Bush Says Gays Undermining America

   

(Washington) In his second onslaught on gays and lesbians in two days President Bush used his Saturday radio address to pressure Congress to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

"For ages, in every culture, human beings have understood that traditional marriage is critical to the well-being of families," Bush said. "And changing the definition of traditional marriage will undermine the family structure."

“If courts create their own arbitrary definition of marriage as a mere legal contract, and cut marriage off from its cultural, religious and natural roots, then the meaning of marriage is lost and the institution is weakened.”

Christian fundamentalists declared Sunday "Protect Marriage Day".  Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, Paul Weyrich, James Dobson, Tony Perkins, and others used their radio and television networks to call  preachers to preach
Sunday supporting the amendment.

President Bush's address brought an immediate response from the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT civil rights group in the country.  "Just days after his administration announced new terrorist threats, President Bush took to the airwaves to promote a discriminatory amendment ranking dead last on the American people's priority list," said HRC President Cheryl Jacques in a statement.

"President Bush and his Congressional allies should focus on the priorities of the American people, not the agenda of their extremist base."

Friday the Senate began debate on the proposed amendment. Most political observers believe the measure has little chance of passage, but it has energized Bush's support among conservative Christians.