Press Release

Source: White House Press Office

Radio Address by President Bush to the Nation

Saturday July 10, 10:06 am ET

WASHINGTON, July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a radio address by President Bush to the nation:

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. The United States Senate this past week began an important discussion about the meaning of marriage. Senators are considering a constitutional amendment to protect the most fundamental institution of civilization, and to prevent it from being fundamentally redefined.

This difficult debate was forced upon our country by a few activist judges and local officials, who have taken it on themselves to change the meaning of marriage. In Massachusetts, four judges on the state's highest court have ordered the issuance of marriage licenses to applicants of the same gender. In San Francisco, city officials issued thousands of marriage licenses to people of the same gender, contrary to the California family code. Lawsuits in several states, including New Jersey, Florida, Nebraska, and Oregon, are also attempting to overturn the traditional definition of marriage by court order.

In 1996, Congress overwhelmingly passed the Defense of Marriage Act, and President Clinton signed it into law. That legislation defines marriage, for purposes of federal law, as a union between a man and a woman, and declares that no state is required to accept another state's definition of marriage. Yet an activist court that strikes down traditional marriage would have little problem striking down the Defense of Marriage Act. Overreaching judges could declare that all marriages recognized in Massachusetts or San Francisco be recognized as marriages everywhere else.

When judges insist on imposing their arbitrary will on the people, the only alternative left to the people is an amendment to the Constitution -- the only law a court cannot overturn. A constitutional amendment should never be undertaken lightly -- yet to defend marriage, our nation has no other choice.

A great deal is at stake in this matter. The union of a man and woman in marriage is the most enduring and important human institution, and the law can teach respect or disrespect for that institution. If our laws teach that marriage is the sacred commitment of a man and a woman, the basis of an orderly society, and the defining promise of a life, that strengthens the institution of marriage. If courts create their own arbitrary definition of marriage as a mere legal contract, and cut marriage off from its cultural, religious and natural roots, then the meaning of marriage is lost, and the institution is weakened. The Massachusetts court, for example, has called marriage "an evolving paradigm." That sends a message to the next generation that marriage has no enduring meaning, and that ages of moral teaching and human experience have nothing to teach us about this institution.

For ages, in every culture, human beings have understood that traditional marriage is critical to the well-being of families. And because families pass along values and shape character, traditional marriage is also critical to the health of society. Our policies should aim to strengthen families, not undermine them. And changing the definition of traditional marriage will undermine the family structure.

On an issue of this great significance, opinions are strong and emotions run deep. All of us have a duty to conduct this discussion with civility and decency toward one another. All people deserve to have their voices heard. And that is exactly the purpose behind the constitutional amendment process. American democracy, not court orders, should decide the future of marriage in America.

The process has now begun in the Congress. I urge members of the House and Senate to pass, and send to the states for ratification, an amendment that defines marriage in the United States as a union of a man and woman as husband and wife.

Thank you for listening.

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), July 10, 2004

Answers

Response to The Presient on Marriage

To view how your senator is expected to vote: http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0032482.cfm

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), July 10, 2004.

If you want to communicate with your senator, go bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), July 10, 2004.

The horse is out of the barn. The dubbya's efforts to close the gates are purely political.

-- Chris Coose (ccoose@maine.rr.com), July 10, 2004.

Let's see . . . 900 Americans dead in a phony war based on "faulty intelligence", a hot economy producing millions in additional corporate profits but few decent-paying jobs, 44 million citizens without health insurance, gas hovering at $2/gallon -- and the president is exhorting Americans to focus on "the meaning of marriage".

;>) Nice try, George.

Start packing, Laura.

-- Reality Check (esamulson94@cyberstix.net), July 12, 2004.

The defense of marriage act was unconstitutional. It clearly violated the tenth ammenedment. The court was right to strike it down. That's their job.

-- Anti-bush (Comrade_bleh@hotmail.com), July 13, 2004.

The defense of marriage act was unconstitutional. It clearly violated the tenth ammenedment. The court was right to strike it down. That's their job.

That is why we need a constitutional ammendment defining marriage. Unless we, as a nation, don't really care what marriage is.

-- Bill Nelson (bnelson45-nospam@hotmail.com), July 13, 2004.

Let's see . . . 900 Americans dead in a phony war based on "faulty intelligence" Excuse me?> a phony war that liberates 23 million people from a tyranny, uncovers a decade old UN SCAM called "food for oil" which enriched a couple hundred companies (all French, German, Russian, and Chinese) at the expense of the poor, brings freedom to women and children for the first time in their lives...all this is "phony"?

"a hot economy producing millions in additional corporate profits but few decent-paying jobs" What planet are you on? This "hot" economy is producing as many jobs as it did in the 1990's! High paying jobs abound...how else would the house market be booming? You can't buy homes on a minimum wage job lady!

"44 million citizens without health insurance" Oh boo hoo. 30 years ago most Americans didn't have health insurance. We survived. Plus, this number is bogus. Go look it up.

"gas hovering at $2/gallon" Not any more! Average price is $1.75, and a whopping $1 of this is due to TAXES! NOT evil corporate gouging.

"and the president is exhorting Americans to focus on "the meaning of marriage". Yeah! Your litany above is all so many trifles.... the WAR IS OVER And we WON! get used to it. The price of gas goes up and down...nothing to panick about. Health insurance etc would all get better if people behaved themselves...and marriage is a prime part of morality.

Let's see... the CDC reports that this past year 300,000 men died of AIDS. Most were homosexual. Had they behaved themselves, they wouldn't have died and the US Government would have been able to spend the BILLIONS of dollars helping the poor rather than helping rich single guys who went out of their way to get sick, got sick, and then demand special treatment.

;>) Nice try, George.

Start packing, Laura.

-- Joe (joestong@yahoo.com), July 13, 2004.