NEWTON, January 7, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – According to a new Zogby International poll, 69% of likely voters in Massachusetts want to vote on a constitutional amendment to keep Massachusetts a traditional marriage state, the Coalition for Marriage announced today. These findings indicate a trend in favour of one man, one woman marriage since the United State Supreme Court’s July decision legalizing sodomy, and since the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision on November 18 redefining marriage.
The poll, conducted between December 16-18, found that 52% vs. 42% agreed that only marriage between one man and one woman should be legal and binding in America. More than two-thirds, or 69%, of respondents believed it is better for children to be raised in a household with a married mother and father.
“It seems the more people consider the long-term impact of homosexual marriage on the family and society, the more they oppose homosexual marriage,” said Dr. Ron Crews, spokesman for the Coalition for Marriage. The broad-based Coalition supports an amendment to the state constitution to define marriage as only between one man and one woman. The amendment will be taken up by the state legislature on February 11, 2004.
Half of all respondents believed that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overstepped its bounds in its decision to redefine marriage. In addition, nearly two-thirds of Massachusetts voters, or 64%, according to the poll, would support an amendment to require that Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court judges be subject to re-election. Such an amendment, sponsored by Senator Michael Knapik, also will be taken up on February 11, 2004.
According to the Zogby poll, 73 percent of respondents felt that if homosexual couples want to provide for each other, they can continue do so through private arrangements already allowed under the law. Crews stated, “The institution of marriage does not need to be redefined for people to provide for each other, and when it comes to changing the institution of marriage, voters are saying, “enough is enough.”
When asked if they would be more or less likely to vote for a candidate who supports homosexual marriage, more than twice the number of voters [33%] would be less rather than more likely [16%] to vote for a pro-homosexual marriage candidate. Forty-eight percent of voters said it made no difference.