State Representative Bob McDermott calls for constitutional vote on same-sex marriage
News Release from Office of Rep Bob McDermott Sept 25, 2013
Bob McDermott stated the following, “Since the Governor called a special session, I have organized a group of community leaders who want the matter of same sex marriage put to a vote of the people via a Constitutional Amendment. To this end, we will be hosting a rally on Monday October 28th from 4 PM to 7 PM at the State Capitol
October 28th, the day the special session convenes, will feature speakers in support of letting the public be heard on these major issues. Our theme is a positive democratic message of "Let the People Decide." The constitution provides us this tool in order to address major societal changes. This fits the bill.
I decided to do this after a brief conversation with the Governor. When I asked the Gov., 'Based on your reasoning that Same-Sex Marriage is a civil right, then how can you disenfranchise a bi-sexual from marrying the people he/she loves? I was shocked by his response: "I fully expect a lawsuit to be filed in about a year." I assume that since this is a now considered a civil right by the left, all sorts of relationships will be legitimized as marriage including polygamy, polyamorous arrangements and others. After all, how can you deny any group their civil rights?
I then told him that there are untended consequences of this legislation. For example, Dick and Jane books with a mom and dad will have to either be pulled from the schools or show homosexual couples, thereby inculcating our youth that this is a healthy, wholesome lifestyle with the moral equivalent of traditional marriage. I guaranteed him that someone will file a lawsuit demanding to be included as another variant for legally defined marriage. The Gov. said “that was an issue for the Board of Education....besides...if we wanted reality; the books should show the majority of children with single moms.”
I was in legislature 1998. The people thought they were addressing the question once and for all. However, the horrible language that was foisted upon the people by an intransigent Senate Judiciary committee at the time left us with no choice but to accept the amendment. This explains the mess we are in today. The 1998 amendment reads: The legislature shall have the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. On November 3, 1998, Hawaii voters approved the amendment by a vote of 69.2–28.6%, and the state legislature exercised its power to ban same-sex marriage.
Now on the heels of the Supreme Court's recent DOMA rulings, the left is feeling empowered and the Democrat-controlled legislature (7 R’s out 51 in the State House; 1 out of 25 in the State Senate) are set to pass same sex marriage in a special session called by Governor Neil Abercrombie.
The bill to legalize same-sex marriage is being done quickly and sneakily as they know the people, given the chance to speak, will not approve it. There will be no amendments to the Gov.’s Bill, only an up or down vote. A real tragedy.
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