Burnt Orange Report

More on fighting HJR 6

By Byron LaMasters

I posted on the group, Practice What you Preach yesterday, an organization formed to oppose HJR 6 (House Joint Resolution 6, which is a proposed constitutional amendment in Texas that would define a marriage as between one man and one woman (which is redundant, as Texas law already defines marriage as such). Some readers in comments yesterday were concerned with the approach taken by the organization and my comment that "divorce is a threat to marriage, gays and lesbians are not". In case it sent the wrong impression, I don't pass any moral judgment on anyone who has a divorce - in many cases it is the best solution. However, it is a "threat" to marriage in the technical sense as divorce dissolves a marriage. In many cases, the two partners in a marriage drift different ways, and a no-fault divorce is the best choice, but in others I believe that an investment by the state, by the government can make a difference.

If we invest in programs for premarital counseling, children's health care, parenting classes, preschool programs, etc., the burden on many (especially low-income) married couples would be significantly reduced, and would probably help save some marriages. Even if such programs helped save just one marriage, that would be one more marriage than what HJR 6 (proposed Texas constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman) would save.

Anyway, check out the AP story.