents at Turner Retirement Homes will
be there to celebrate the special occasion with her. . . . "I think
he needs a wife more than I need a husband," McCuistion said. "But
I think we're going to have a good time." They also might live
longer. . . .
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- A forced marriage? I'd rather kill
myself Daily Mail - UK, By Amanda
Cable, June 9 2006
. . . . . As a terrified and
unworldly 16-year-old, Inshana once faced a marriage to a
middle-aged cousin 33 years her senior. She says: "The memory still
makes me feel physically sick. If I shut my eyes I can almost smell
him and see him sitting opposite me, licking his lips with delight.
Incredibly, in the eyes of the Muslim community, this appalling
union was going to bring honour to my family. "It was my duty - and
I only just escaped with my life and my sanity
intact." Inshana's story was given added resonance
yesterday when it emerged the Government has backed down over plans
to make forced marriage a criminal offence. It's thought protests
from Britain's Muslim community led to the dropping of proposals
announced two years ago. Ministers this week admitted they feared
such a law would be "resented as an intrusion into minority
cultures and religions". But charities and campaigners opposed to
forced marriage voiced bitter
disappointment. . . .
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- A Ban We Don't (Yet) Need
The Washington Post- By Charles Krauthammer,
June 9, 2006
On Wednesday the Senate fell 18 votes short of the
two-thirds majority that would have been required to pass a
constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. The mainstream media
joined Sen. Edward Kennedy in calling the entire debate a
distraction from the nation's business and a wedge with which to
divide Americans. Since the main business of Congress is to devise
ever more ingenious ways (earmarked and non-earmarked) to waste
taxpayers' money, any distraction from the main business is
welcome. As for dividing Americans, who came up with the idea of
radically altering the most ancient of all social institutions in
the first place?. . . . .
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- Alabama becomes 20th
State to pass marriage amendment BP News- By Michael Foust, June 7,
2006
(BP)--Perhaps demonstrating that the protection of
the definition of marriage should not be a partisan issue, 81
percent of Alabama voters June 6 approved a state constitutional
marriage amendment -- an amendment that was placed on the ballot by
the legislature and sponsored by two Democrats. The amendment won
handily in every county, making Alabama the 20th state to adopt a
constitutional marriage amendment. Those 20 amendments have been
adopted with an average of 71 percent of the vote. Only
Mississippi -- which passed an amendment in 2004 with 86 percent of
the vote -- surpassed Alabama's tally. . . .
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- The Editorial: A Vote For
Marriage
National Review Online- By The Editors, June 7, 2006
Most Americans oppose same-sex
marriage. Almost all Republican politicians say they oppose it, and
very few Democratic politicians say they support it. But the
opponents are divided in a way that could cause them to lose. Part
of the problem is that some of the opponents are merely professed
opponents, not real ones. These are politicians, typically
Democrats, who know that the public opposes same-sex marriage but
that most liberals favor it. They may, secretly, agree with these
liberals themselves. Their strategy has three components: Let the
courts impose same-sex marriage on the populace. Claim to be
opposed to it. But also oppose any action that would stop the
courts from imposing it. This faction is aided by another: sincere
opponents of same-sex marriage who object to a constitutional
amendment to ban it. . . .
TO SEE HOW YOUR STATE SENATORS VOTED: U.S.
Senate: Roll Call Votes 109th Congress- 2nd
Session
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RELATED ARTICLE:
Fed Up With
Politicians Looking Out For Themselves FOX News- By Bill O'Reilly, June 7, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Senate
Refuses to Take Up-or-Down Vote on Marriage
Amendment Family.org (CitizenLink), By Pete Winn, June 7,
2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Senate
Rejects Amendment on Gay Marriage. . . Bush says he's disappointed
by vote CBS News- AP, By
Laurie Kellman, June 7, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Note to Senator Wayne
Allard Aspen Daily News- By Lynn Burton (Night
Editor), June 6, 2006
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- There's nothing Hateful About Protecting
Marriage Human Events
Online- By Michael Lewis, June 7,
2006
. . . . If a Marriage Protection Amendment is ever
going to be passed, conservatives must dispel the myth that
opposition to same-sex "marriage" is not the same as hatred of
gays. Rather, it is the exact opposite, according to the leaders of
the religious world. Activism by conservatives on behalf of
marriage stems not from bigotry, but from the desire to preserve
the "most enduring and important human institution," according to
President Bush, "which cannot be cut off from its cultural,
religious, and natural roots." Unfortunately, we live in a
world wherein opposition to an agenda is perceived as outright
hatred of those who push it. Many of my liberal friends have
questioned how I can have gay friends, all of whom I think are
wonderful individuals, and be against gay "marriage.". .
RELATED ARTICLE: Opposition to Gay Marriage is Not
Discrimination Human Events
Online- By Rabbi Aryeh Spero, June 8, 2006
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- Editor Calls for Colleagues to Support Gay
Marriage NewsBusters -Posted By Matthew Sheffield, June 7,
2006
Writing at Editor and
Publisher, the bible of the newspaper industry, senior editor Joe
Strupp blasts newspapers for not doing enough to promote gay
marriage. . . . The real reason papers haven't heeded
Strupp's advice is that gay marriage is something that is widely
opposed by the public. Americans have never voted for it in any
referenda, even in Democratic-leaning states like Oregon and
California. For papers to take such a contrary editorial position
does them no good maintaining their declining public trust. Nor
would it have any effect since no one especially cares what an
editorial board thinks about much of anything. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Editorials Should Come Out --for Gay
Marriage Editor &
Publisher- Joe Strupp, June 6, 2006
- The Senator who
cried 'bigot' Townhall.com- By Maggie Gallagher, June 6, 2006
Sen. Ted Kennedy certainly let us know
what he really thinks of Americans who support the Marriage
Protection Amendment, defining marriage as the union of husband and
wife: "A vote for this amendment is a vote for bigotry, pure and
simple." . . . . On an issue of this great significance,
opinions are strong and emotions run deep. And all of us have a
duty to conduct this discussion with civility and decency toward
one another." I certainly believe that. But I have to wonder, do
advocates for gay marriage also believe it? Will no one turn to Ted
Kennedy and say, "Sir, have you no decency?". . .
.
RELATED
ARTICLE: Scholars' Conference on Same-Sex Marriage and
Religious Liberty The Becketfund.org, May 4, 2006
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- With
this Bill. . .
The Senate debates
marriage The Weekly Standard- By Fred Barnes,
June 5, 2006- Vol 011- Issue
JUNE 6, 2006, is an important date, not only because it's
the 62nd anniversary of D-Day. It's also the day the Senate will
vote on the so-called marriage amendment, which would amend the
Constitution to restrict marriage in America to a man and a woman.
It won't pass. . . . Much of the conventional
wisdom about the amendment and the marriage issue turns out to be
wrong. For instance, the amendment is not being pushed by
Republicans as a wedge issue aimed at dividing Democratic voters.
Republican senators regard the issue as touchy and awkward. . . .
. A second misconception is
that it's sufficient for an elected official merely to declare his
opposition to gay marriage. It's not anymore. The question now is
whether an official will support efforts to block gay marriage from
being imposed by judges at the federal or state
level. And the way to do that in the Senate is to vote for the
amendment. . . . . The conventional wisdom in the political community is also
wrong on another point: that the marriage amendment won't have a
significant role in the race for the 2008 Republican presidential
nomination. It will. . . . .
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- Being a Black Man
Poll Reveals a Contradictory Portrait Shaded With
Promise and Doubt
Washington Post- By Steven A. Holmes and
Richard Morin, June 4, 2006
Black men in America today are deeply divided over
the way they see themselves and their country. Black men report the
same ambitions as most Americans -- for career success, a loving
marriage, children, respect. And yet most are harshly critical of
other black men, associating the group with irresponsibility and
crime. Black men describe a society rife with opportunities for
advancement and models for success. But they also express a deep
fear that their hold on the good life is fragile, in part because
of discrimination they continue to experience in their daily lives.
This portrait of the divided black man emerges from a survey
conducted by The Washington Post, the Henry J. Kaiser Family
Foundation and Harvard University. The survey of 2,864 people,
including a sample of 1,328 black men, aimed to capture the
experiences and perceptions of black men at a time marked by
increasing debate about how to build on their achievements and
address the failures that endure decades after the civil rights
movement. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Survey
Shows that, Despite the Imagery, Most Brothers Want Normal,
Responsible Lives BlackAmericaWeb.com, By Tonyaa Weathersbee, June 6,
2006
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- Lies, damn lies and marriage
statistics
Why are there mommy wars when career women were
supposed to end up barren spinsters? Los Angeles Times- By Meghan Daum, June 3, 2006
IT WAS THE FACTOID heard 'round the
world. Twenty years ago, Newsweek ran a cover story saying that a
40-year-old single woman was more likely to be killed by a
terrorist than to find a husband. Citing the findings of a
Harvard-Yale study, the article effectively told a lot of women
that they should start adopting cats now. . .
. . Like hem lengths, scare
tactics wrought by questionably massaged statistics change with the
seasons. After the difficulty of marrying came the challenge of
getting pregnant later in life. The panic du jour, of course, is
the apparent near-impossibility of effectively raising kids while
maintaining a career. Somehow this topic registers as sexier than
what's happening in, say, Iraq or Darfur. In our more myopic
moments, we seem to believe that people in refugee camps aren't
nearly as stressed out as your average law school grad with a Baby
Bjorn. You have to wonder how we found ourselves in this
colicky state. .
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- God help marriage if lawyers decide its future. . .
Only people who live on another planet could equate
marriage with living together. . .
. Daily Mail-UK, By Esther Rantzen, June 2, 2006
What planet do lawyers live on?' asked Melanie Phillips in
these pages on Wednesday. Might I answer? They are so completely
out of touch with the world as we know it, they must inhabit an
arid desert planet, dry as dust, where no flowers bloom, no birds
sing, but money gushes out of the sand. There can be no real living
breathing humans there because lawyers don't communicate in any
language recognis-able to others. No children, either, since our
judicial system is notorious for ignoring or brutalising children.
And now we learn there are also no weddings on Planet Lawyer, since
the Law Commission declared, also on Wednesday, that couples who
live together should have the same rights as a married couple. . .
. .
RELATED ARTICLE: How we split: It's not just divorcing couples.
Now even unmarried partners are heading for the
courts The Independent Online-
Legal, UK, By Sophie Goodchild and Martin
Hodgson, May 28, 2006
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- There's nothing "gay" about gender-disorientation
pathology Townhall.com- By Mark M. Alexander, June 2, 2006
It's that time of year again, when many unsuspecting
American families travel to one of the nation's favorite
family-theme parks only to find themselves at the epicenter of
cultural degradation. This week, hordes of extroverted homosexuals
congregated in Orlando at Disney's Pleasure Island for the annual
exercise in societal entropy they call "Gay Days at Disney."
Fortunately, the gaudy and lurid displays of sexual deviance at
Disney are not typical of the public etiquette maintained by most
homosexuals. . . . What is new is the vast number
of fatherless children in
America, kids who have been largely abandoned by their
biological fathers, and the incalculable burden that places on them
and society. One deleterious outcome associated with some of these
broken and dysfunctional families, in addition to the life sentence
they serve trying to sort out the rejection issues, is the absence
of a healthy sexual identity -- particularly in boys who have not
been fathered properly. This identity void can result in lifetime
pursuit of homosexual approval. Though divorce, unlike
homosexuality, lacks a well funded and well organized advocacy
movement attempting to normalize it (divorce lawyers
notwithstanding), it isn't difficult to connect the dots between
dysfunctional families and homosexuality. . . .
.
RELATED ARTICLE: Fatherless in
America The Patriot
Post- By Mark Alexander, June 17, 2005
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- Basinger and Baldwin in New Legal
Battle SoFeminine.co.uk,
June 2, 2006
Former celebrity couple Kim
Basingerand Alec Baldwin have a new battle for the
courts to decide. This time, Baldwin's book plans are at the centre
of the dispute. Basinger (L.A. Confidential, Batman, 8
Mile) has filed papers in court to block her ex-husband from
publishing a book about their divorce. Alec
Baldwin(Beetle Juice, The Aviator, The Hunt for Red
October) plans to write a book entitled A Promise to
Ourselves, which will detail the couple's separation and
divorce and plans to use his book to help educate the public on the
legal system, which he thinks favours mothers in custody issues. .
. .
RELATED ARTICLE: Basinger- Baldwin Battle Continues
People magazine- By Ken Lee, Oct 31, 2005
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- Face it: Marriage is in trouble Townhall.com- By Mike Gallagher, June 2, 2006
. . . . . It has been positively mind-boggling to observe the fawning by the national news media over the one year “wedding anniversary” of these two pitiful people. Last week, the beaming couple was on the cover of People Magazine. In addition to the “Dateline” segment, they appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” with Matt Lauer slobbering all over them. Their sordid story has been featured in newspapers all over America this week. But rather than telling the sick tale of a child predator who wound up pregnant by her victim, the media seems positively enamored by the relationship these two have, now that they’ve been officially married for a year. . . . Once again, the American media wallows in a moral cesspool and tries to glamorize a degenerate. If it weren’t so tragic, it would actually be a bit comical to consider the double standard involved here. . . . . .
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- Why Marriage Is a Constitutional Matter Human Events Online- By Jan LaRue, Esq, June 2, 2006
. . . . “It should be left to the states,” they tell us, “until a federal court strikes down a state’s marriage law.” Last resorts are no resort if they’re also untimely. A federal judge has been-there-done-that more than a year ago with Nebraska’s marriage amendment, which was enacted by 70% of the voters. Upon reminding them of that judicial assault on state sovereignty, we’re told “it’s not decisive; wait and see what the appellate court does.” Doubtless, we’ll be told to wait and see if we’re then subjected to a Supreme mugging. Some call it federalism. Some of us think that true federalists wouldn’t sit idly by while judicial tyrants pummel a sovereign state with three free muggings before beginning the lengthy process of amending the U.S. Constitution. . . . Congress alone cannot amend the U.S. Constitution. Any amendment passed by two-thirds of Congress needs ratification by three-fourths of the states. The amendment process depends upon and respects state sovereignty. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Same sex, different states: A bid to ban gay marriage anywhere in America would be a radical intrusion on the power of the 50 states The Guardian Unlimited- UK, By David Boaz, June 1, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Protect traditional marriage USA Today- By Wayne Allard (Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., is the author of the Marriage Protection Amendment), May 31, 2006 |
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- Staver: Marriage Not an Evolving Social
Institution Christian
Post, CA -By Lillian Kwon, June 2, 2006
-- Arguments on the long-awaited gay marriage case
were finally heard by New York State's highest court on Wednesday.
Seeking to overturn a state law defining marriage as the union of a
man and a woman, lawyers for the 44 same-sex couples argued that
the U.S. is evolving as a society and following tradition is not a
good justification to continue it. "We are evolving as a
society," said Terence Kindlon, one of the lawyers representing the
gay and lesbian couples, according to The Associated Press, "and
just because we did something 200 years ago, or 100 years ago or 50
years ago, it's not necessarily a good justification to do it
now." Mathew D. Staver, President and General Counsel of
Liberty Counsel, commented otherwise. "Marriage is not an evolving
social institution,” he said Thursday. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Highest Court in New York Confronts Gay
Marriage New York Times (Free Subscription), US-
By Anemona Hartocollis, June 1, 2006
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- Marriage and Crime:
The deadly connection Townhall.com- By Chuck Colson, June 2,
2006
For thirty years I have been going
into prisons across America. It has been a wonderful opportunity to
share Christ, but it has also been depressing to watch the prison
population explode at the same time: When I left prison thirty
years ago, there were 239,000 inmates—now there are 2.3 million in
America. What characteristics do these inmates share? They are
getting younger, more violent, and more dangerous. And why are they
flooding our prisons? I can tell you from talking to thousands of
them, from reports within the ministry, and from studies done, that
it’s happening for one primary reason: the lack of moral training
during the morally formative years. These kids are coming from
broken families. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Take Your
Choice: Parents or Prisons? Breakpoint.org-
By Chuck Colson, June 24, 2004
RELATED ARTICLE: POLICY REVIEW: Parents
or Prisons PolicyReview.org- By Jennifer
Roback Morse, August 2003
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- Brides
gone wild: Sultry wedding photos Post-gazette.com- By Jon Weinbach (The Wall
Street Journal), June 2, 2006
It's wedding season, and around the
country couples are posing for photographs that will be gathered
into albums and handed down through the generations. There's the
groom, beaming in his tuxedo. The father, flush with pride. And the
bride, wearing little more than boy shorts and a bustier. The
multibillion-dollar wedding industry is offering a revealing new
twist on the old bridal portrait. Catering to older and more
independent brides -- and reflecting popular culture's turn toward
the risque and voyeuristic -- more photographers are setting up in
dressing rooms to immortalize unguarded, preceremony
moments. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Poynter Forums: Post
From Matt Mendelsohn, PoynterOnline, June 13, 2006
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- Same-Sex marriage: Hijacking the Civil Rights Legacy
The indiscriminate promotion of various social
groups' desires and preferences as "rights" has drained the moral
authority from the civil rights
industry. The Weekly Standard- By Eugene F. Rivers
& Kenneth D. Johnson, June 1, 2006
The Movement to redefine Marriage to
include same-sex unions has packaged its demands in the rhetoric
and images of the civil rights movement. This strategy, though
cynical, has enormous strategic utility. For what reasonable,
fair-minded American could object to a movement that conjures up
images of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellows campaigners for
racial justice facing down dogs and fire hoses? Who is prepared to
risk being labeled a bigot for opposing same-sex marriage? As
an exercise in marketing and merchandising, this strategy is the
most brilliant playing of the race card in recent memory. Not since
the "poverty pimps" of 35 years ago, who leveraged the guilt and
sense of fair play of the American public to hustle affirmative
action set-asides, have we witnessed so brazen a misuse of
African-American history for partisan purposes. But the
partisans of homosexual marriage have a problem. There is no
evidence in the history and literature of the civil rights
movement, or in its genesis in the struggle against slavery, to
support the claim that the "gay rights" movement is in the
tradition of the African-American struggle for civil rights. . . .
. .
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- Highest Court in New York Confronts Gay
Marriage New York Times (Free
Subscription), US- By Anemona Hartocollis, June 1,
2006
— As the
issue of gay marriage finally reached New York State's highest
court on Wednesday, the six judges who heard the
passionate argumentsfrom both sides put forth a
fundamental question: Has marriage been defined by history, culture
and tradition since the dawn of Western civilization, or is it an
evolving social institution that should change with the times?. . .
. . The case before the court was a challenge to New York State's
marriage laws, filed by 44 same-sex couples. Their lawyers argued
that marriage was a fundamental right, and compared laws assuming
marriage to be a union of a man and a woman to the laws prohibiting
interracial marriage, which the Supreme Court struck down in 1967.
Lawyers defending the marriage laws argued that even if the
institution had evolved, it was the job of the Legislature — not
the courts — to change them. . . .
- Most Americans Support Gay Rights, Oppose Gay
Marriage Christian Post, CA - June 1, 2006
WASHINGTON – The majority of Americans still
opposes gay marriage and believes homosexuality is morally wrong
despite a cultural shift that has drastically raised
public support for gay rights, revealed a Gallup Poll released
Wednesday. According to
Gallup, trends reveal that public support for gay rights
considerably expanded over the past three decades. This is seen in
the percentage considering homosexuality an acceptable lifestyle,
growing from 34 percent in 1982 to a majority by 2001, and the
percentage of those who believe homosexual men and women should
have equal rights in the workplace, which also grew from 56 percent
30 years ago to 88 percent in 2003. However, data collected from a
May 8-11 survey of 1,002
randomly selected adults aged 18 and above shows that 51
percent of Americans still say homosexuality is morally wrong and
only 39 percent believe gay marriage should be legalized. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: New
Poll Reveals How Americans Value
Marriage Christian
Post, CA - June 1,
2006
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- Gay
marriage looms as 'battle of our
times' Christian Science Monitor- By Jane Lampman,
June 1, 2006 edition
The battle over same-sex marriage is shaping into
something more than deep societal tradition vs. civil rights. It is
becoming a conflict of equality vs. religious liberty.
As gays make gains, some religious institutions are coming
under pressure. For instance:
- A Christian
high school in Wildomar, Calif., is being sued for expelling two
students on suspicion of being lesbian. The parents' suit claims
that the school is a business under state civil rights law, which
prohibits discrimination based on sexual
orientation.
- Catholic
Charities in Boston, where same-sex marriage is legal, recently
shuttered its adoption agency rather than serve gay and lesbian
couples in conflict with church teaching. The church's request for
a religious waiver from state antidiscrimination rules has made no
headway.
- Christian clubs at several universities are
fighting to maintain school recognition while restricting their
leadership to those who conform to their beliefs on
homosexuality. . .
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- Same sex, different states
A bid to ban gay marriage anywhere in America would
be a radical intrusion on the power of the 50
states The Guardian Unlimited-Commentisfree- UK, By David Boaz,
June 1, 2006
Next week
the US Senate will debate and vote on a constitutional amendment to
ban same-sex marriage anywhere in the United States. There are good
reasons to support gay marriage - equality under the law,
recognition of the equal dignity of gay people, the social benefits
of getting men into stable relationships, and so
on. But
even some Americans who oppose gay marriage have good reason to
oppose the federal marriage amendment, now being advertised as the
Marriage Protection Amendment. That's mainly because the United
States is a federal republic. As Chief Justice Rehnquist wrote in
a landmark
Supreme Court case a few years ago, "We start with first principles.
The Constitution establishes a government of enumerated
powers." Marriage law is one of the areas that has
always been reserved for the states. . . .
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RELATED
STUDY: The Federal Marriage Amendment: Unnecessary,
Anti-Federalist, and Anti-Democratic CATO INSTITUTE: Policy
Analysis- June 1, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage Amendment:
Case Closed National Journal- By Jonathan Rauch, May 26, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Testimony Submitted by Bob Barr, Former Member of
Congress, to House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on the Defense
of Marriage Act and the Federal Marriage
Amendment ACLU, Mar 30,
2004
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- Marriage By The
Numbers
Twenty years since the infamous 'terrorist' line,
states of unions aren't what we predicted they'd
be
Newsweek-Society, By Daniel McGinn, June 5, 2006
issue
- When Laurie Aronson was 29, she
had little patience for people who inquired why she still wasn't
married. "I'm not a little spinster who sits home Friday night and
cries," she'd say. As she passed 35, however, and one relationship
after another failed to lead to the altar, she began to worry.
"Things were looking pretty bleak," she says. But then a close
friend's brother—a man she'd known for years—divorced. Slowly their
friendship blossomed into romance. At 39, Aronson married him,
becoming Laurie Aronson Starr and the stepmom to his three kids.
Then, after five years of infertility treatment, she became
pregnant with a son who'll be 4 in July. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Three 'Rules' That Don't
Apply Newsweek- Society, By
Stephanie Coontz, June 5, 2006 issue
RELATED ARTICLE: Pop Culture Takes on The
Marriage Crunch Newsweek- Society,
Updated May 27, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Too Late For Prince Charming? Newsweek,
June 2, 1986
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- Divorce is a killer for many
New research finds that single or divorced
men are twice as likely to die early COPENHAGEN POST, June 1,
2006
A study by scientists at the University of Copenhagen
concludes that divorce is closely linked to poor health. Among
other trends, the research indicates that the death rate for single
or divorced males aged 40-50 is twice as high as for other groups.
Some 2500 males, all born in 1953, participated in the study. . . .
. The research has taken into account whether there are other
factors that could lead to an early death - such as a mental
illness and having grown up under poor social conditions. According
to Lund, some of the males in the study committed suicide and
others died of alcohol related illnesses, but a quarter of the men
died of coronary heart disease. . . .
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- Parenting Issues: Boys in
1-Parent Homes Have Sex Earlier, CDC Says
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
By Helena Oliviero, June 1, 2006
Boys living with
one parent are far more likely to have sex by age 15 than boys
living with both parents, according to a Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention report released Wednesday. One in
four males who lived in a single-parent household reported they had
sex by age 15, compared with about one in seven of those who lived
in a two-parent home, according to the study which examined sexual
attitudes and behaviors of males between 15 and 44. Gladys
Martinez, the study's lead author, said the findings --- based on
face-to-face surveys of 4,900 males --- speak to larger social
issues. . . .
RELATED STUDY: Vital and Health Statistics- Series 23, Number
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