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Prop 8 Defendants: 'God’s institution of marriage' is on Trial
Protectmarriage.com last night sent out an e-mail following up on the first day of the trial over Prop 8, which the group sponsored and ultimately won, banning gay marriage in California. The letter, written by Executive Director Ron Prentice, is quite revealing, especially this paragraph:
Never did I think I would see the day where God’s institution of marriage - the most stabilizing, pro-family, child-benefiting institution in human history - would be on trial before a federal judge in the nation whose forefathers founded the country on the premise of “in God we trust.”
Too bad "In God We Trust" wasn't used by our forefathers. Rather, it first appeared on coins in the 1860s and paper money in the 1950s.
The full e-mail is below.
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Defense of Prop 8 and Traditional Marriage Begins in Federal Court
ProtectMarriage.com’s lead counsel, Charles Cooper, confidently strode to the podium in the San Francisco federal courtroom of Chief Judge Vaughn Walker and began his opening statement in defense of Proposition 8 and traditional marriage. He did a superb job in setting forth the main elements of our case:
• Traditional marriage has served society well for centuries;
• It is a pro-child institution;
• It exists in main purpose “to promote naturally procreative sexual activity in a stable and enduring relationship" that will nurture children;
• That gays and lesbians were not the target of ill will or discriminatory intent in the Yes on 8 campaign;
• That “there are millions of Americans who believe in equal rights for gays and lesbians but draw the line at marriage;” and
• That California voters were perfectly within their rights to decline to take a risk of suffering the consequences of destabilizing the institution of marriage.
As proud as I was of Mr. Cooper and his eloquent articulation of the importance of traditional marriage, I have to confess to a feeling of being in a surreal environment. The courtroom was packed shoulder to shoulder, and many more filled the overflow room. Television cameras crowded the hallways. Reporters swarmed the courthouse looking for an angle to cover. And some of the most skilled attorneys in the nation argued before a federal judge about whether the institution of marriage is somehow illegal.
Never did I think I would see the day where God’s institution of marriage - the most stabilizing, pro-family, child-benefiting institution in human history - would be on trial before a federal judge in the nation whose forefathers founded the country on the premise of “in God we trust.”
But here we are.
Our General Counsel, Andy Pugno, is a key member of the defense team and is handling the crush of media demands of the trial. To keep our supporters informed of developments, Andy will be posting comments twice daily to the Protect Marriage blog. His comments about today’s proceedings are available at www.protectmarriage.com/blog. Please check our revamped website frequently for his commentary.
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Our Communications Director, Carla Hass, will be tweeting live updates from inside the courtroom. You can follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/protectmarriage. Commentary will also be posted on our Facebook and MySpace pages.
We’re in for a real fight to save traditional marriage. The trial court proceedings are expected to last for weeks. The case will then be appealed and, ultimately, will end up before the United States Supreme Court. Please help us ensure that marriage is preserved for future generations by making a contribution today. One example of our costs comes from a recent ruling of the Court that requires immediate assistance from two dozen attorneys, at a rate of $50,000 per day! The costs are great, and so much is at stake.
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