by Bob Roehr
WASHINGTON, DC –
It's back – the fringe right is trying yet again to amend the U.S. Constitution to save the nation from the scourge of same-sex marriage. The "Marriage Protection Amendment," HJ 89, was introduced in the House on May 22.
"If you haven't heard about this, it is because the liberal media opposes it. So if they simply refuse to report it, citizens will know nothing about it and will not act on it," American Family Association chairman Donald E. Wildmon wrote to his loyal minions from Tupelo, Mississippi.
"A Federal Marriage Amendment will finally put an end to activist judges tampering with the will of the people," he proclaimed. Not surprisingly, Wildmon also asked for money.
The lead sponsor is Paul C. Broun (R-Georgia)one of the most junior members of the chamber. He won a special election last July. There are 38 cosponsors, all Republicans, mainly from safe reelection districts and south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Three notable exceptions are Californians Brian Bilbray, Duncan Hunter and Gary Miller.
The lead sponsor of earlier incarnations of the amendment, Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colorado) said after the amendment was twice defeated and Democrats regained control of the House that it was useless to pursue the matter further. She is not a cosponsor of this latest effort.
No version has been introduced in the Senate. Former lead sponsor Wayne Allard (R-Colorado) is retiring.
The Family Research Council hasn't even gotten around to alerting its members to the amendment. Evidently they don't want to divert attention from the tizzy over gay marriage in California.
