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"MARRIAGE" In The News
(April 2007) |
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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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- Parenting Issues: Young, Gifted, and Not Getting
Into Harvard New York Times, By Michael Winerip, April 29, 2007
. . . . Over
the last decade, I’ve done perhaps 40 of these interviews, which
are conducted by alumni across the country. They’re my only
remaining link to my alma mater; I’ve never been back to a reunion
or a football game, and my total donations since graduating in the
1970s do not add up to four figures. No matter how glowing my
recommendations, in all this time only one kid, a girl, got in,
many years back. I do not tell this to the eager, well-groomed
seniors who settle onto the couch in our den. They’re under too
much pressure already. Better than anyone, they know the odds,
particularly for a kid from a New York suburb. . . . Actually,
meeting the soon-to-be rejected makes me hopeful about young
people. They are far more accomplished than I was at their age and
without a doubt will do superbly wherever they go. Knowing me and
seeing them is like witnessing some major evolutionary change take
place in just 35 years, from the Neanderthal Harvard applicant of
1970 to today’s fully evolved Homo sapiens applicant. . .
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- Desperado Housewife New York Times, By Lisa Carver, April 29, 2007
For me, getting married has always been like throwing up. I’ve done it as alone as possible, feeling sick, drastic and doomed. My first one was before a justice of the peace in Philadelphia. I was 19 years old, marrying a 35-year-old Frenchman. I wore my work apron from Kelly & Cohen’s diner. We did it between shifts. We did it for our twin, tremulous hearts that somehow reached through age, country and political differences to touch each other. . . . . Both my marriages were open. When I fooled around on No. 2 with someone else, I didn’t take off my wedding ring. I was vaguely dissatisfied with the arrangement, but I expected to be. Then one night, six years into our marriage, we were sitting on the couch and I told him how lonely I was. . . . Before all that happened, while I was still married, I was talking on the computer with a fellow across the country in even worse straits than I was about to fall into. (Yes, I know, I’m totally sleazy.) He was already divorced, he once spent five days in jail, his guitar was in hock and some guy wanted to kill him. . . .
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- N.Y. Governor Unveils Gay Marriage Bill
Washington Post, By MARC HUMBERT- AP, April
27, 2007
-- Following through on a
campaign pledge, Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer unveiled a bill
Friday that would legalize gay marriage in New York _ a bill he has
conceded has almost no chance of passing. Opposition from the
Republican leader of the state Senate effectively blocks the
legislation, which would make New York only the second state, after
Massachusetts, to permit same-sex marriage. . . . Spitzer said
Monday the time was right to press ahead with the gay-marriage
bill, despite its slim chances in the Legislature. "I do not
think there is a realistic shot that it gets passed, but I will
submit it because it's a statement of principle that I believe in
and I want to begin that dynamic," he said. . .
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Senior Official Linked to Escort Service
Resigns ABCNews.com- The Blotter, Brian Ross and Justin Rood
Report, April 27, 2007 8:58 PMDeputy Secretary of State
Randall L. Tobias submitted his resignation Friday, one day after
confirming to ABC News that he had been a customer of a Washington,
D.C. escort service whose owner has been charged by federal
prosecutors with running a prostitution operation. Tobias,
65, director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and administrator of the
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), had previously
served as the ambassador for the President's Emergency Fund for
AIDS Relief. . . . On Thursday, Tobias told ABC News he had several
times called the "Pamela Martin and Associates" escort service "to
have gals come over to the condo to give me a massage."
Tobias, who is married, said there had been "no sex," and that
recently he had been using another service "with Central Americans"
to provide massages. . . . Palfrey maintains she ran a sexual
fantasy business that was legal and that if any of the women who
were working for her had sex, they did so in violation of her rules
and without her knowledge. . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: Randall
Tobias: Another GOP Hypocrite Bites the
Dust Huffington Post, By Roy Sekoff, April 28,
2007
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- Are Internet marriages more likely to end up in the
delete bin? ABC 12.com, By Lauren Moraski, April 26, 2007
- An estimated 3 million U.S. Internet users have
clicked their way to love, so says the Pew Internet and American
Life Project. Some entered long-term relationships after linking up
in cyberspace, and some even made their way down the aisle. But
more than 10 years after the Internet transformed dating, one
question remains: Are these couples living happily ever after, or
are they more likely to meet with divorce lawyers? . . . .
EHarmony.com now has a "relationship lab" that monitors certain
couples for at least five years to see how the marriages are going.
There's also an advisory board of sociologists, neurologists and
human relationship experts who offer advice on all aspects of
relationships. In 2006, it launched eHarmony Marriage, a separate
Web site it calls an "online alternative to marriage counseling."
Newlyweds can take part in a 12-session marriage program created by
a team of in-house psychologists. . . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: The
Disastrous Effects of Match.com and What Women Can Do
About It WASHINGTON POST, January 28, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: The
REAL SECRET To Online Dating
AmericanChronicle.com- By Stacée L. Hardiman, May 8, 2006
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- 'Family values' won't get help from immigration
Study: Out-of-wedlock births among Hispanics rise
from 19% to
42% WorldNetDaily, By Jerome R. Corsi, April 24,
2007
The high rate of
illegitimate births to immigrants is a warning to American leaders
not to expect help building family values from such newcomers,
according to a new study released today by the Center for
Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C. Hispanic immigrants have
seen the largest increase in out-of-wedlock births, from 19 percent
in 1980 to 42 percent in 2003, according to the study entitled
"Illegitimate Nation," authored by Dr. Steven A. Camarota, Director
of Research at CIS. Camarota notes that illegitimate births
in the native population have increased as well, from 19 percent in
1980 to 35 percent in 2003. For immigrants overall, both legal and
illegal, out-of-wedlock birth rates have been comparable to
illegitimate birth rates among the native population, increasing
from 13 percent in 1980 for immigrants (both legal and illegal) to
32 percent in 2003. The higher rate of illegitimate births among
Hispanic immigrants is important, Camarota notes, because births to
Hispanic mothers now account for 59 percent of all births to
foreign-born mothers. . . . Keying from this claim, a major goal of
Camarota's study was to answer the following question: "Is one of
the benefits of immigration that it will infuse the country with
traditional family values?" After reviewing the high rate of
illegitimate births, especially among Hispanic immigrants, his
answer was a resounding, "No." His conclusion was that illegitimate
births to immigrants will add to a growing societal problem. . .
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- Our Marital
Future: One Democrat gets it. NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE, By Robert P. George & Ryan T.
Anderson, April 23, 2007
David Blankenhorn's new book, The Future of Marriage,
explodes the widely promoted myth that redefining marriage to
include same-sex partnerships would be a harmless innovation.
Blankenhorn, the Harvard-educated author of Fatherless America and
founder of The Institute for American Values, unabashedly describes
himself as a "marriage nut." Long before the issue of same-sex
"marriage" rose to national prominence, he was a founder of the
"Marriage Movement" - a campaign to lower divorce rates, decrease
out-of-wedlock child-bearing, and provide as many children as
possible with the care and protection of their mother and father.
As Blankenhorn knows, these problems preceded the push for legal
recognition of same-sex unions. His concern is - and always has
been - to strengthen marriage. Homosexuality and "gay"
relationships were not among Blankenhorn's concerns - which is why
he recoils from charges of "prejudice" or even "conservatism."
Having grown up in Mississippi during Martin Luther King's
leadership of the civil rights movement, Blankenhorn is "a lifelong
Democrat," thinks of himself "essentially as a liberal," and cannot
stand "to be viewed as a bigot." He affirms that "the principle of
equal human dignity must apply to gay and lesbian persons," but
insists that the institution of marriage is not the vehicle for
advancing gay-rights, for marriage is not "fundamentally about the
rights of adults." "Marriage is fundamentally about the needs of
children.". . . . . Drawing from the resources of evolutionary
biology, psychology, history, anthropology, and sociology,
Blankenhorn defends the thesis that marriage is a natural
institution present in all (or nearly all) human societies. He
shows that marriage is not just a private emotional bond between
lovers, or a mere religious affair, but rather a natural and
profoundly public institution. . . . .
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- McGreevey Dirty Laundry Hung Out to
Dry Towleroad.com, April 23, 2007
The New York papers have
begun having their field day with the McGreevey divorce and the
forthcoming release of Dina Matos-McGreevey's tell-all Silent
Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage. When last we heard
from either camp in the McGreevey divorce, Jim McGreevey had laid
down new demands in the bitter divorce and custody battle between
Matos-McGreevey and the former New Jersey governor over their
daughter Jacqueline. One of the new revelations that came to light
at the begining of April was Matos-McGreevey's demand that a nude
photograph hanging in the home of McGreevey and his partner Mark
O'Donnell be taken down. . . . . . Matos-McGreevey also
speaks of that day when her husband stood before news reporters and
shocked them with the statement "I am a gay American. McGreevey
reportedly told her before the news conference: "You have to pull
yourself together. You have to be Jackie Kennedy today...You have
to smile. And if reporters ask you why you're here, you should tell
them, 'I'm here because he's my husband and I love him.' And if the
reporters ask you what you think of gay marriage, you should say,
'I'm sensitive to the issue.' Make sure you smile a little more
when I ask for forgiveness and thank you for bringing joy to my
life.". . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: McGreevey is no role model: The former N.J.
governor is damaging the cause of advancing gay
rights. Washington Blade, By James Kirchick, May 18, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: McG'S GAY POSTER
BOY NY Post.com, By
Elizabeth Wolff, April 22, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: My 'marriage' to
Gov. McSleazy! He was great in sack & a great liar, McGreevey's
ex writes
NY Daily
News.com, By TRACY CONNOR, April 22, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: COMING OUT - IS IT
GETTING EASIER? NY Post.com, By GINA ZUCKER,
January 17, 2007
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- Washington governor signs domestic
partnership bill into law JURIST- Paper Chase, By Melissa C. Bancroft, April 22,
2007
Washington Gov. Chris
Gregoire signed legislation Saturday recognizing domestic
partnership status for same-sex couples. The law [PDF text]
guarantees gay and lesbian couples some of the legal rights that
previously were afforded only to husband and wife. To be considered
a legally recognizable domestic partnership, couples must be over
the age of 18, live together and not be in a domestic relationship
with anyone else. The legislation also introduces a state wide
domestic partnership registry and affords same-sex couples hospital
visitation rights, inheritance rights, and the ability to authorize
medical decisions for their partner. The registry will also include
heterosexual couples with one partner over the age of 62. Many of
these couples have been hesitant to marry because of the
repercussions for their pension or social security benefits. . . .
The bill is the latest step in Washington's pioneering stance on
gay civil rights which includes a revision of the state's Civil
Rights Act to include the phrase "sexual orientation" among the
classes of people protected from discrimination in housing,
lending, and employment. . . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: Washington gay civil rights law takes
effect JURIST- Paper Chase, By Joshua Pantesco, June 7, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Gay "Marriage" Townhall.com, By Thomas Sowell, August 15, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: 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
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Marriage Proposals: Creative Ways to Pop the
Question American Chronicle, By Gerry Restrivera, April 23,
2007
Is it the right time to ask your special someone The
Question? Whether standing on two feet or on bended knees, making
your marriage proposal can be a very scary and exciting event. And
you'd want to get it right, too. About 60% of engaged people say
their proposal could have been better. If the hopeless romantic in
you wants the perfect pitch, here are some creative ways to pop the
question: . . . . . Whatever creative ways to pop the
question you decide to use, remember that a lot of things rely on
planning and timing. Focus the entire proposal event on your story
and include things, places and events that are unique to your
relationship. Be creative, have fun and if everything goes right,
there's a huge chance you'll get a 'yes'. Marriage proposals
don't have to cost a fortune. In fact, the best ones usually don't.
If you are thinking of getting engaged, you probably want to do it
right. You want it to be amazingly special. Something she or he
will want to share with everyone. Do you really want to know how to
create a marriage proposal that will blow her (or him) away? Find
out more . . . . . .
RELATED
SITE: Marriage
Proposal Stories & Ideas: How to create a marriage proposal
that will blow her (or him) away
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Goodbye bended knee: The
modern marriage proposal must be a public spectacle MercuryNews.com,
By Nara Schoenberg-Chicago Tribune, February 1, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Marriage proposal could be dying
out Yorkshire Post Today, UK -By Grace Hammond,
July 24, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: A proposal to
remember Rome
News- GA, By Diane Wagner, July 22, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Real Proposal, But Bent Knee Was
Virtual New York Times, By Michael Cooper, April
16, 1998
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After 40 years, still an engaged
couple The
Charleston Gazette, By Rosalie Earle, April 22, 2007
For a man
whose mind is filled with all sorts of baseball trivia, perhaps
it’s not surprising he vividly remembers his first date with his
wife of 40 years. And maybe that’s why their marriage has lasted 40
years. “It was instant,” U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller said of his
falling for Sharon Percy. . . . About 1,200 guests attended their
1967 wedding in the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on the University
of Chicago campus, and a crowd of about 2,000 watched from the
lawn. In a Life magazine story on the affair, Sharon is described
as “cute as a pearl button” and Jay as having “a Jimmy Stewart grin
and hunched up amble.” That’s a bit better than a Good Housekeeping
article 18 months later. The writer refers to Jay’s “rumpled as an
old bathrobe appearance” and “his sheep-dog congeniality.”. . . .
But Jay cited the importance of couples having their professional
lives when asked what makes a successful marriage. “You have to
love the person you’re married to and you have to respect them. It
really works out well if each has a professional life that you love
... We love each other deeply and both of us are doing something we
really enjoy.”. . . He described his wife as highly disciplined and
extremely focused. For that reason, he knew that they would
celebrate their 40th anniversary despite her diagnosis of cancer
two years ago. . . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: Sense of
purpose made marriage
stronger The Charleston Gazette, By Rosalie Earle, April 22,
2007
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Value intimacy in a marriage Press Enterprise.com, By Mitchell Rosen, April 21, 2007I remember when my daughter was close to 15; my wife and I had a discussion about whether or not to let her subscribe to CosmoGirl. I was OK with Seventeen magazine but had major reservations about the appropriateness (a therapist's word, no doubt) of a younger version of Cosmopolitan for my teenage daughter. I looked through a few copies of CosmoGirl and saw that it was fairly tame, at least compared with its mother ship. We went ahead and made the decision to let her have a subscription. Now my daughter is an adult and I still have mixed feelings about whether or not I want her reading Cosmopolitan. This month's lead article is entitled, "10 things guys crave in bed.". . . .
How to Find a Marriage Counselor Hitchedmag.com, BY FRANCINE KIZNERDon’t just drop in on the first shrink in the Yellow Pages. Follow these six tips for finding someone right for the two of you. . . . Marriage counseling… ugh. It’s the last thing you want to go through. But sometimes it’s just what your relationship needs, and it’s important you find the right one. We’ve done the grunt work by consulting some experts who’ve given us six tips to help you find your marriage-counselor match.
1. Use your intuition. " . . . . 4. Don’t go to a divorce therapist. . . . .
RELATED RESOURCES: Marriage Friendly Therapists
Smart Marriages
Psychology Today
American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
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- India celebrates Bollywood wedding of the
century International Herald Tribune- AP, France, April 20,
2007
Astrologers were
consulted, the gods gave their blessings, the white stallion was
ready and delirious fans milled around the marigold-bedecked home.
The stage was set for Bollywood's "wedding of the century."
Film-crazy India held its breath Friday as two of its biggest
stars, the emerald-eyed former Miss World Aishwarya Rai and
Abhishek Bachchan, a romantic hero and son of an Indian cinema
legend, celebrated their wedding. The affair, hyped by Indian media
as "the wedding of the century," was filled with the melodrama so
beloved in Bollywood, India's flamboyant Hindi film industry:
secrecy, dance routines and even a suicidal fan who claimed to be
the groom's jilted lover. . . .
RELATED PICTURES: The Wedding
in Pictures: India's Big Wedding BBC News- UK, April 20, 2007
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Bollywood
celebrates star wedding BBC News- UK, April 20, 2007 RELATED
ARTICLE: Marriage - a
bad Bollywood career move? BBC News- Mumbai, By Monica Chadha, April 20,
2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Abhiash worth
Rs 700 crores! SantaBanta.com, April 23,2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Drama
ahead of wedding- Young actor attempts
suicide The Hindu- India, April 21, 2007 RELATED
ARTICLE: Model claims
she is Abhishek's wife, attempts
suicide Rediff- India, By Syed Firdaus Ashraf, April 20,
2007 RELATED
ARTICLE: Jhanvi's
mother says she knew of Abhishek Rediff- India, By Mukhtar Ahmad, April 20,
2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Couples
ready to share AbAsh luck - Most auspicious dates in the year,
Akshya Tritiya ushers in wedding
rush The
Telegraph- India, April 20, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: 7/7/7 IS THE DATE TO WED THIS
YEAR UK Express- UK, By Emma Bamford, April 7,
2007
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- Testimony of preacher's wife helped her, lawyers
say CNN.com- AP, April 20, 2007
-- During the 10 years she
was married to a handsome young preacher, Mary Winkler said she
never told anyone about the bruises and the sexual humiliation she
endured. But the preacher's wife accused of killing her husband
took the witness stand this week and dredged up every embarrassing
detail, talking about the abuse in front of TV cameras and family
members. That risky decision to testify, her lawyers said, had a
powerful effect on the jury and probably explains why Winkler will
not spend the rest of her life in prison. . . Matthew
Winkler, a 31-year-old preacher at the Fourth Street Church of
Christ, was found in the church parsonage fatally shot in his back
in March 2006. One day later, his wife was arrested on the Alabama
coast, driving the family minivan with their three young daughters.
. . .
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- Alec
Baldwin's Threatening Message to
Daughter TMZ.com, Posted April 20th 2007
An enraged Alec Baldwin
unleashed a volcanic tirade of threats and insults on his
11-year-old daughter, Ireland, calling her a "thoughtless little
pig," and bashing her mother Kim Basinger -- and TMZ has obtained
the whole thing unfiltered and raw. And we've learned, a family law
judge was so alarmed after hearing the tape, she has temporarily
barred Baldwin from having any contact with his child. . . .
UPDATE: Alec Baldwin's spokesperson released the following
statement to the TV show "EXTRA": "In the best interest of the
child, Alec will do what the mother is pathologically incapable of
doing ... keeping his mouth shut and obeying the court order. The
mother and her lawyer leaked this sealed material in violation of a
court order. Although Alec acknowledges that he should have used
different language in parenting his child, everyone who knows him
privately knows what he has been put through for the past six
years.". . . .
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RELATED VIDEO: A Father's Fury MSN-TODAY, April 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Voicemail Rant Reheats Alec-Kim Feud ABC News-AP, April 19, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: After Leak of Voicemail Rant, Alec Baldwin Explains Himself on His Web Site ABC News, By Sandy Cohen, April 21, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Basinger and Baldwin in New Legal Battle SoFeminine.co.uk, June 2, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Basinger- Baldwin Battle Continues People magazine- By Ken Lee, Oct 31, 2005
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- High court backs ban on disputed abortion method The Los Angeles Times, By David G. Savage, April 19, 2007
The ruling marks first time justices uphold such a limit and opens door for more. Majority finds government has substantial interest in "preserving and promoting fetal life.". . . . The Supreme Court changed course on abortion Wednesday, upholding a national ban on a midterm method of ending pregnancies. The decision clears the way for states to pass new laws designed to discourage women from having abortions. In a 5-4 ruling applauded by antiabortion forces, the court said the "government has a legitimate and substantial interest in preserving and promoting fetal life." In 2000, the court, also by a 5-4 margin, struck down a nearly identical state law on the grounds that it could force some women to undergo riskier surgery during the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. But the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 2005 and President Bush's appointment of Samuel A. Alito Jr. to succeed her tipped the balance the other way. It was the first time the court upheld a ban on an abortion procedure. . . .
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 RELATED ARTICLE: Abortion: An "inconvenient truth" within Marriage The Real Proposal magazine, January 26, 2008
RELATED ARTICLE: A Sane Decision: The restoration in Gonzales v. Carhart. National Review Online, By Walter M. Weber, April 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Women's health again held hostage to men's ideology San Jose Mercury News- CA, By Ellem Goodman, April 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: One in 30 aborted foetuses lives: One in 30 foetuses aborted for medical reasons is born alive, a 10-year study at 20 UK hospitals has found BBC News- Uk, April 20, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Abortion ruling leaves physicians uncertain: Doctors don't know exactly what will qualify as an illegal procedure Houston Chronicle, By Karen Kaplan- LA Times, April 19, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The SLED Test – Four Top Arguments Heartlink.org, By Steve Wagner
We all agree that toddlers are valuable human beings with rights. Yet the unborn differ from toddlers in only four ways, and the first letters of each of these differences spell an easy-to-remember acronym, SLED (Size, Level of Development, Environment, Degree of Dependency).
RELATED SITE: THE CASE FOR LIFE: Like You Have Never Heard It Before
Only One Issue: The abortion controversy is not a debate between those who are pro-choice and those who are anti-choice. It’s not about privacy or trusting women. To the contrary, the debate turns on one key question. What is the Unborn?
RELATED ARTICLE: What Do You Know About Roe v. Wade? Family.org, By Shana Schutte
Like many Americans, you know Roe v. Wade legalized abortion, but you may know little else
RELATED SITE: Abort73.com: The Case Against Abortion
RELATED VIDEO: This is Abortion RATED: MA (Mature Audiences Only)
WARNING: Contains graphic post-abortion pictures. Be Warned! The Visual Evidence is Disturbing.
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- ACLU sues official over license
denial
Register of wills won’t give license for illegal
immigrant to marry area
woman. TimesLeader.com, By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER, April 19,
2007
– The
American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit
against Luzerne County Register of Wills Dorothy Stankovic for
refusing to accept a marriage application of an illegal immigrant
who wishes to marry a legal resident of the United States. The
suit, filed on behalf of Heather Buck and Jose Guadelupe
Arias-Maravilla of West Hazleton, says Stankovic’s policy requires
applicants to prove they are legal residents before she will issue
a marriage license. The ACLU maintains that policy is not based on
any state statute and violates the U.S. and Pennsylvania
constitutions. The suit could potentially have statewide impact as
other counties are believed to have similar policies, said lawyer
Mary Catherine Roper of the ACLU in Philadelphia, the lead attorney
in the case. . . . According to the suit filed in federal court in
Scranton, Arias-Maravilla, a citizen of Mexico, has admitted he is
in the United States illegally and has agreed to be deported by May
12. He and Buck, who is a legal resident, have been living together
since October 2005. They have a son, who was born in December. The
couple were making arrangements for their marriage when
Arias-Maravilla was taken into custody in January. . .
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- Marriage commitment produces fruit after
suffering Catholic Explorer, By ANN PIASECKI, April 19,
2007
—Beyond the bridal
gown and tuxedos, the church and reception, the flowers and
honeymoon remains the reality of a marriage commitment. The
blessing at the altar is an outward sign of hope that stress
diminishes unless the doors of communication remain open. The truth
is if insensitivity, disrespect, selfishness, addictions or
infidelity are allowed to spread, the roots of commitment choke and
eventually dwindle away. In today’s society, the
preponderance of overworked, overscheduled, overstressed family
situations takes a toll on a marriage. In an effort to battle
against that statistic, marriage promoters around the globe have
adopted a program that has proven successful in the majority of
cases. Since 1977, a program named Retrouvaille, which means
“rediscovery,” made its debut in Quebec, Canada. A variety of
elements integral to the program, including an initial three-day
weekend commitment to marriage along with six to 12 post-weekend
sessions, are coordinated within a faith-based environment to first
identify and then target the problems that plague individual
families. The program challenges the trend toward divorce, which
has become a sad alternative among couples in countries around the
globe. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE:
How to save a
marriage: Read an excerpt from talk show host and marriage
counselor Dr. Laura Schlessinger's new book, “The Proper Care and
Feeding of Marriage” Today Show- MSNBC.com, January 3, 2007
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- Live in
sin and pay the price Brisbane Times- Austrailia, By Miranda Devine, April 19,
2007
Poor Kate Middleton,
dumped by the second in line to the British throne then displayed
humiliatingly to the world as Prince William's "practice chick",
the mere recipient of some of his wild oats. But judging by the
astonishing Pommy snobbery unleashed in the week since the break-up
of her almost five-year relationship, Middleton, 25, is well off
out of it. . . . Of course, there is goodwill and sympathy
for William in Australia, mainly because of the tragic end of his
mother, Princess Diana. And it is silly for the British press to
chastise him for doing what practically every other man his age
does - extending his promiscuous bachelor days as long as
possible. Still, as the British TV agony aunt Denise
Robertson wrote this week of the break-up: "There are undertones of
'droit du seigneur' - a maiden dishonoured and then discarded." It
is an old-fashioned concept, but Middleton's fate is a salutary
lesson for young women contemplating shacking up with the love of
their lives rather than holding out for a firm commitment. . . .
But the idea of "try before you buy" gives all the advantages to
men, who get the benefits of marriage with none of the
responsibilities. They get sex on tap, domesticity, companionship,
and probably nutritional and hygiene improvements. They can
test-drive the merchandise for as long as they like. But for women,
the immovable biological fact of declining fertility means the deal
is inevitably unfair. . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: The art
of etiquette Belfast Telegraph, By Andy McSmith,
April 17, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Wills and
Kate Split The Sun, By
DUNCAN LARCOMBE- Royal Correspondent, April 14, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Perils
of 'living in sin' Edmonton Sun, By Jennifer Parks, Aug 5,
2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Calling
off the Wedding - How to Survive a Broken
Engagement American Chronicle, By Cori Russell, December 1,
2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The
Marrying Kind: Which Men Marry and Why The National Marriage Project- The State of Our Unions
2004, By Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and David Popenoe
RELATED
ARTICLE: Ten
Important Research Findings on Marriage and Choosing A Marriage
Partner: Helpful Facts for Young Adults The
National Marriage Project- Rutgers University, By David Popenoe and
Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, November 2004
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- A
happy marriage Agoura Hills Acorn- CA, By Michael Picarella, April 19,
2007
You don't
have to stop dating just because you're married with a family. I
don't mean to say that I'm dating outside my marriage. I mean to
say that I continue to date my wife in order to maintain a happy
marriage.
Please allow me to present this column as an unofficial Guide to
Enjoying a Happy Marriage. I feel I'm qualified to write on the
subject since I'm happily married. And so, the first bit of advice
I offer to young family men out there is to pretend you and your
wife are still dating. Give her flowers. Write her love letters.
Surprise her every once in a while. Take her on a picnic. And most
of all, allow for alone time between the two of you. You must allow
for alone time. Let's break down the above categories, shall we? .
. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Little Tricks to Make Your Marriage Much, Much
Happier
WNBC.com, December 4,
2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: What
Makes Wives Happy? WebMD - By Salynn Boyles,
Mar 1, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: University of Virginia Study Finds Commitment to
Marriage, Emotional Engagement Key to Wives'
Happiness University of Virginia News, Mar 1, 2006
RELATED
RESOURCE: Secrets
of Happily Married Men: The Husband's Resource to a Happy
Marriage
RELATED
ARTICLE: The Secret to Our Happy Marriage
Is... FOXNews.com, By Steve Doocy, September 25, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: The Daily
Doocy Archives FOX NEWS, Fox & Friends, By Steve Doocy
RELATED BOOK: The Mr. & Mrs. Happy
Handbook
|
- Why men and women have nothing in common (except
sex) The
Daily Mail, By NIRPAL DHALIWAL, April 18, 2007
. . . . . Her companion gazed empathetically into her face from
across the table, listening intently as he stroked her hand to
comfort her. He was paying her the sort of devoted, patient
attention that only a man in desperate want of sex can manage. Any
other guy would surely have found her blathering unbearable. From
the tension in his jaw and the way his eyes narrowed as his hand
slid ever upwards along her bare arm, it was obvious there was only
one thing on his mind. And he was prepared to listen to two hours
of her garbage in the hope that he would get it. In their idiotic
way the couple exemplified a fundamental truth about men and women.
We exist in two different time zones. Men want to be happy right
now, today, preferably in the company of a beautiful woman.
Tomorrow can wait. Women, on the other hand, are constantly
concerned with the future, and with their prospects financially,
emotionally and sexually. . . . . I remember when I proposed to my
wife. We were lying in our hotel bed, on holiday in Thailand. We'd
been living together for six months and my wife was now pestering
me to find out where our relationship was 'going'. I had no idea
where we were 'going', and it was late and I was tired. I told her
that if we were still together in a year's time I'd marry her. Then
I went to sleep. Romantic, huh? . . . . .
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- Anna Nicole's £250million
baby The
Daily Mail- UK, By Barry Wigmore, April 18, 2007
She looks just like her
daddy, underlining what DNA evidence has already revealed. As the
late Anna Nicole Smith's seven-month-old daughter, Dannielynn,
makes her magazine debut, the likeness between her and her father,
photographer Larry Birkhead, is undeniable. Now, as this picture
taken in the Bahamas shows, Mr Birkhead, 34, is getting to know the
daughter he fought for through three courts. . . . Now he and Mr
Stern have put aside their differences. He told OK magazine:
'People blame Howard a lot, but Anna had her own mind too. I'm
thankful that everyone gets along now for Dannielynn. 'It seems
unlikely but he's been a great help. He's been with Dannielynn the
last several months. He knows her likes and dislikes and things
that could help me. 'He gives me credit when I'm doing good things
and gives me tips on things I should do a little different.' . . .
.
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- Marriage is a train ride
away News24- South Africa, April 18, 2007
- In a hurry to get
hitched? How about boarding the "wedding train" being offered by a
Saint Petersburg rail company to start your married life? The rail
project was unveiled by the Oktyabrskaya railway company at a
ceremony in Russia's romantic former capital Saint Petersburg on
Wednesday. "Newly weds will have the chance to marry, celebrate
their wedding, and go on honeymoon on their own wedding train," the
company said in a press release. . . .
|
- The ultimate betrayal: I cheated on my wife as she
battled cancer The Daily Mail- UK, By NATALIE CLARKE, April 18,
2007
He did the unthinkable —
betraying his wife with a string of affairs as she lay dying of
cancer. Now he's written a controversial bestseller about it.
Brutal callous monster? You decide. . . . . How does a man help his
young wife reclaim her dignity when she is suffering from cancer?
What can he do when she loses a breast to the disease, when her
once beautiful face is ravaged by the effects of chemotherapy, when
her long blonde hair falls out in clumps in her hand? How can he
make her feel womanly again when the disease has struck at the very
core of her femininity? Ray Kluun was placed in this heartbreaking
situation when his wife, Judith, developed breast cancer at the age
of 34. So what did he do? His response was not what you might
imagine. . . . . Could there be a more shameful betrayal? Ray
attempts to give his callous actions a sheen of respectability by
examining the subconscious motives - as though there was anything
more than a desire for meaningless sex. He believes he was seeking
to withdraw from his wife because he could not bear the thought of
her dying. . . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Revolution in cancer treatment: Scientists discover
technique for pain-free, highly effective chemotherapy - the latest
milestone in a miraculous medical journey
The Telegraph, By Steve Connor, April 12,
2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Working With Cancer Forbes.com, By Tara Weiss, April 11, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: Exclusive: John And Elizabeth Edwards--
Edwards Open About Cancer, Unconditional About Couple's Decision On
Presidential Run CBS
NEWS- 60 Minutes, March 25, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: How to Live with Cancer TIME magazine, By CLAUDIA WALLIS AND ALICE PARK,
March 29, 2007
|
- The 9-To-5
Marriage Forbes.com, By Tara Weiss, April 17,
2007
With all the heat World
Bank President Paul Wolfowitz has been taking over his girlfriend's
career path, he might be forgiven for thinking "why bother?".
Sometimes it just makes more sense to have a purely platonic
girlfriend or boyfriend at the office--a "work spouse," if you
will. With a work spouse, you know each other's favorite
food; gripe about co-workers; confide about personal issues; and
support each other during good and bad times. The main difference?
There's no canoodling. Yet with reports turning up more and more
regularly showing that work pressure is making real married couples
too tired for sex anyway, maybe there isn't that much of a
difference. With a 9-to-5 marriage, a "couple" gets support without
the hassle of a romantic entanglement. After all, with the amount
of time we spend at work it's not unusual to become close--if not
intimate--with our colleagues. . . . .The term office spouse has
become so prevalent it made its way into a poll last year on
attitudes in the American workplace. Of 750 respondents, 17% said
yes, they had a workplace spouse, according to the Harris
Interactive poll. Marital status didn't seem to matter. Singles and
married folks reported to having an office spouse at the same rate.
Marriage--even a faux one--can be stressful, and the potential
fallout from a breakup of an office marriage might be just as great
as in real life. . .
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- Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage:
Revisiting the Channelling Function of Family Law
Social
Science Research Network, By Linda C. McClain, Hofstra University
School of Law, CARDOZO LAW REVIEW, Vol. 28, No. 101,
2007
This Article
revisits a significant idea at the core of contemporary debates in
family law: the channelling function of family law. This idea is
that a basic purpose of family law is to support fundamental social
institutions, like marriage and parenthood, and to steer people
into participating in them. Family law scholar Carl Schneider
helpfully invited attention to this familiar idea in an essay
published fifteen years ago. Challenges to the conventional
sequence (expressed in the childhood rhyme) of love-marriage-baby
carriage posed by changing social practices, rights claims made by
various groups within society that lead to legislative change and
judicial rulings, by technological developments in the area of
reproduction, and by changes in family law toward a more functional
definition of family changes provide a valuable opportunity to
revisit Schneider's notion of the channelling function of family
law and, in particular, how it relates to other important functions
of family law. . . .
|
- Kisses from Richard Gere plunge Shilpa Shetty into India row The Daily Mail, April16, 2007
India's love affair with Shilpa Shetty has gone up in flames after a public embrace with Richard Gere. Crowds burned posters of the Celebrity Big Brother winner and the American actor in protest at their behaviour. TV news bulletins repeatedly showed Gere, 57, kissing the 31-year-old actress during an Aids awareness rally. Religious fundamentalists and Hindu nationalists consider any display of public affection taboo. It is all the worse when the pair in question are unmarried. And a further aggravating factor is that Gere is a non-Hindu foreigner. The pair had appeared at a press conference in New Delhi as part of a campaign to preach safe sex to truck drivers in India, the country with the world's largest proportion of HIV sufferers. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Jail threat for Liz and hubby as in-laws rage over their religious violations The Daily Mail- UK, By CLEMMIE MOODIE, April 10, 2007
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- Is it the end of Brad and
Angelina? The Daily Mail, By J. RANDY TARABORRELLI, April 16,
2007
She wants it all - babies,
fame, and to save the world. But what she definitely doesn't want
is marriage. So - could it be true? Is Angelina getting ready to
dump Brad? . . . . "So, how are things going with you and Angelina,
anyway?" I ask. He smiles and replies: "Oh sure, like I'm going to
talk to you about that." His attitude isn't surprising in view of
reports that Angelina Jolie is thinking about ending it with him
after just a couple of years of unwedded bliss. According to these
stories, the actress recently left Brad to take care of their three
adopted children, Maddox, five, Zahara, two, and Pax, three, and
their own child, Shiloh, born barely a year ago, while she went to
Chicago to work on a new movie called Wanted. This was just a week
after she had adopted Pax and told a newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam, where he was adopted: "I will stay at home to help Pax
adjust to his new life." . . . . . Only in January 2006, when
Angelina was clearly pregnant, did she confirm she was carrying
Pitt's child. But then came the problems. "It's been downhill from
there for them," said one of the couple's intimates. "It was too
much too soon, especially for Brad. They're bickering an awful lot
these days. They're like an old married couple with kids - and they
never even got married." According to Jim Cruse, who has known the
actor for many years: "Brad always said he wanted a family. But you
should be careful what you ask for. He got four kids in two years,
all under the age of six. It's no picnic. . . .
.
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RELATED
ARTICLE: More New Moms Stay Home Even If It Causes
Financial Pain Wall Street Journal, By Sue Shellenbarger, December 1,
2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Should You Stay Together For The
Kids? TIME magazine, By
Walter Kirn, September 17, 2000
RELATED
ARTICLE: Five non-religious arguments for marriage
over living together TownHall.com- DC, By Dennis Prager, Oct 3,
2006
RELATED ARTICLE: How living together
before marriage ruins relationship The Pilot- Independent, By Dr.
Val Farmer, September 22, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Obvious but False: Common Views of Love and
Courtship Breakpoint.org, By Chuck Colson, August
08, 2005
|
- Jada
Pinkett-Smith would quit acting if it ever jeopardised her
marriage EOG.com, April 16, 2007
Jada Pinkett-Smith would quit acting if it ever jeopardised
her marriage. The 'Reign Over Me' star and husband Will Smith
are both successful actors, but she values her family above her
career. Jada, 35, told Britain's Independent newspaper: "I'm very
aware how busy careers can quickly lead to divorce, but I'm not
going to let that happen to us. I will throw my career away before
I let it break up our marriage. I made it clear to Will. I'd throw
it away completely, which is what I'm doing to a certain extent."
In her latest film, Jada plays a wife trapped in an unhappy
marriage. She claims the role taught her how to make her own
marriage stronger. . . . . .
|
- Royal split sparks fevered speculation
The Age- Austrailia, April 16,
2007
British Prime Minister
Tony Blair urged people to leave Prince William and Kate Middleton
alone amid feverish speculation today as to the reasons behind
their shock split. Mr Blair said most of the stories written about
the demise of their four-year relationship would be "complete
nonsense," as British newspapers picked over the bones of their
break-up, with conflicting accounts as to why they parted. The
split between the prince, second in line to the throne, and his
university sweetheart, was given blanket coverage in Britain's
press. "I think, in respect of Prince William, they are a young
couple. We have had the announcement, fine," Mr Blair told BBC
television - though Clarence House, the royal residence which
handles the prince's affairs, has refused to confirm or deny the
break-up. "They should be left alone now without reams of stuff
being written that I can assure you, from my experience of royal
stories, most of which will be
complete nonsense. "I think, now it has been announced, they should
be allowed to get on with their lives.". . . .
.
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RELATED ARTICLE: The art of etiquette Belfast Telegraph, By Andy McSmith, April 17, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: The decision was made by William alone - but why did he take so long? The Daily Mail- UK, By RICHARD KAY and GEOFFREY LEVY, April 16, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Wills and Kate Split The Sun, By DUNCAN LARCOMBE- Royal Correspondent, April 14, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Prince William and Kate 'split up' The Daily Mail- UK, April 14, 2007
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- Graf needs stitches after Andre's miscue Boston Globe- AP, April 15, 2007
--Andre Agassi accidentally hit Steffi Graf in the face with his tennis racket, cutting his wife's lip, as the pair played a game while holding hands for a fundraiser following the U.S. Clay Court Championships finals on Sunday. . . . The couple was in town for Agassi's part in a reality show called 'The Big Give,' an upcoming Oprah Winfrey production. An auction raised at least $225,000 Sunday for a Houston-area elementary school chosen for the show. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Graf and Agassi Find Love Off the Court ABC NEW Good Morning America, April 4, 2007
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- The 10 Commandments for
Husbands Townhall.com, By
Doug Giles, April 14, 2007
I hate to sound like some
religious nut job here—but I really felt (sort of) for certain that
God gave me, and me alone, the 10 Commandments for Husbands, last
Wednesday while I was watching American Idol. “God inspired you to
write this?” you say. Yep, God did. The way I’m almost certain it
was maybe God speaking to me is that every time He speaks to me
about something (and it’s pretty often), I begin to smell WD40,
packing popcorn begins to fall from the ceiling of my trailer
house, and then a voice begins speaking to me in English—but with
an angry and commanding high-pitched Chinese accent. It’s quite an
experience. Given all these divine attestations, who can doubt that
what I have penned for you husbands is anything but inspired. Stand
in awe, all ye husbands, because herewith are 10 things that thou
must doeth . . . or I guess not doeth—actually, there’s both—to
have a successful marriage.
1. Thou
shalt not demand that thy middle aged wife look like one of Hef’s
20-year old chicks. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: The Final
Straw TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, April 7, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: Part
Two TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, Saturday, March 31,
2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: Part
One
TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, March 24,
2007
|
- Jordan Divorce Most Costly Ever: Forbes
Forbes.com- AP, April 13,
2007
Divorce has its price -
and no celeb, it appears, knows that better than Michael
Jordan. The basketball superstar's split last December from
his wife of 17 years, Juanita, is No. 1 on Forbes.com's list of
"The 10 Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces." Juanita Jordan could
possibly "get more than $150 million in a settlement, making the
Jordan divorce the most expensive in entertainment history," Forbes
said. Neil Diamond, whose 1995 divorce from Marcia Murphey cost him
an estimated $150 million, holds second place. Steven Spielberg
comes in third for paying his ex-wife Amy Irving an estimated $100
million, which was then half his fortune, when they divorced in
1989. The Oscar-winning director is now worth $3 billion. .
.
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RELATED
ARTICLE:
All may be fair in love but not
divorce The Sunday Times- UK- By
Minette Marrin, May 28, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Balancing fairness and compensation
Telegraph.co.uk- By Joshua Rozenberg-
Legal Editor, May 25, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Wealthy? Dont get married, lawyers say Times
Online, By Alex Spence, May 24, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: The Big Question: Has divorce become too expensive
for the rich? The Independent
Online- Legal- UK- By Maxine Frith, May 19, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Divorce
should be the exception not the rule Telegraph.co.uk, May 25, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: With
this contract, I thee wed Seattle
Times, US- By Eileen Ambrose, Mar 26,
2006
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- APOLOGY MANIA: Canadians
apologize for all 'gay' marriages
'Our warning is to avoid repeating our
mistakes' WorldNetDaily, By Bob Unruh, April 13, 2007
Don Imus has apologized
for dissing a women's basketball team, Mike Nifong is sorry "to the
extent" he was wrong, and now Canadians are apologizing to the
world for all "gay" marriages. . . . Family-friendly organizations
and individuals from Canada, including former Conservative Party
leader Grant Hill, have joined in a campaign to apologize to the
world for allowing homosexual marriage to gain a foothold on
society. In a letter released to "the world's leaders and people,"
the initiative is described as the work of United Families Canada,
but many other individuals and groups also are joining, with
developing plans to publicize the apology at the World Congress of
Families IV in Warsaw, Poland, in May.
To the world's leaders and people, We, the people of Canada who
support marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman,
apologize to the people of the world for harm done through Canada's
legalization of homosexual marriage. We are grieved and troubled as
we consider the impact this is having in weakening the fundamental
institution of marriage in countries and cultures around the world.
We understand that because Canada does not impose citizenship or
residency requirements in order for same-sex individuals to be
'married' here, couples are coming to Canada to seek legal sanction
for their homosexual relationships with the intent of returning to
their own countries to challenge those countries' legal definition
of marriage. . .
|
SEE APOLOGY TO THE WORLD & RELATED SITE: Restore Marriage, Canada
RELARED ARTICLE: Responding to Homosexuality & Gay Marriage: “Love the Sinner. Hate the Sin” The Real Proposal magazine, March 21, 2008
RELATED BLOG: Canadian Right "Apologizes" For Gay Marriage Science Blogs, Posted by Ed Brayton, April 13, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Lesbian couple wed in Canada launch landmark lawsuit seeking marriage rights in Ireland International Herald Tribune- AP, October 3, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Prominent scholars release "Ten Principles on Marriage and the Public Good" The Witherspoon Institute, June 9, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: The Dangers of Same-sex "Marriage" BreakPoint.org- By Regis Nicoll, May 26, 2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Alberta Christian Pastor Hauled Before Human Rights Tribunal For Letter to editor on Homosexuality LifeSiteNews.com- Canada, Sept 2, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Same-sex ‘Marriage’ in Canada: A Guide for American Legislators The Heritage Foundation, Bradley C. S. Watson, JUly 20, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: United States Urged to Learn From Canada’s Homsexual “Marriage Disaster Lifesite- Canada, LifeSiteNews.com, July 22, 2005
RELATED ARTICLE: Getting it Straight, What the Research Shows about Homosexuality Family Research Council- By Peter Sprigg
RELATED ARTICLE: CANADIAN COMMERICAL PROMOTES GAY MARRIAGE TO AMERICANS Out In Montreal - May 11, 2006
RELATED SITE: Watch the commercial |
- Caribbean island Aruba has to recognize gay
marriage: Dutch supreme court SawfNews, April 13,
2007
The Dutch Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Caribbean
island of Aruba to recognise same-sex marriages registered in the
Netherlands. . . . .- The ruling puts an end to a conflict between
Aruba, a former Dutch colony in the Antilles, and a lesbian couple
who moved to the island having married in the Netherlands in 2001.
Although independent in internal politics, Aruba is part of the
kingdom of the Netherlands and comes under the jurisdiction of the
Dutch Supreme Court. After moving to Aruba the women wanted to
register, but were told that same-sex marriages were not legal on
the island. The Supreme court ruling, published on the internet,
stated that a marriage certificate signed by an official of the
Netherlands, carried the "same force of law" in Aruba. . .
.
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- The prospect of all-female
conception The Independent- UK, By Steve Connor, April 13, 2007
Women might
soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow
lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters, according
to a pioneering study published today. Scientists are seeking
ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells from a woman's
bone marrow tissue after showing that it possible to produce
rudimentary sperm cells from male bone-marrow tissue. The
researchers said they had already produced early sperm cells from
bone-marrow tissue taken from men. They believe the findings show
that it may be possible to restore fertility to men who cannot
naturally produce their own sperm. But the results also raise the
prospect of being able to take bone-marrow tissue from women and
coaxing the stem cells within the female tissue to develop into
sperm cells, said Professor Karim Nayernia of the University of
Newcastle upon Tyne. Creating sperm from women would mean they
would only be able to produce daughters because the Y chromosome of
male sperm would still be needed to produce sons. The latest
research brings the prospect of female-only conception a step
closer. . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: The Revolution in Parenthood: The Emerging Global
Clash Between Adult Rights and Children's Needs AmericanValues.org
RELATED ARTICLE: The fertility lottery Sunday
Business Post- Ireland, By Jennifer O'Connell, January 14, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: 'Embryo Bank' Stirs Ethics Fears: Firm Lets Clients
Pick Among Fertilized Eggs The Washington Post, By
Rob Stein, January 6, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: The Parent Hood: How technology and social progress
are turning procreation into self-actualization. The Daily Standard, By Claudia Anderson, December
4, 2006
RELATED
ARTICLE: Where is
Technological Reproduction Taking Us? COMMONWEAL, By
Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, October 20,
2006
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- 40 years after landmark ruling, interracial marriage
flourishing in U.S. SignOn San Diego- AP, By David Crary. April 13,
2007
– The charisma king of the
2008 presidential field. The world's best golfer. The captain of
the New York Yankees. Besides superstardom, Barack Obama, Tiger
Woods and Derek Jeter have another common bond: Each is the child
of an interracial marriage. For most of U.S. history, in most
communities, such unions were taboo. It was only 40 years ago – on
June 12, 1967 – that the U.S. Supreme Court knocked down a Virginia
statute barring whites from marrying nonwhites. The decision also
overturned similar bans in 15 other states. Since that landmark
Loving v. Virginia ruling, the number of interracial marriages has
soared; for example, black-white marriages increased from 65,000 in
1970 to 422,000 in 2005, according to Census Bureau figures.
Factoring in all racial combinations, Stanford University
sociologist Michael Rosenfeld calculates that more than 7 percent
of America's 59 million married couples in 2005 were interracial,
compared to less than 2 percent in 1970. . . . Opinion polls show
overwhelming popular support, especially among younger people, for
interracial marriage. That's not to say acceptance has been
universal. . . .
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- Parenting
Issues: Those Bawdy Bratz Babes Townhall.com, By Janice
Shaw Crouse, Thursday, April 12, 2007
I recently bought a doll for my 6-year-old granddaughter.
It was a really beautiful, expensive baby doll. She looked at the
doll; then laid it aside. To her mother’s dismay, she displayed
socially-incorrect behavior by firmly announcing, “I’m sorry, but
I’m way too old to play with that kind of doll.” Little girls don’t
get to “mother” their pretend babies any more; instead, they act
out today’s young adult values with the more popular “fashion
dolls.” Bratz dolls, those ghetto cool, sexualized dolls with
skimpy miniskirts, high-heel boots, pouty lips and ‘bad’ attitude,
are now the #1 doll in America, having pulled ahead of Barbie as
the most popular fashion-doll in the United States. One writer
explained that the dolls made little girls “sluts-in-training,”
another said they promoted “hooker chic” and another claimed that
they promoted “precocious sexuality.” MGA Entertainment, which
manufactures the dolls, spent $15 billion last year marketing to
children in the 70 countries where the doll is available. In spite
of the huge price tag for marketing to children, MGA Entertainment
reveals that their market research indicates that mothers of
pre-teens are the ones who are buying the Bratz dolls for their
little angels. . . .
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- Wife of Reality Show, Radio Star Danny
Bonaduce Seeks Divorce
FOX NEWS- AP, April 11,
2007
LOS ANGELES — Danny
Bonaduce, the radio and TV host whose marriage troubles were aired
in a TV reality show, says his wife of more than 16 years,
Gretchen, is seeking a divorce. "Apparently she went and signed
papers yesterday around noon," Bonaduce said Tuesday on KLSX-FM's
"The Adam Carolla Show." "I really don't want a divorce. I love
her," he said. . . .
|
- DNA Test Determines Larry Birkhead is the Biological
Father of Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter, Dannielynn Hope
Marshall ABC NEWS.com, By JESSICA ROBERTSON, April 10,
2007
— Anna Nicole Smith's former
boyfriend Larry Birkhead said Tuesday that DNA tests have proven he
is the father of her infant daughter. Birkhead emerged from a
closed court hearing to announce the results. Smith's companion,
Howard K. Stern, has been caring for the girl, Dannielynn, who
could inherit a fortune in the wake of her mother's February death.
After the hearing, Stern said he would not fight for custody. An
expert in genetic evidence said the DNA analysis has proven
Birkhead is Dannielynn's father. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: DNA
Test: Birkhead Is Dannielynn's
Father People magazine, By Stephen M. Silverman, April 10,
2007
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- Jail threat for Liz and hubby as in-laws rage over their
religious violations The Daily Mail- UK, By CLEMMIE MOODIE, April 10,
2007
When her in-laws
disowned her just weeks after her wedding, Liz Hurley could have
been forgiven for thinking the worst was over. But it may be yet to
come. Miss Hurley, 41, and her husband Arun Nayar, have been
accused of breaching Hindu customs with their Indian wedding – an
allegation that could technically put them in jail. And to make
matters worse, it appears that Arun's father Vinod is willing to
testify against them. . . . .Their £2million magazine deal with
Hello!, which helped to cover the cost of the wedding, may be used
as evidence against the couple. Prosecuting lawyer HM Saraswat
said: "An arrest warrant could be issued for Arun and Liz as soon
as the prosecution has made its case – either because they are
summonsed to give evidence or they have been found guilty. . . .
.
RELATED ARTICLE: Father
disowns Arun Nayar after being "humiliated" at
wedding Hindustan Times- Press Trust of India, April 8,
2007
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- Death of the £100m conman who sacked his staff by text
message The Daily Mail- UK, By FIONA BARTON, April 10,
2007
Mansions in Britain and Spain. A
£1.5m yacht. Parties with Bill Clinton.And a Bentley with the
number plate CLA 1M. Mark Langford built his fortune on "no win, no
fee" cases and, when his lawfirm crashed, sacked all 2,500 staff by
text. This week, abandoned by his wife, he died at the wheel of a
cheap hire car. . . . But to those whose fate was tied to the
fortunes of Mark Langford, it marks the end of an astonishing story
of one man's excessive greed and extravagance. For Langford was one
of Britain's most notorious - and crooked - businessmen, who
infamously sacked 2,500 employees by text message when his
insurance company collapsed owing £100million. The fact that he
died from massive head injuries at the wheel of a cheap hire car
rather than his Bentley with its number plate CLA 1M was proof of
just how far he had fallen. . . .
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- Cancer
woman loses her four-year battle to use frozen
embryos The Daily
Mail- UK, April 10, 2007
Natallie Evans, who was left
infertile after cancer therapy, has lost her fight at the European
Court of Human Rights to become a mother using frozen embryos
fertilised by her ex-partner. Ms Evans, who underwent IVF as she
fought ovarian cancer, has spent years battling through the courts
to stop the embryos being destroyed. Ms Evans, 34, from Melksham,
Wiltshire, had viewed this final appeal as her "last chance". Ms
Evans said in a statement she was "distraught" at the court's
decision. Today's ruling means the six embryos have to be
destroyed. . . . . Anna Smajdor, researcher in medical ethics at
Imperial College, London, said: "As a society we are obsessed with
the idea that shared genes are the essence of parenthood. "Ms
Evans' ex-partner does not want to be a father and this apparently
gives him the right to destroy these embryos simply because they
contain some of his genes. "There is something deeply amiss here.
Ms Evans is not allowed to have her embryos implanted without her
ex's consent, yet he - effectively - is allowed to have them
destroyed without hers. . . . .
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- How Wives Can Kill Their Marriage: The Final
Straw TownHall.com, By Doug Giles, April 7, 2007
I think the world
is coming to an end. I didn’t come to this conclusion simply
because a lot of people actually read and like my column, but
primarily because of the tons of positive emails I’m getting from
former livid ladies confessing their remorse for their previous
acts of husband hating. It’s crazy. It must be global warming
causing all these ex-ice queens to melt and warm up to their men.
See, global warming ain’t all that bad, Al. Anyway, enough of the
happy crap. . . . I want to continue to feed the wives who want to
snuff the life out of their marriage and make that thing more
tedious that listening to Sanjaya sing, “Riders on the
Storm.” Having covered “nag your husband and disparage him in
public” in part one and “how to drive him nuts by short leashing
him, becoming a drama queen, hating his friends and hating his
hobbies” in part two, I now offer you (the bellicose beastesses of
husband hatred) the final four fundamentals that will make your
husband prefer being bitten on the crotch by a black mamba to your
blah, blah, blah. . . .
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- 7/7/7 is the date to we this
year UK
Express- UK, By Emma Bamford, April 7, 2007
The most popular day to get married
this year is July 7 – or 07/07/07. The date, a Saturday in wedding
high season, has seen thousands of couples scrambling to book
venues, convinced it is a lucky day to tie the knot. . . .
Desperate Housewives babe Eva Longoria is among the 07/07/07
brides-to-be. She is expected to wed basketball star Tony Parker of
the San Antonio Spurs at a castle in France. Seven is seen as a
lucky number because it has a special meaning of perfection in
mythology and astronomy. There are the seven seas, seven virtues,
seven Wonders of the World as well as repeated references in the
Bible – seven days of creation, the seven stars and the blessing of
the seventh day, making Sunday a day of rest. Couples choosing the
date have claimed it is lucky because it only comes around once
every 100 years. And brides-to-be are joking that it is the only
way of ensuring their other halves remember anniversaries. . .
.
RELATED ARTICLE: The
Most Popular Wedding Date? AOL Personals
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- Disney's Theme Weddings Come True for Gay Couples
Company Expands Access to Lavish
Package Washington
Post, By Frank Ahrens, April 7, 2007
Same-sex weddings are coming out
at Disneyland. Walt Disney Co. said yesterday that gay
couples can buy the company's high-end Fairy Tale Wedding package
that allows them to exchange vows at Disney's theme parks and
aboard its cruise ships, starting about $4,000 per wedding.
Same-sex couples have been allowed to use facilities on Disney
grounds, such as banquet halls and conference rooms, for commitment
ceremonies. But now, same-sex couples have access to the very
public elements of the Fairy Tale Wedding plan, which includes a
ceremony at one of the parks' marriage pavilions; Disney costumed
characters at the reception; and a ride in a horse-drawn,
glass-enclosed carriage through Disney property. . . . Gay marriage
continues to be a politically heated issue. Last year, the Senate
voted down a constitutional amendment, backed by President Bush and
some conservative groups, to ban same-sex marriage. In 2004, the
California Supreme Court ruled that San Francisco Mayor Gavin
Newsom had overstepped his authority by issuing marriage licenses
to same-sex couples. Same-sex marriages are not legal in California
or Florida. The events for same-sex couples at Disney parks would
be commitment ceremonies. . . . .
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RELATED
ARTICLE: Disney does the right thing on same-sex
marriage AfterElton.com, By Michael Jensen, April 5, 2007
RELATED
ARTICLE: When
two bridegrooms go on honeymoon Mail
& Guardian Online, South Africa - By Hila Bouzaglou, Nov 22,
2006
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay
Marriage Advocates Don’t Want Tolerance, They Want Their Lifestyles
to Become Mainstream BlackAmericaWeb.com, By
Joseph C. Phillips, November 07,
2006
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- Not-so-naked truth
Indonesian Playboy's lingerie-clad freedom fighters
strike a blow for T&A over Muslim
hard-liners Chicago Sun Times, BY ANDREW HERRMANN AND RUMMANA
HUSSAIN, April 6, 2007
The old ad campaign used
to ask, "What kind of man reads Playboy?"
An Indonesian man might, after Thursday's dismissal of indecency
charges against the editor of a Jakarta-produced version of Playboy
there. In this clash of sexual sensibilities between the West and
Islam, the bunny won. Chicago-based Playboy called the decision
proof that "there is a market for a high-quality men's lifestyle
magazine" in Indonesia. The battle, though, served to illustrate
tensions between two cultures as Western entertainment corporations
try to expand while Islamic traditionalists push back. "American
popular culture challenges Islamism like no other force on the
planet,'' writes Sadanand Dhume, a scholar on Islam in Indonesia. .
. . . . Still, sexually charged materials can be seen as an
invitation to the Islam-prohibited "zina," or sex outside marriage,
according to Ruediger Seesemann, a Northwestern University religion
professor who holds a doctorate in Islamic studies. "It
undermines the morality and threatens the sexual order as it's
supposed to be according to Islam," he said. Islam isn't
necessarily anti-sexuality. The Prophet Muhammad spoke openly about
sex, including recommending the best time of day to have it and the
necessity for men to make sure it is pleasurable for women.
"Muslims are encouraged to enjoy sex but it has to take place
within the proper context'' -- within marriage, Seesemann said. . .
.
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- Evangelical Separation Anxiety: What the Bible says about
divorce Wall Street Journal- Opinion Journal, By DAVID
INSTONE-BREWER, April 6, 2007
. . . The
evangelical attempt to follow a literal interpretation of the Bible
has always been difficult in the face of the realities of modern
life. When Jesus was asked in the Gospels if he allowed "divorce
for any cause," he replied that anyone "who divorces his wife
except for sexual immorality and marries another woman commits
adultery" (Matthew 19:3). This admonition has long been interpreted
to mean that divorce, for Bible-based Christians, is allowed only
in cases of adultery. Even then, the spouse who has been faithful
is treated the same as the adulterer: Neither can remarry as long
as the other is alive. . . . As it happens, new scholarship
supports a slightly less strict biblical understanding of divorce
than the traditional one. Scrolls found near the Dead Sea, which
confirm indications found in ancient Jewish authors like Philo and
Josephus, show that the key phrase "any cause" was actually the
formal name of a type of divorce. That is, Jesus did not reject
divorce for any cause but rather, he rejected the "Any Cause"
divorce. . . .
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- Halle Berry: "We'll Redefine What Marriage
Is" Access
Hollywood, April 5, 2007
-- Fresh off of receiving her
star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Halle Berry sat down with
Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell to discuss the powerful position
she's at in her life, as well as her wishes for a family. . . . .
Halle's power stems not only from her talent, but also from her
passion, drive, and focus on what matters in her personal life.
After making it through two very public divorces, she's found a new
partner in Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, and while she has no
intention of getting married again, she says "I have a wonderful
guy in my life, and we'll redefine what marriage is." Part of that
definition surely includes having children, which Halle has made no
secret about wanting. She speaks of taking that next step: "Not
that there's not more to accomplish, but I think I arrived at a
point in life that I realized I needed more to get me up in the
morning. More than going to a new movie set. Or as much fun
as getting the star was yesterday, I need something even more
profound than that and that's family. And that's children. I need
that like the air to breathe these days and I'm ready. I'm at a
point where I'm really, really ready." . . . . .I finally realize
that real happiness starts with me. And I think I've spent a lot of
years looking for it externally. . . .
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- Lover must pay broker for claiming son was his The Telegraph, UK, By Amy Iggulden April 4, 2007
A woman who deceived her stockbroker boyfriend into believing he was the father of her son was yesterday ordered to pay him more than £22,000 in damages. A High Court judge ruled that the woman, now 46, had made "fraudulent representations" to her boyfriend after lying to him for five years about a one-night stand. Judge Sir John Blofeld told the court in London that it was impossible to accept her as "a witness of truth". In the first known case of its kind to reach trial in Britain, he awarded the 63-year-old former stockbroker just over £22,400, including £7,500 to compensate him for the distress he suffered when he discovered the boy was not his. "I am satisfied she intended her fraudulent representations to be acted on by Mr A," the judge said. "As a result of those fraudulent representations, he suffered damage." He said the man was not motivated to sue by revenge, but by the strong feeling that he had been "taken for a ride". . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Duped Dads Men Fight Centuries-Old Paternity Laws ABC News, By Geraldine Sealey, October 2, 2002
RELATED ARTICLES: Paternity Fraud and Children's Human Identity Rights Canadian Children's Rights Council
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- Paula Zahn Leaves Nest, Finds New
Mate Radar Online- Fresh Intelligence, April 4, 2007
Newswoman Paula
Zahn is making some sexy news of her own. The CNN star is divorcing
her husband of 20 years, real-estate developer Richard Cohen, and
is said to be seeing a new man, Conti Group CEO Paul Fribourg.
Speaking for both Zahn and Cohen, publicist Howard Rubenstein
confirmed, "They are planning to divorce." However, he added, "In
the interest of their children, they will not discuss it any
further." (The couple has three children; Fribourg has four of his
own.) Animal lovers may view the disruption of Zahn and Cohen's
domestic bliss as karmic payback. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Adultery Is Killing the American
Family The Conservative
Voice, By Nathan Tabor, Sept 22,
2005
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- Whitney Houston finalizes divorce, gets custody of
daughter Los Angeles Times,
By Christine Hanley, April 4, 2005
With R&B singer Bobby Brown a
no-show in court, an Orange County judge today granted Whitney
Houston a divorce and sole custody of their 14-year-old daughter.
During the 10-minute hearing, Houston testified that she didn't
need spousal or child support and that her daughter, Bobbi
Kristina, couldn't rely on Brown. "He's unreliable," said Houston,
dressed casually in jeans and a black hooded T-shirt. "If he says
he's going to come, something he does, usually he doesn't." At the
Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange, Judge Franz Miller ruled the
divorce will be effective April 24, six months after Houston filed
paperwork to end the marriage that began in 1992. Houston lives in
Laguna Hills, according to court documents. . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Judge
Approves Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown's
Divorce People magazine, By Howard Breuer and Amy Keith, April
04, 2007
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- Connecticut Lawmakers Attack Catholicism at Gay 'Marriage' Hearing LifeSite News.com, By John-Henry Westen, April 4, 2007
- On March 26, Brian Brown, Executive director of the Family Institute of Connecticut, testified before the judiciary committee of the state legislature in regard to House Bill 7395: An Act Concerning Marriage Equality. Representative Michael Lawlor, a proponent of homosexual 'marriage' repeatedly asserted falsely that Brown, a Catholic, believed homosexual people were intrinsically evil. Lawlor, joined by Senator Edwin Gomes continued this line of attack even after Brown repeatedly insisted that he agreed with the Catholic Church's position that homosexual acts, and not homosexual persons are intrinsically evil. Brown presented an admirable defense of his faith and his stand in favour of the traditional family based on rational argument. Nonetheless, the repeated and discourteous attacks by Lawlor and Gomes drew criticism from the Catholic League. The following is an edited transcript of the exchange:. . . .
RELATED VIDEO: Religious Liberty Under Fire YouTube.com— AirMaria.com
RELARED ARTICLE: Responding to Homosexuality & Gay Marriage: “Love the Sinner. Hate the Sin” The Real Proposal magazine, March 21, 2008
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
RELATED ARTICLE: Gay Marriage v. Religious Liberty National Review Online- The Corner- By Stanley Kurtz, May 8, 2006 |
- NH House passes civil unions for same-sex
couples Portsmouth Herald News- NH, By Beverley Wang. AP Writer,
April 4, 2007.
- The House took a historic step Wednesday toward
joining neighboring Vermont and a handful of other states in
approving civil unions for same-sex couples. The House voted
243-129 for civil unions that would give same-sex couples the same
rights, responsibilities, and obligations as married couples.
Same-sex unions from other states would be recognized if they were
legal in the state where they were performed. . . . The civil
unions bill now goes to the Senate, where Republican Bob Clegg has
proposed legalizing "contractual cohabitation" as an alternative.
His bill would give gays and other adults who don't choose to marry
the same legal rights as married couples. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Redefining marriage: A dangerous
gamble The
Union Leader- NH April 4, 2007
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- Same-sex marriage ban
defeated Indianapolis Star, By Bill Ruthhart, April 3,
2007
A proposed constitutional
amendment banning same-sex marriage failed on a tied vote today in
the House Rules and Legislative Procedure Committee, effectively
killing the amendment’s chances for this year. The issue, however,
could be resurrected for a second vote by lawmakers next year. One
Democrat joined four Republicans in supporting the amendment. The
Democrats who voted against the proposed amendment said they had no
problem with the first section of the amendment, which states that
marriage is between a man and a woman. Each said they believe in
that portion, but had concerns about the consequences of a second
section which states that no law can be construed as granting the
legal incidents of marriage to anyone other than a married man and
woman. . . . .
RELATED
ARTICLE: Austin’s
vote ends marriage amendment; emotional scene in Statehouse over
second provision The Herald Bulletin, By Steve Dick , April 4, 2007
- Romney: 1 man 1 woman The Union Leader- NH, By JOHN DISTASO, April 3,
2007
– Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt
Romney says his successor's decision to recognize the Bay State
marriages of out-of-state gay couples reinforces a need for a
federal constitutional amendment establishing marriage as being
between a man and a woman. "As the governor of Massachusetts
having seen the advent of same-sex marriage in my state, and
recognizing that with the new governor, people are going to be
coming to Massachusetts, getting married in Massachusetts and then
going home to their home states, it strikes me that you have to
have a national standard," the Republican Presidential candidate
said yesterday. Romney reacted to Massachusetts Gov. Deval
Patrick's move ordering state public health officials to record the
marriages of 26 out-of-state gay couples whose unions Romney had
blocked under the provisions of a 1913 state law. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Mass. Gov.
Reverses Romney Gay Marriage
Edict 365Gay.com, April 2, 2007
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- An
unhappy marriage is the best diet The Daily Mail- UK, By URSULA HIRSCHKORN, April 3,
2007
As Ursula Hirschkorn prepared for her big wedding day, she
went from a size 12 to a size six through an obsessive regime of
exercise and dieting. However she soon came to realise how futile
being slim is when you're married to the wrong man . . . . My first
husband, Paul, was a super-successful City lawyer and wanted the
arm candy to match. So, to keep him, I had to keep slim. We’d been
together for years. We met in the sixth form when a healthy
combination of clubbing, alcohol and cigarettes kept me to a trim
size 12. Not that I was really that bothered - I thought that Paul
was in love with me, not my dress size. It wasn’t until we decided
to name the day that my weight became an issue. . . . . Perhaps I
should have realised then that our union was doomed to fail. But
when the big day came, the sun shone, the bride was beautiful and
the husband rich - a recipe for success if ever I saw one. As we
drove away from our reception in a vintage Roller leaving our 200
guests sipping fizz in a billowing, rosedecked white marquee, I was
anticipating a fairytale future, complete with London pad, country
house and 2.4 Boden-clad kiddies. What more could a nice
middle-class girl wish for? . . . . .
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- Health & Parenting Issues: HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS
Controversy Over Shot To Ward Off Cervical
Cancer The Ledger, By Gary White, April 3, 2007
. . . .
Pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co. introduced Gardasil to the
American market less than a year ago. The vaccine, given in a
three-dose series over six months, protects against four prevalent
strains of HPV, a common virus that can cause cervical cancer. The
Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil for girls and women
ages 9 to 26, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
has recommended vaccinating girls at age 11 or 12. Though
health authorities hailed the vaccine's introduction, objections
have arisen because of HPV's mode of transmission: sexual contact.
Some parents and religious groups argue that vaccinating
12-year-old girls against a sexually transmitted disease implies
tacit approval for sexual activity and might yield a false sense of
invulnerability. . . . .Lawmakers in several states, including
Florida, have considered making the HPV vaccination mandatory, but
those efforts stalled amid a backlash against Merck's aggressive
lobbying campaign. At this point, doctors and parents are left to
decide about it. . . .
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RELATED ARTICLE: Some facts about HPV vaccine The Modesto Bee, April 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Cervical Cancer Vaccine To Be Studied Washington Post Blog- Maryland Moment, April 3, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Quick Cancer Vaccine Mandate Stirs Controversy Pew Research Center Publications, By Daniel C. Vock, April 2, 2007
RELATED ARTICLE: Generation Confused: Cancer vaccines, birth control, emergency contraception -- with all these options, are teens any sexually healthier? San Francisco Chronicle, By Heather Boerner, February 11, 2007
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- Ex-Spice Girl Mel B Gives Birth to
Girl Chicago Tribune- AP, April 3, 2007
-- Former Spice Girl Melanie
Brown has given birth to a daughter in California, her publicist
said Tuesday. The baby, who weighs 5 pounds, 4 ounces, was born
just after midnight Tuesday at St. John's hospital in Santa Monica,
said Nadine Bibi in an e-mail. "Baby is completely healthy with a
good head of hair. Mother and baby are now resting," the statement
said. "No name has been decided on as yet, and (she) is purely
known as Baby Brown!" Brown has said ex-boyfriend Eddie Murphy is
the father. The 46-year-old "Dreamgirls" star has said he's not
sure. Brown has said there's "absolutely no question that Eddie is
the father." . . . .
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- Mass. Gov. Reverses Romney Gay Marriage
Edict 365Gay.com, April 2, 2007
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) has reversed an order
imposed by his Republican predecessor that saw the marriages of 26
out-of-state same-sex couples set aside. After same-sex
marriage became legal in Massachusetts then-Gov. Mitt Romney
invoked a 1913 law that said marriage licenses could not be issued
to couples whose weddings would be illegal in the states where they
lived. Four counties refused to abide by the old law, enacted at a
time when interracial marriage was illegal in most of the country
and not used for decades. Twenty-six gay couples were married
in those jurisdictions before Romney ordered the attorney general
to prosecute the local clerks. Romney then ordered the
marriages not to be registered in the state's vital records. . . .
But it does not mean same-sex couples from across the country can
immediately go to Massachusetts and obtain marriage licenses. "The
1913 law remains in effect," Sullivan told 365Gay.com. It would
take passage of a repeal of the old law by the legislature for out
of state gay marriages to be legal, with the exception of same-sex
couples from Rhode Island. Meanwhile, a proposed amendment that
would end same-sex marriage in Massachusetts is headed for a vote
in a joint session of the legislature later this year. . .
.
RELATED
ARTICLE: New
Senate President backs repeal of law banning nonresident
marriages Boston Globe, By Lisa Wangsness and Andrea Estes, April
3, 2007
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- Romney to the Rescue: Mitt Romney's Got the Right Stuff for
2008 NewsMax.com, By Ronald Kessler, April 2007
Issue
. . . . . In December 2006, Bay
Windows, a Boston-based gay and lesbian newspaper, republished
excerpts from an interview it did with Romney in which he stated
that the gay and lesbian community "needs more support from the
Republican Party" and that it should be up to the states to decide
whether to allow same-sex marriage. A letter he wrote to a pro-gay
organization also surfaced, in which Romney said he supported "full
equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens." When Romney made
the comments in 1994, gay marriage had not yet become a serious
issue. But in 2003, when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,
in a 4-3 decision, ruled that marriage in the commonwealth would no
longer be limited to unions between men and women, Romney pushed
for an amendment to the state constitution that would outlaw gay
marriage. . . . . Romney's position is the same one
staked out by President Bush. "At the same time, I believe that
marriage should be reserved for a relationship between one man and
one woman. For me, that's not a matter of discrimination," Romney
adds. . . . .
RELATED ARTICLE: Romney said the people, not courts, should define
civil rights Boston Globe.com, By Steve-LeBlanc- AP, June 28,
2006
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