---

Bush: Marriage Amendment Necessary since "Activist Courts have left us no other Choice"

By Gudrun Schultz

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 5, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In his weekly radio address to the nation this past Saturday, President George W. Bush stated his support for the Constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage that will be considered by the Senate this week.

“Marriage is the most enduring and important human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith,” President Bush said. “Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and a wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society. Marriage cannot be cut off from its cultural, religious, and natural roots without weakening this good influence on society. Government, by recognizing and protecting marriage, serves the interests of all.”

The president criticized “activist courts” for aggressively attempting to redefine marriage, saying, “An amendment to the Constitution is necessary because activist courts have left our Nation with no other choice. The constitutional amendment that the Senate will consider next week would fully protect marriage from being redefined, while leaving state legislatures free to make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than marriage.”

President Bush warned that state-level court decisions to overturn marriage protection laws could have an impact on the national level.

“The Defense of Marriage Act declares that no state is required to accept another state's definition of marriage. If that act is overturned by activist courts, then marriages recognized in one city or state might have to be recognized as marriages everywhere else…This national question requires a national solution, and on an issue of such profound importance, that solution should come from the people, not the courts.”

The president pointed out that a majority of Americans already indicated their support for a traditional definition of marriage with the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which was approved in Congress by overwhelming majorities across party lines.

“A constitutional amendment will put a decision that is critical to American families and American society in the hands of the American people, which is exactly where it belongs. Democracy, not court orders, should decide the future of marriage in America.”

To hear the audio of President Bush’s address:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060603.a.ram

 

 Back to Top

---

MORE NEWS: LifeSiteNews.com Home Page  Last 10 Days   Archives   Special Reports

Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.