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“I marched and many other thousands of people marched in this same location years ago on the claim that we were being discriminated against, and today the other community is trying to say that they are suffering the same thing that we suffered, but I tell you they are not,” said Owens, who gathered on the National Mall with other traditional marriage supporters in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act.
The Supreme Court met Tuesday to consider Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. However, the Associated Press reported that the high court could dismiss the case with no ruling at all. Owens said that as a black man, he cannot change the color of his skin. “Every morning I wake up, I look in the mirror, and I see a black man, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the color of my skin,” he said.
Owens said there is no comparing the gay community’s fight for marriage equality and the black community’s civil rights movement. “They are not suffering what we suffered, and I sympathize with people who face discrimination. Every person should be treated with dignity and respect, but what they’re going through does not compare to what we went through,” Owens said. “There is no comparison, and for many years, the African-American family and community have been under assault from all sides – abortion, single family households, poverty and a failing education system,” he added.
Owens said for the gay community to try to change the definition of marriage will be “devastating to all of our families.” “Perhaps, you were not old enough to be with me in the civil rights movement in the late 50s or the early 60s, but I’m marching again, and this time I’m marching to defend marriage between a man and a woman,” he concluded.
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A spokesperson for the court did not respond to questions about a potential conflict for Roberts. “I know that my cousin is a good man,” Jean Podrasky, 48, of San Francisco wrote. “I feel confident that John is wise enough to see that society is becoming more accepting of the humanity of same-sex couples and the simple truth that we deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality under the law. “I believe he understands that ruling in favor of equality will not be out of step with where the majority of Americans now sit. I am hoping that the other justices (at least most of them) will share this view, because I am certain that I am not the only relative that will be directly affected by their rulings,” she added.
In her op-ed, Podrasky cited Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as a policymaker who was persuaded on the matter because of a family member who was gay. “Ohio Senator Rob Portman’s recent change of heart got me thinking a little more about family relationships and the impact that living your life proudly, and honestly, may have on those who have yet to become allies,” Podrasky wrote. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear a case on California’s Proposition 8 regarding the state’s voter-approved ban on gay marriage. On Wednesday, the high court hears arguments about the federal Defense of Marriage Act, the Clinton-era law that recognizes marriage as only between one man and one woman for federal government purposes.
CNSNews.com contacted the chief justice’s office, which referred the call to the Supreme Court public information office. CNSNews.com asked for confirmation of a story first reported by the Los Angeles Times that Podrasky and her partner would be at the hearing in seating reserved for family members and guests of Chief Justice Roberts. CNSNews.com also asked if so, whether Roberts potentially would have a personal interest in the outcome of the case. A spokesperson did not have a comment on the matter at press time. A staffer at the public information office told CNSNews.com in the morning and again in the late afternoon that Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg had the questions.
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I cant wait for the liberal advocacy groups to defend this behavior!
Vegas woman arrested for sex with pit bull - WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports
Granny says, "Amen, Rev., Amen!...
Civil Rights Activist: No Comparison Between Civil Rights, Gay Rights Movement
March 26, 2013 Civil rights activist Rev. William Owens, who is founder and president of the Coalition of African-American Pastors, said Tuesday there is no comparison between the civil rights movement and the gay communitys fight for same-sex marriage.
I marched and many other thousands of people marched in this same location years ago on the claim that we were being discriminated against, and today the other community is trying to say that they are suffering the same thing that we suffered, but I tell you they are not, said Owens, who gathered on the National Mall with other traditional marriage supporters in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act.
The Supreme Court met Tuesday to consider Proposition 8, Californias ban on same-sex marriage. However, the Associated Press reported that the high court could dismiss the case with no ruling at all. Owens said that as a black man, he cannot change the color of his skin. Every morning I wake up, I look in the mirror, and I see a black man, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the color of my skin, he said.
Owens said there is no comparing the gay communitys fight for marriage equality and the black communitys civil rights movement. They are not suffering what we suffered, and I sympathize with people who face discrimination. Every person should be treated with dignity and respect, but what theyre going through does not compare to what we went through, Owens said. There is no comparison, and for many years, the African-American family and community have been under assault from all sides abortion, single family households, poverty and a failing education system, he added.
Owens said for the gay community to try to change the definition of marriage will be devastating to all of our families. Perhaps, you were not old enough to be with me in the civil rights movement in the late 50s or the early 60s, but Im marching again, and this time Im marching to defend marriage between a man and a woman, he concluded.
Source
I cant wait for the liberal advocacy groups to defend this behavior!
Vegas woman arrested for sex with pit bull - WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, Sports
She may be able to get married to the pit bull pretty soon.
“There weren’t any real surprises. On the issue of gay rights, African-Americans are far more conservative on that issue than I think the general population, so that wasn’t a surprise,” Johnson, who is also founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, said Tuesday at the National Press Club when asked what findings surprised him most. “We had another question that we … didn’t put in the speech: Did African-Americans believe that gay rights are the same as equal rights for African-Americans, and surprisingly they shared the view that gays can make the argument that their rights are tantamount to African-Americans, equal with civil rights,” Johnson, who is also founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, said Tuesday at the National Press Club when asked what findings surprised him most.
Johnson’s remark on gay rights contradicted the section of his own poll on equal rights for gays, which found that in fact, 55 percent of those surveyed said no when asked, “Do you believe that equal rights for gays are the same as equal rights for African Americans.” In contrast, 28 percent said yes. That’s almost two to one who said that equal rights for the gay community is no the same as equal rights for blacks.
However, respondents were basically split on the issue of gay marriage. When asked, “Do you believe marriage should be restricted to between a man and a woman or do you believe that persons of the same sex should be allowed to marry and receive similar benefits as heterosexual couples,” 42 percent said marriage should be between a man and woman, while 40 percent said same-sex couples should be allowed to marry with benefits.
Respondents were also asked: “Do you believe ministers who oppose homosexuality, including the rights of gays and lesbians to marry are right, wrong, or no opinion.” A majority of respondents (35 percent) had no opinion, but 34 percent said ministers were right to oppose homosexuality and gay marriage, and 31 percent said ministers were wrong. The poll was conducted through online survey of 1,002 African-American adults, and calls were made Feb. 14 – 20, 2013. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
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“Congress could have achieved exactly what it achieved under Section 3 by excising the term ‘married’ from the United States Code and replacing it with something more neutral,” Alito said. “It could have said ‘certified domestic units,’ and then defined this in exactly the way that Section 3 -- exactly the way DOMA defines ‘marriage.’ At issue is Section 3 of the law, under the definition of marriage: “In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word 'marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”
Alito’s remarks came after Justice Anthony Kennedy asked Paul Clement, the attorney representing the House members who want to preserve DOMA, if the federal government has the authority to regulate marriage. “And it doesn't have the authority to regulate marriages, as such, but that's not what DOMA does,” Clement said. “DOMA provides certain -- DOMA defines a term as it appears in federal statutes, many of those federal statutes provide benefits. “Some of those federal statutes provide burdens,” Clement said. “Some of those Federal statutes provide disclosure obligations.” “Well, Congress could have achieved exactly what it achieved under Section 3 by excising the term ‘married’ from the United States Code and replacing it with something more neutral,” Alito said. “It could have said ‘certified domestic units,’ and then defined this in exactly the way that Section 3 -- exactly the way DOMA defines ‘marriage.’
Clement disagreed. “That would make no difference, Justice Alito,” Clement said. “It does -- the hypothetical helpfully demonstrates, though, that when the federal Government is defining this term as it appears in the federal Code, it is not regulating marriage as such. “And it is important to recognize that people that are married in their state, based on either the legislative acts or by judicial recognition, remain married for purposes of state law,” Clement said. The attorney representing the lesbian woman whose suit sparked the legal challenge to DOMA and the Obama Department of Justice, which announced in 2011 that it would no longer defend the law, both claimed in the oral arguments on Wednesday that DOMA discriminates against same-sex couples who are legally married in the nine states and the District of Columbia where it is legal.
On Tuesday, the court heard arguments in the Dennis Hollingsworth v. Kristin Perry case, a challenge to Proposition 8, an amendment to the California State Constitution voted into law in 2008 that defined marriage as the union between one man and one woman. In a challenge to the law, an appellate court ruled it unconstitutional, and advocates for the law sought a review by the Supreme Court. A decision in both cases is expected by June.
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