Today's Marriage Amendment Vote Defeat for Homosexual Lobby

So, contrary to all expectations, the Legislature actually voted twice today to push the marriage amendment forward into the next session. Some observations on the day at the State House:

(1) It is unlikely that the vote would have happened today had it not been for the pending lawsuits against the 109 Legislators who were refusing to follow the Constitutional requirement to vote on the citizens' petition. These lawsuits are part of a more assertive, confrontational approach certain pro-family activists have been advocating for the past few years.

(2) Governor-elect Deval Patrick was lobbying today at the State House for the Legislators to again adjourn, and defy their constitutional duty to vote on the citizens' petition. So he's already proven he doesn't respect the Constitution. Not a good start. From the AP story:

Gay rights activists and Democratic Gov.-elect Deval Patrick called on the Legislature to let the measure die without a vote....

Earlier in the day, the governor-elect, who supports gay marriage, met with the leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature to argue against a vote, calling it a "question of conscience." Patrick charged that the amendment process was being used to "consider reinserting discrimination into the constitution."

"This is not just another question for popular decision. This is a question, under the equal protection clause, about what freedoms the minority is entitled to," Patrick said.

(3) This was a major blow to the GLBT lobby. Arline Isaacson appears to be barely holding back her tears in the AP photo. But instead of MassEquality closing down (as they speculated they might do after their "victory" in November), we'll have to put up with them for the foreseeable future. Millions will flow into the state to fight the amendment.

(4) The homosexual activists outside on the street had apparently been given orders to tone down their thuggish behavior, after reports and videos of their behavior in November. They were fewer in number and relatively subdued. Inside (in the Gardner Auditorium) after their defeat, they sang defiant songs including "We Shall Overcome" -- still trying to make us believe this is a matter of civil rights, rather than the normalization of perversion.

SJC Admits It Could Not Have Forced "Gay Marriage"

We'll remind the nation one last time before he leaves office: Governor Mitt Romney was responsible for starting homosexual "marriage" in Massachusetts. Last week's ruling by the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court implicitly confirms that their Goodridge ruling alone could not have begun the "marriages".

The Court acknowledged last week that it cannot order the other two branches to do anything, that separation of powers means it cannot order the Legislature to vote on the marriage amendment (even though Article 48 of the state constitution clearly states they must vote).

Meanwhile, all the fuss today is over the Legislature's dereliction of its constitutional duty. But what about Romney? See today's WorldNetDaily for a summary by John Haskins, writer with MassResistance. From "Family group: Mitt Romney chose 'gay' marriage; Activist says Massachusetts court admits it couldn't force change" (WorldNetDaily, 1-2-07):

" ... Mitt Romney, no less than anyone, is subverting the Constitution day by day, having ordered public officials to solemnize sodomy marriages though they remain illegal," Haskins told WND. "On Mitt Romney's order alone, town clerks and justices of the peace are compelled to violate the Constitution they swore to uphold and the statute – which remains among the Massachusetts General Laws."

He said the early advice from conservative activists – for Romney to just ignore the court's conclusion – was the right one. "Hiding in Wednesday's ruling like an elephant in a courtroom is still more proof that Romney had a choice. The court has admitted, as it does whenever it really doesn't want to order the Legislative or Executive branches to obey the Constitution, that it actually can't."

"If there were no Massachusetts Constitution, no other proof of the high crime of Mitt Romney – this ruling proves that Mitt Romney had a choice and he chose wrong. He imposed homosexual marriage illegally, using the Goodridge decision as a smokescreen. No court forced anything on him, nor did they have any such authority, and that historic admission is implicit in this ruling," Haskins said.

Governor Romney: Defend the Constitution!

DEFENDING THE CONSTITUTION OF MASSACHUSETTS

at the State House, Boston, November 19, 2006

[photo (c) 2006 MassResistance]

Romney's Sparse Statements While Imlplementing "Gay Marriages"

Governor Romney could have used the "bully pulpit" to address homosexual "marriage", and halt the insanity overtaking the Commonwealth in the Spring of 2004. But he NEVER did. Rather, he avoided public comment. He often sent his spokesman out, not matter how highly significant the question.

11-18-03 “I disagree with the Supreme Judicial Court. Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. I will support an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution to make that expressly clear. Of course, we must provide basic civil rights and appropriate benefits to nontraditional couples, but marriage is a special institution that should be reserved for a man and a woman.”

3-26-04 The “president of the Massachusetts Towns Clerks' Association, said she notified clerks this week about the training after she was informed about it during a visit by an official from the state's Registry of Vital Records and Statistics, the division within the state Department of Public Health that oversees the issuance of marriage licenses…. But a spokeswoman for Romney, who as head of the executive branch of government controls the Department of Public Health, declined yesterday to acknowledge that the training was scheduled…. Romney would not publicly comment on whether he will ask the SJC to stay its decision until after the Constitutional Convention, which will reconvene next week…. State officials also are preparing forms, scheduled to be available by May 17, with gender-appropriate language for same-sex couples who request marriage licenses, Hutchenrider [Town Clerks’ Assoc.] said. "The attorneys are going over them," she said. (Boston Globe) [That would mean the Governor’s attorneys…]

3-31-04 “Romney reiterated his commitment Tuesday to abide by the law of the land as it exists on May 17 and said he would not order city clerks to defy the court edict. There is a section in the state constitution that gives the governor the power to weigh in on the "causes of marriage," but Romney said he had not explored whether this clause gives him any legal power to stop gay marriages.” (AP, 3-31-04) [Meanwhile, his attorneys were busy preparing the new “marriage” licenses and training sessions.]

4-15-04 Statement by Romney on Filing Emergency Bill to Seek Goodridge Stay: Romney said the legislation “will allow me to protect the integrity of the constitutional process” and “preserve the right of the citizens to make this decision rather than having it made for them by the Court.” Meanwhile, the Registry of Vital Records and Statistics will today release a letter to city and town clerks notifying them of regional information sessions that will provide a forum for instructions on how to proceed with gay marriage should the Governor be unsuccessful in obtaining a stay of the Goodridge decision. [Governor’s office]

5-17-04 On the day homosexual “marriages” began, Romney said, “I intend to follow the law and expect others to do the same.” [What law? The marriage statute had not changed.]