Stopping the Breakdown of the Family
Despite the opposition of many D.C. residents, the D.C. City Council bypassed a ballot vote, ignored constituents and passed legislation legalizing gay marriage. Congress has final approval over legislation passed by the District and can choose to intervene or allow legislation to become law. Thirty-seven House Republicans and two Senators filed an amicus brief with the D.C. Superior Court, asking that the issue be put on the ballot. The court challenge argues that the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics overstepped its authority when it determined that putting the issue to a vote would discriminate against gays.
But the District already had a domestic partnership law, and a lot of Americans – including myself – thought that was a good compromise. We aren’t bigots. We fear that the breakdown of the American family has led to bad news for this country and this city.
According to a study by the National Center for Health Statistics in 2007, 72% of black women gave birth out of wedlock compared to 28% of white women. The study also found that of the 4.3 million births in the U.S., 40% or 1.7 million were illegitimate.
Sadly, many black boys born to unwed mothers end up in prison all because American culture has come to accept out of wedlock pregnancy as a societal norm. A woman told me when her son attended a private school in D.C. a decade ago, a student became pregnant. Several parents decided to give her a baby shower and invited her classmates. This woman politely told the parents her son would not be attending. She explained her decision drew ire from some parents but as she said “this wasn’t something to celebrate.”
Now is the time for Republicans to support, protect and defend the institution of marriage against erosion because it leads to a more stable society for everyone – and a more equal chance for all children.