US Supreme Court Ruling Keeps Alaska in Driver Seat to Define Marriage
Photo Credit: dmcdevit
Thank God we as citizens of Alaska ignored the advice of those who said we should wait for the Court to determine what this essential institution means.
Although you will hear from most media sources that DOMA was dismantled today, Justice Kennedy, acknowledges in his majority opinion the inherent right of individual states to define and regulate marriage as they see fit.
For most Americans, the big picture is more of what the Court did not do:
*It did not create a constitutional right to same-sex marriage as it did for abortion in 1973.
*It also did not declare same-sex marriage a civil right on the order of ethnicity or nationality.
The critical role of natural marriage is not diminished by these rulings today. The essential need for children to have both a married mother and father is not lessened by the opinions of five unelected black robes on the U.S. Supreme Court. The work of Alaska Family Action to strengthen marriage and families continues, as well.
Now more than ever, Alaskans must not stay silent on cherishing and promoting the truth of natural marriage. Whatever journalists, intellectuals and other elites may tell us, the only way to guarantee future political losses is to sit idly by.
We must step up and frame our message, strengthen our coalitions, devise strategies and bear witness to a culture looking for answers.
Though Alaska Family Action disagrees with aspects of the Court’s decision, we are grateful that the Court did not undermine the will of Alaska voters who defined marriage in our State Constitution.
In DOMA, we believe that the court erred in claiming that a state that has redefined marriage can force that definition on the federal government for purposes of federal marriage laws.
In Prop 8, the court has ensured that the state-by-state debate about marriage is allowed to continue. Truly the debate over marriage has just begun.
Marriage is more than just a personal promise, it serves a public purpose. It is society’s best guarantee of a limited government that stays out of family life. Social science data has proved this time and time again.
Alaska Family Action is committed to continuing to stand for marriage and to defeat any efforts to redefine this essential union.
Stay tuned and stay engaged.
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Thank you for your interest in the Alaska Family Action. We are an Alaska-based pro-family, public policy organization formed to provide a voice on social and cultural issues impacting Alaskan families. We are funded entirely by the generous contributions of individual Alaskans who believe in helping us to compete in the marketplace of ideas. By strengthening families in Alaska through informed citizenship, community involvement and improved public policy, the Alaska Family Action intends on being engaged in the important issues of our day on a long-term, ongoing basis. We look forward to serving you and ask you to join us financially, prayerfully and as an active volunteer partner.
Standing for families,
Jim Minnery
President