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“They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval… My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity?… They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.”
– Hosea 8: 4, 5, 7
June 20, 2008:With the help of God and the generous support of people who care, Campaign for Children and Families has been working countless hours on the frontlines for marriage protection in California. Truly, this is a war for the very soul of the republic and democracy of California as much as it is a war for the sacred institution of marriage and future generations.
It is a privilege for CCF to serve you and millions of children and families. Over the last 30 days:
> CCF has been the “go to” organization for the media, reaching millions via broadcast and print media.
> We have participated in three lawsuits against these false marriages.
> CCF is leading the charge to persuade county governments to protect marriage at the local level.
Please keep CCF working strong. Your donation today would be very appreciated.
I hope the information and perspective contained in this important bulletin will give you a renewed resolve to do everything in your grasp to protect marriage as God made it — for a man and a woman committed to each other through thick and thin. If you don’t have time to read this now, please print it for later, because it’s that important.
By now over a thousand homosexual “marriages” have occurred, most of them in the big cities. As I told George Skelton of the Los Angeles Times in his June 17 column, the sight of homosexuals waving marriage licenses and publicly kissing on the lips is offending the majority of Californians.
1. What the polls say about the California Marriage Amendment
I thank God for all the TV, radio and newspaper interviews we’ve been able to do. Every interview reaches more people. In the last 30 days, CCF has reminded millions of people that marriage is only for a man and a woman. We’ve also explained that the California Supreme Court is violating the California Constitution.
From Fox News Channel and CBN News, to Fox News Radio and KNX Los Angeles, to the Sacramento Bee, San Jose Mercury News, and New York Times, CCF’s strong voice of truth is working hard thanks to your support. Click for video clips and print articles of CCF’s pro-marriage voice on your behalf PDF
One of the truths CCF is proclaiming is that the California Marriage Amendment can pass, despite the bias or ignorance of reporters. I’ve frequently had to correct reporters who are blindly trusting the California Field Poll, which announced that homosexual “marriage” was now supported 51-45 percent by registered voters in California. That’s simply not true.
“The Field Poll is unreliable because it lets respondents self-declare that they are registered voters, unlike the LA Times and PPIC polls which independently confirm a person’s voter registration,” I told them. “The LA Times Poll has the California Marriage Amendment at 54 percent. That’s about the same spot that Proposition 22 was at eight years ago when marriage was last on the ballot. But on Election Day, Californians voted 61.4 percent for man-woman marriage. It’s all about voter turnout, and the only poll that ultimately matters is taken on Election Day.”
2. I wish I were a county clerk
If I were a county clerk in any of California’s 58 counties, I would only issue marriage licenses to a qualified man and woman. As a law-abiding public servant, I would keep my oath to uphold the written constitution (which cannot be changed by any court) and the written California statutes (which continue to say marriage is exclusively for a man and a woman, a bride and a groom).
As a pro-family person of faith, I would also understand that Jesus Christ taught that authentic faith often invites opposition and involves suffering. I would not succumb to the unconstitutional ruling of four San Francisco judges. And I wouldn’t be intimidated by government attorneys who say I’m inviting a lawsuit. I wouldn’t be afraid of opposition phone calls and emails either.
In May, CCF faxed 38 of 58 county clerks the truth that the California Constitution prohibits judges from making new laws. We reminded them of the California statutes that exist today — stating that marriage licenses are only for a man and a woman, a bride and a groom. Yet in the end, not one clerk would publicly disagree with the state Supreme Court. Each one said they had to issue homosexual “marriage” licenses!
Many government attorneys got in the way. When asked “What is the law?” these risk-averse county counsels answered “The Supreme Court’s ruling is the law.” This is utterly false. The law is the written law: the written Constitution and the written statutes. If you ask a police officer “What is the law?” he might go to his squad car, grab his copy of the California Penal Code, and put it in your hands. In our democratic republic, the law is only approved by the people’s representatives or the people themselves, not by any court!
When being sworn into office, elected officials repeatedly promise to uphold the California Constitution (not to uphold the opinions of the California Supreme Court) and to faithfully perform their duties as defined by the California statutes. Here is the official California oath of office for all elected officials:
I, __________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter.
So here we are. Because of the extreme reluctance of county counsels to uphold the written constitution and the written statutes, none of the clerks are refusing to issue homosexual “marriage” licenses.
And only three county clerks — in Kern, Butte, and Calaveras counties — have decided not to solemnize any marriages, natural or unnatural. These three clerks are doing the same as several other California counties that have long exercised their statutory discretion to not solemnize marriages in their buildings. Ironically, the clerks are using a statute to “keep their hands clean” yet are afraid to use the other statutes that demand marriage is only for a man and a woman.
Unlike unchangeable race and gender, changeable homosexual behavior is not supported by people with a strong faith or moral conscience. According to World Magazine, “Near Sacramento, the Sutter County clerk-recorder’s office is both issuing licenses and performing ceremonies, albeit with a mainly reluctant staff. Assistant clerk-recorder Cindy MacMillan told WORLD that most of her staff will issue licenses to same-sex couples, but have refused to perform same-sex weddings, saying to do so would violate their rights of conscience. A couple of staffers refuse to do either, MacMillan said: “They want nothing to do with it at all.”
3. I wish I were a county supervisor
If I were a county supervisor in one of California’s 58 counties, I would be the first to sponsor and lobby other county supervisors to pass the Marriage Protection Ordinance written by Campaign for Children and Families. County supervisors are the bosses of the counties. In pro-family counties, they will earn reelection by championing the Marriage Protection Ordinance, which will prohibit any marriages other than natural, man-woman marriages in their county.
Being a county supervisor is often a “step up” for city councilmembers or a “step down” for former state legislators. But in California’s 58 counties, there are principled, pro-family supervisors who want to do the right thing and use their power to protect marriage licenses for a man and a woman. Here’s how:
The California Constitution allows counties to make and pass any ordinance as long as it doesn’t conflict with California statutes. Article XI, Section 7 reads: “A county or city may make and enforce within its limits all local, police, sanitary and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws.”
Do you realize what this means? The California marriage statutes have not been changed yet. The California statutes still say marriage is only for a man and a woman, a bride and a groom, in numerous places.
Therefore a county, which is the local issuer of marriage licenses and the local registrar of marriage certificates, may make and enforce a countywide ordinance prohibiting marriage between anyone than a statutorily-qualified man and woman. This ordinance is “not in conflict” with the California statutes, thus it is completely constitutional.
Campaign for Children and Families has written an ordinance that can be passed in any county with the majority vote of three out of five county supervisors. Although your county’s risk-averse attorney will oppose it on the grounds that the county will be sued, this spineless philosophy will not persuade a principled, pro-family supervisor.
What is the good effect of passing CCF’s Marriage Protection Ordinance in your county?
> You will protect natural marriage for a man and a woman in your county.
> You will send a very strong statewide and even nationwide message that the Constitution and statutes are right and the Supreme Court was wrong to invent homosexual “marriages.”
> You will encourage millions of Californians to rise up and pass the California Marriage Amendment in November.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW
a) Download the Marriage Protection Ordinance.
b) Seek out moral leaders in your community and ask which county supervisors are moral, pro-family persons, if any.
c) Schedule a meeting with your local pro-family supervisor. Take along others who are uncompromising pro-family citizens who have influence. In the meeting, urge your pro-family county supervisor to place the Marriage Protection Ordinance on the agenda of the very next supervisors meeting.
d) Get his or her advice on the other supervisors’ votes you’ll need (3 out of 5 supervisors can pass an ordinance), and get busy lobbying those other supervisors to achieve your three necessary votes.
e) Report back to CCF by email or call us with questions at 916-265-5650.
4. I wish I were a judge
If I were on the California Supreme Court or one of the state appellate courts, I would keep my oath to uphold the California Constitution. This means I could not and would not have invented homosexual “marriages.” And I could and would have “stayed” this unconstitutional ruling, preventing it from going into effect pending the vote of the people in November.
If I were a Superior Court judge, I would look forward to the chance of enforcing the constitution, the statutes, and the regulations, instead of engaging in political correctness. Having been sworn to uphold the California Constitution, I would never legislate from the bench or claim that I could create new laws, such as homosexual “marriages.” I would fully recognize and respect Article III, Section 3, which prohibits judges from making new laws and legislators from judging cases.
So far, there have been attempts to block the unconstitutional same-sex “marriages” at all three court levels, the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and Sacramento Superior Court. The first attempt of Campaign for California Families and Liberty Counsel was rejected on June 4; the second on June 17.
The third attempt was filed on June 16 by five county supervisors and the United States Justice Foundation. This patriotic legal action seeks a statewide injunction against the California Department of Public Health and the Office of Vital Records, which unlawfully changed the marriage forms from “bride” and “groom” to “Party A” and “Party B,” without any statutory or regulatory approval.
This legal effort in Sacramento County Superior Court was put together by United States Justice Foundation and Campaign for Children and Families. It’s our last and best effort to block these unconstitutional, unlawful “marriages.”
At the brief initial hearing on June 17, the judge said he didn’t know whether Sacramento or San Francisco is the correct venue for the case. We are telling him that Sacramento is where the respondent is and where the altering of the marriage forms happened, so that’s where the hearing should be. If a state agency based in Sacramento breaks the law, the case to hold them accountable should be filed in Sacramento, of course. We hope to be back before the judge next week.
5. CCF serving you on the frontlines
Since the California Supreme Court’s disastrous ruling on May 15, Campaign for Children and Families has been reaching millions with the truth; working, leading, and fighting in the media, in the courts, and at the grassroots level.
May 15: Within 90 minutes of the same-sex “marriage” ruling, CCF organized and held a State Capitol news conference to represent shocked and angry voters. We reached millions of Californians through numerous media outlets, and some even carried us live.
May 23: CCF issued a powerful news release explaining that the California statutes still say marriage is only for a man and a woman, and that the statewide marriage application form cannot be changed without the California Legislature first changing the statutes.
May 26-28: CCF faxed and called 38 out of 58 county clerks, urging them to resist the unconstitutional “gay marriage” ruling. Ultimately, three clerks in Kern, Butte, and Calaveras counties refuse to solemnize weddings, homosexual or heterosexual.
May 29: Our lobbying organization, Campaign for California Families, and our attorney friends at Liberty Counsel, asked the Supreme Court to stay their ruling pending the people’s vote on marriage.
June 4: CCF issued a news release blasting the harsh and unreasonable order of the Supreme Court denying the stay. “This will only make Californians more determined to vote to overrule the court and pass the California Marriage Amendment,” we said.
June 9-11: CCF went to Bakersfield to lobby the board of supervisors to approve CCF’s Marriage Protection Ordinance. This was all over TV, radio, and newspapers in Kern County. Pro-family activists there are working hard to pass the ordinance in early July.
June 12-15: Back in Sacramento, CCF held a well-attended State Capitol news conference announcing that a stay was being sought from the Court of Appeal in San Francisco by Campaign for California Families and Liberty Counsel. Over a two-day period, CCF did more than 20 interviews. For three straight days, CCF and the United States Justice Foundation worked to produce an injunction motion brought by county supervisors who know that the altered marriage forms are unlawful.
June 16: The USJF injunction motion was filed in Sacramento. “Gay and lesbian marriages” began at 5:01 p.m. At 5:05 p.m., CCF held our “real marriage” news conference, appearing on TV, radio, and in newspapers. At 6:00 p.m. I was live in-studio with News10 Sacramento.
June 17-18: CCF went to court seeking a statewide injunction, with the help of attorney friends Gary Kreep of USJF, Hugh Allen, Quinton Miller, and Erik Hartstrom. The judge delayed any action, and we hope to be back in court next week.
6. Action Steps: What you should do right now
Barring a victory in court, your priority and mine must be grassroots activism and public education. Here are suggested action steps:
> Plan to vote YES in November for the California Marriage Amendment.
> Speak in favor of the amendment and against the false homosexual “marriages” on TV and newspaper websites, letters to the editor, radio talk shows, etc. Use thoughtful, common-sense language that will reach the masses that are not necessarily religious but believe marriage is naturally and traditionally only for a man and a woman.
> Urge your county supervisors to pass the Marriage Protection Ordinance, following the instructions above.
> Repent before God and ask for His mercy on California. Read Daniel 9 as an example.
7. Empower Campaign for Children and Families and our allies to keep working strong
Do you appreciate CCF’s leadership to try to block false homosexual “marriages,” to educate the public, and to help protect real marriage for a man and a woman in California?
CCF needs your help to keep working strong. If you haven’t recently contributed, will you help us continue the fight in court, in the media, in counties, and everywhere else we can?
Your generous financial support will help keep CCF fighting for marriage and family, especially now when strong pro-family persistence is most needed. There are two ways to give to Campaign for Children and Families. Please act today.
Make a secure online donation (one-time or as a Monthly Partner)
Print a donate-by-mail form or send your check to CCF, P.O. Box 511, Sacramento, CA 95812
In addition, two pro-family legal groups working hard with CCF to protect marriage, and that not many people are hearing about, are the United States Justice Foundation and Liberty Council. Please consider also supporting them with a gift to help them pay for existing and future legal action on behalf of constitutional family values:
United States Justice Foundation
Liberty Counsel
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CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (CCF) is a leading West Coast pro-family organization empowering citizens to live out their values. Sign up today for CCF’s free email updates at http://www.savecalifornia.com/. Your partnership empowers CCF’s innovative work on behalf of children and families in culture, media and government. Please support CCF by making a secure online donation or by sending a tax-deductible gift of any size to:
Campaign for Children and Families
Randy Thomasson, President
P.O. Box 511, Sacramento, CA 95812
(916) 265-5650
http://www.savecalifornia.com/
http://www.saveamerica.net/
