Subject:
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Liberarian presidential candidate stance on Marriage Amendment defeat
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 22 Jul 2004 16:40:51 GMT
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Viewed:
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804 times
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Reproduced without explicit permission, but hey, it's a press release, that's
the idea.
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NEWS FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY
2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20037
World Wide Web: http://www.LP.org
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For release: July 15, 2004
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For additional information:
George Getz, Communications Director
Phone: (202) 333-0008
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Badnarik applauds Senate rejection
of GOP-led measure to ban gay marriage
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Senate did the right thing on Wednesday by
rejecting a proposal to ban gay marriage, says Libertarian presidential
candidate Michael Badnarik, because the government has no business
further interfering in what should be a purely religious or civil
ceremony.
"When two people say 'I do,' the government has no business saying: 'Oh
no you don't!'" Badnarik says. "Politicians don't get to decide whose
baby can get baptized, who can receive Holy Communion or who can get bar
mitzvahed -- and they shouldn't get to decide who gets married, either."
The measure to allow a vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to
define marriage, supported by President Bush and most Republicans,
failed in the U.S. Senate, getting just 48 of the 60 necessary votes.
The drive to amend the Constitution -- and thereby override state court
rulings allowing gay marriage -- was sparked by a Massachusetts Supreme
Court ruling earlier this year that said gay couples have a right to
wed.
Libertarians applaud the Senate vote because decisions about marriage
are far too important to be left in the hands of the government.
"Marriage should be decided by individuals or by churches and other
voluntary, civil organizations -- and certainly not by politicians
posturing for votes in an election year," Badnarik says. "The
institution of marriage is a building block of a civilized society,
which is exactly why we have to keep the destructive hand of government
away from it."
Government involvement in marriage had an ugly beginning, Badnarik
noted.
"The only reason that marriage licenses even exist is that state and
local governments once mandated them as a way to enforce laws against
interracial marriage," he said. "In other times and places, marriage
licenses were denied to interracial or other politically incorrect
couples, just as they can be denied to gay couples today."
As long as any governmental group -- federal, state or local -- controls
marriage, controversy will erupt, Badnarik pointed out, because
politicians will always have something to gain by favoring one group
over another.
The Libertarian solution: Turn decisions on marriage over to "a higher
authority" -- namely, churches, other voluntary organizations and
individuals.
"Just as the Catholic Church has historically disdained divorce among
its congregation, so too will some religious groups refuse to bless gay
unions," he said.
"Both those who support and those who condemn gay marriage will be free
to practice their beliefs and persuade others to their way of thinking.
Each individual will be free to choose. Isn't that what America's all
about?"
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