This
is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FR
Each
day another county appears ready to grant marriage licenses to same sex couples.
First it was Massachusetts, then San Francisco, and now…..here in
Oregon in Multnomah County where four of the commissioners, all women, approved
of such marriages while the one man opposed.
Already President George Bush has
come under fire for even suggesting that the problem should be the subject of a
Constitutional Amendment declaring that marriage is only between one woman and
one man.
We’re
mighty glad to see that our own County Clerk Linda Smith has determined that
that office will not issue marriage licenses to same sex couples.
She said: “The
County is not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples at this time.
She added: “That may
change if we get an attorney general opinion or it goes to court and we get a
ruling to the contrary, but that’s what the law says right now.”
Apparently
the law…in force for some time ….says that marriage is a civil contract
entered into by males at least 17 years of age and females at least 17 years of
age.
You
can bet that there will be a challenge to her actions.
Governor
Ted Kulongoski has criticized the Multnomah County move and said he supports
civil unions. That sounds a bit
like double talk.
According
to a recent Oregonian article….they maintain that a third of Oregon voters
said they wanted to preserve traditional marriage and would oppose civil unions
for gays. A third support gay
marriages, and a third say they back civil unions that would legally recognize
same-sex relationships.
However,
it is very possible that the matter will eventually come to the voters
of the state.
A
newly formed group called Defense of Marriage coalition…..is planning to get
an issue to voters that clearly delineates marriage as between a man and a
woman. Tim Nash is quoted as
saying: “We feel strongly that
the debate needs to be taken to Oregonians, and that’s why we’re so
aggrieved that the Multnomah County Commissioners don’t allow us to do
that.”
Roy
Thorpe, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon says:
“This is a new issue for most people.
It’s something they’re just starting to learn about.
And our job would be to educate them about what marriage rights are and
how marriage for everyone strengthens families and helps children.”
Another
Oregonian survey said they found that of 400 voters quieried….54 percent feel
that same sex marriages are illegal but many appear willing to label them as
civil unions.
My
personal feeling is that the issue will probably wind up in the Supreme Court
since it supposedly involves
The
question of equal rights under the Constitution.
If the court rules that same sex partners qualify for marriage
as such…..then a Constitutional Amendment such as the President has
proposed may begin to surface.
As
I have mentioned before….some 38 states, including Oregon, already have a law
that defines marriage as between a man and a woman…..but Oregon, like other
states appears to not respect its own law…especially in Multnomah County.
When the time comes that anyone can break a state law and revel in doing
so…..our
Civilization
is in serious trouble.
This is Floyd Wynne….and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.