The So-Called Marriage Protection Amendment

[gatorback]

Dear Fairness For All Families Coalition Partners,

As you may have read, a miscount opens a glimmer of hope that the so-called Marriage Protection amendment will not reach the ballot. That hope must be tempered by the reality that they have time and the access to resources to get this on the ballot.

We expect this to get on the ballot. The far right backers are already launching an all out push, tapping national funders and activating their conservative church networks. We have to continue organizing with the expectation that they will deliver the signatures on Feb 1.

According to the latest info, they plan to mail petitions to more than 50,000 voters, staff the early voting precincts and be out en masse on election day. That is why it is vital that we have as many volunteers out at the precincts on Jan 29th.

Below is an action alert from the Fairness for All Families Campaign. Please forward it to your email lists and ask your members  to take all or part of the day Jan 29th to help educate voters on the harm this amendment would inflict on our families. Here's the  link to RSVP for the Fairness Campaign's Primary Day of Action.

Feel free to add your organization's banner and a personalized intro paragraph. The Jan 29th Presidential Primary is a  golden opportunity to reach and educate voters and take a giant step toward defeating this discriminatory, mean-spirited marriage amendment.

If you have any questions about the Primary Day Action or want to involve your staff directly as coalition partners on the 29th, please end an email to voteno@fairnessforallfamilies.org or call 727-490-0963

Thanks,

Fairness for All Families Team




January 14, 2007
Breaking News: Marriage Amendment Now Vulnerable
Help Us Stop the Deceptive Marriage Amendment On Primary Day, January 29th!
A "glitch" at the Division of Elections has caused an over count of 22,000 signatures for the deceptively named "marriage protection amendment." Instead of submitting the 611.009 petitions required, the actual number is 589,020 as of Jan 10th.
HOWEVER, those supporting this discriminatory amendment have until Feb 1st to turn in signatures and that means they will certainly use the January 29th Primary Election to gather those signatures. 

Some early news reports may give the impression that the amendment is now off the ballot. This is not the case!
We must keep up our campaign to oppose this harmful and dangerous amendment.
Remember, those backing this deceptive measure still have time and we should expect after four years of signature gathering that they will make the ballot.
Other states that put all their hopes in a measure failing to reach the ballot ended up ill-prepared when an 11th hour ruling placed it before voters.
We Need You!
We need hundreds of volunteers to staff precincts on Jan 29th. Take the day off. Get to work a little late or leave a bit early to help.
Click here to volunteer on Primary Day and help ID our supporters.
Read about our "Primary Day of Action" plan below and spread the word to friends and family. With today's news, it's more important than ever for you to get involved.

Sincerely,
Barbara DeVane
Fairness for All Families

Step Up On Primary Day, January 29th!

Volunteer at the polls and help defeat the so-called "Marriage Amendment."


Join Fairness for All Families volunteers from across the state as we work the polls on Primary Day to defeat the deceptively named "marriage protection amendment."  Register Here

Primary Day is January 29th  and offers one of the best opportunities we'll have to educate voters. With widespread participation by you, your friends and family, we will take full advantage of this chance to talk to voters face-to-face about the harmful consequences of the deceptively named "marriage protection amendment." 

Of course this amendment doesn't protect anyone's marriage. However, it does take away protections and benefits like healthcare from all unmarried couples - gay and straight. This amendment goes far beyond marriage by banning civil unions and dismantling domestic partner benefits that seniors, teachers, police officers and firefighters rely on in more than 17 communities across the state.

On January 29th, Fairness needs your help filling a morning (6:45-9:30 am) or afternoon (4:00-7:00 pm) shift, or both! We'll provide you with training and the materials to work wherever you are. Defeating this amendment will require action from Key West to Pensacola and everywhere in between. Sign up and spread the word to your friends. Click here to register today and we'll follow up with you to schedule a shift and give you all the information you need.

We can win this tremendous challenge, but only with your help. Register today .

*If the above link is not working, cut and paste the following URL into your browser: http://ga4.org/Equalityflorida/events/primarydayvols2008/details.tcl

Can't Volunteer? Make a Contribution

Fairness for All Families is running full-speed this election season, with a Primary Day Volunteer campaign that will educate voters at polling locations across the state. We know that not everyone can take a day away from work to volunteer. But you can still help. Make a generous contribution to the Fairness for All Families campaign today.  Click here: https://secure.ga3.org/01/ballotinitiativec4
SPREAD THE WORD. GET FRIENDS TO JOIN YOU.




Paid Political Advertisement paid for and approved by Fairness for All Families, Inc Political Committee.

[stephenc]

Anything the ACLU is backing, you can count me out.

[gatorback]

So you're not for families? wow

[Midway ®]

Anything the ACLU is backing, you can count me out.

I agree.

When I think it makes my head hurt. OW!

[Lunican]

Yeah, civil liberties are for babies.

[Charleston native]

So you're not for families? wow

Wow, indeed...that comment was a huge straw man and total BS. I think he can definitively say he's for natural, functional families. But in today's world where we have so many people twisting the English language around, the term "family" is kind of ambiguous, isn't it?

Please, civil liberties are not in question.

[JeffreyS]

Please, civil liberties are not in question.

The government dictating whom you can marry. For or against the amendment the question is civil liberties.

Republicans we say we are conservative except we want big government in every aspect of your life.

[Midway ®]

So you're not for families? wow

Wow, indeed...that comment was a huge straw man and total BS. I think he can definitively say he's for natural, functional families. But in today's world where we have so many people twisting the English language around, the term "family" is kind of ambiguous, isn't it?

Please, civil liberties are not in question.

Yes thats right, the civil liberties of heterosexual couples are not in question at all.

Things certainly have gotten twisted around in today's world. I long for the straightforwardness of 500 AD. A person's life was defined in very simple and easy to understand terms then, with absolutely no ambiguities. Ah, the good old days, if only we could bring our society back to those founding principles of humanity.

[stephenc]

Maybe its just me but it seems that this amendment states that you have to be actually married to enjoy the benefits of marriage. If I'm wrong then please enlighten me.

[Midway ®]

I think that the core issue addressed in this amendment is the definition of marriage, that it is defined as the union of a man and a woman, not two men nor two women.

This dovetails nicely with Mike Huckabee's goal of bringing mans law into agreement with God's word by changing the United States constitution so as to agree with the Bible.

[Charleston native]

Maybe its just me but it seems that this amendment states that you have to be actually married to enjoy the benefits of marriage. If I'm wrong then please enlighten me.

Ah, but what determines marriage? Like I said before, the true meanings of words continue to be manipulated and twisted by advocates that basically wish to alter an institution of the basic foundations of human society. As long as this continues to be done, whack job organizations like the ACLU will continue trying to eliminate the core institutions and culture of this country.

[Midway ®]

Not "like I said before".

As I said before, please.

[Charleston native]

^ You must be a teacher.  I'll have to be careful with my grammar now! 

[Midway ®]

Thank you.

[gatorback]

So you're not for families? wow

Wow, indeed...that comment was a huge straw man and total BS. I think he can definitively say he's for natural, functional families. But in today's world where we have so many people twisting the English language around, the term "family" is kind of ambiguous, isn't it?

Please, civil liberties are not in question.

Yes thats right, the civil liberties of heterosexual couples are not in question at all.

Things certainly have gotten twisted around in today's world. I long for the straightforwardness of 500 AD. A person's life was defined in very simple and easy to understand terms then, with absolutely no ambiguities. Ah, the good old days, if only we could bring our society back to those founding principles of humanity.

What/when?  When only White Men could vote, and Women couldn't own property.  I'd fit in there, being I'm a white man and a republican to boot.  But, I'm also not a bigot.  Thanks.