As was widely anticipated, President Obama’s “evolution” on the marriage question has now reached its final resting place in the gay lobby camp. But the political consequences are not so clear and the electoral rout which the other convert to the redefinition of marriage cause, Britain’s David Cameron, experienced at the polls last week might be worrying him. But really, given his imprisonment – not necessarily an unwilling confinement – by the ultra liberal caucus, he had little choice as to which side of the fence he was ultimately going to choose.
Political observers in Britain are already speculating that the coalition government there, following the disastrous showing in last week’s nation-wide local elections, rewrote the content of yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, the speech written by the Prime Minister but read by the Queen to Parliament and outlining the forthcoming legislative plans. “Gay marriage” was not mentioned in the speech.
However, it does not mean the plan has been abandoned. The Chancellor, George Osborne, said the “reform” plans were being postponed in favour of “the things that really matter” to voters, namely the economy. Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone assured the gay lobby that there will be “no U-turn,” saying it will be brought in as promised by 2015. The are proceeding with their strange consultation. “There was never any plan to include equal civil marriage in this year’s Queen’s Speech. Our consultation is still ongoing and it’s important we listen to people’s views.” People are not being consulted as to whether or not they want marriage redefined, just about how they want it redefined.
Polls, however make it clear that they do not want it redefined at all. The petition to retain the traditional definition of marriage promoted by the Coalition for Marriage has already gained more than half a million signatures. A counter-petition by homosexual campaigners have just 53,000, a number that broadly reflects the demographic electoral balance according to polls.
Gerald Howarth, a government minister, laid the blame for the local election disaster directly at the feet of the “gay marriage” plan that he said was a “distraction” that has alienated the party’s traditional base. “A lot of Conservatives have written to me saying ‘I am a lifelong Conservative, there is no mandate for this, why is this being proceeded with?’” he said in the London Independent after the election.
The next British general election is due in three years’ time and if these election results were replicated then the two Coalition parties would be all but annihilated. Already a good number of their M.Ps.are sitting in seats in which they have very narrow majorities.
President Obama’s test is not so far away and the signs from North Carolina should be giving him equal pause for thought. However, he is now caught in a trap and there is nothing for it but to keep going.
The landslide victory in North Carolina for Amendment One is seen by the pro marriage camp as proof that the gay ‘marriage’ battle is not a foregone conclusion. Amendment One, the Defense of Marriage Act, passed on Tuesday by 61 percent to 39 percent. The amendment passed in 93 of the state’s 100 counties. Obama campaign spokesman Cameron French said on Tuesday that the president was “disappointed” with the outcome. Well he might be. Obama narrowly carried North Carolina in 2008.
Peter LaBarbera, president of the family values group, Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), told LifeSiteNews the vote’s impact is “huge.” “The thrust of the message from the other side is that the homosexual issue is over. How dare you still disagree with us?” LaBarbera said. “Now we’ve got 61 percent of the people in a lopsided campaign with (enormous) media bias and all the advantages that the gay side had, and we won… The debate is not over,” he added.
The amendment stated, “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” The amendment also strikes down unmarried heterosexual unions. The estimated number of such couples ranged from 150,000 to 200,000 in North Carolina. “We are not anti-gay – we are pro-marriage,” said Tami Fitzgerald, chairwoman of Vote FOR Marriage NC.
Former President Bill Clinton, who when in the White House signed the Defense of Marriage Act, opposed Amendment One. The governor of the State, Bev Perdue said that the amendment would be “bad for business” and “hurt our brand.” She labelled its supporters “extremists” and the measure “an amendment that pushes North Carolina backwards.”
But 93-year-old North Carolina native Billy Graham supported the amendment. American Family Radio host Bryan Fischer said, “If you are looking to gain political support, there are a lot of worse places you can stand than next to Billy Graham.”
It certainly might be a lot better than keeping company with professional wrestler superstar C.M. Punk who tweeted to traditional marriage supporters: ‘Kill yourself,’ ‘Drink bleach’ in online chat about the referendum. One of his Twitter followers responded to his anti-amendment tweet with this: “Man was meant for woman, and even the thought of homo’s make me sick.” Punk then replied, “Kill yourself.” To another he said “drink bleach.” In another tweet, Punk castigated the amendment’s supporters as “So many stupid people. Bigots. Talking about what’s ‘natural.’” He later posted a message stating, “I am a star. I’m fighting bigots here. Zero tolerance.”
“Just chalk it up as the sort of rhetoric we’re used to now from the forces of tolerance,” Peter LaBarbera, again said “It just never stops…. As ‘gay’ power grows, the rhetoric becomes more and more caustic and contemptuous of anybody who disagrees.”
Over a week ago we had the foul mouthed outbursts from “It Gets Better” campaign creator Dan Savage attacking students who walked out of his rant at a high school journalism convention, dubbing them “pansy-a**ed.”
A month ago representatives of the gay lobby smashed stained-glass windows in a church in Portland, Oregon, because its pastor was teaching that sex outside of traditional marriage is sinful.
Well, President Obama and David Cameron have made their beds and now have to lie in them. Have they really taken account of the real character of some of their bedfellows?
For more on the implications of President Obama’s “evolution” see Shelia Reports.
