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Skriven 2006-06-03 23:35:44 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (060603) for Sat, 2006 Jun 3
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President's Radio Address
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 3, 2006

President's Radio Address


ÿÿÿÿÿ Audio ÿÿÿÿÿ

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Next week, the United States Senate will begin
debate on a constitutional amendment that defines marriage in the United
States as the union of a man and woman. On Monday, I will meet with a
coalition of community leaders, constitutional scholars, family and civic
organizations, and religious leaders. They're Republicans, Democrats, and
independents who've come together to support this amendment. Today, I want
to explain why I support the Marriage Protection Amendment, and why I'm
urging Congress to pass it and send it to the states for ratification.

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Marriage is the most enduring and important human institution, honored and
encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith. 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.

In our free society, people have the right to choose how they live their
lives. And in a free society, decisions about such a fundamental social
institution as marriage should be made by the people -- not by the courts.
The American people have spoken clearly on this issue, both through their
representatives and at the ballot box. In 1996, Congress approved the
Defense of Marriage Act by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both the
House and Senate, and President Clinton signed it into law. And since then,
voters in 19 states have approved amendments to their state constitutions
that protect the traditional definition of marriage. And today, 45 of the
50 states have either a state constitutional amendment or statute defining
marriage as the union of a man and a woman. These amendments and laws
express a broad consensus in our country for protecting the institution of
marriage.

Unfortunately, activist judges and some local officials have made an
aggressive attempt to redefine marriage in recent years. Since 2004, state
courts in Washington, California, Maryland, and New York have overturned
laws protecting marriage in those states. And in Nebraska, a federal judge
overturned a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

These court decisions could have an impact on our whole Nation. 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. That would mean that every state
would have to recognize marriages redefined by judges in Massachusetts or
local officials in San Francisco, no matter what their own laws or state
constitutions say. 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.

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. A constitutional
amendment is the most democratic solution to this issue, because it must be
approved by two-thirds of the House and Senate and then ratified by
three-fourths of the 50 state legislatures.

As this debate goes forward, we must remember that every American deserves
to be treated with tolerance, respect, and dignity. All of us have a duty
to conduct this discussion with civility and decency toward one another,
and all people deserve to have their voices heard. 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.

Thank you for listening.

END

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