Burnt Orange Report

And I intend to support Rep Chisum in his efforts. Bravo!

I thought Chisum was going to limit heterosexual marriage to White Republicans. Must've been a last-minute change in the wording .. you know, to broaden the support base.

Hey, don't blame me! I voted against Prop 2, before I voted for it.

Slight problem with the whole "covenant marriage" idea. Prop 2 made any possible enactment of "covenant marriage" laws illegal in Texas.

Read it:

"The constitutional amendment providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

That's pretty clear. "Covenant marriage" is a seperate legal status similar to "marriage". It is similar to marriage in that it would afford the same rights and privledges, but slightly different in that the disolution of a "covenant marriage" (i.e. a divorce) would be more difficult than a divorce from a typical marriage.

It's probably unlikely that a judge will strike down any heterosexual marriage under prop 2. However, the wording of prop 2 set in place the legal framework that would make it easy to strike down any attempt at something like "covenant marriage".

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

Wonder when he'll get around to those gay men married to women with children in some cases simply because it was part of the career track. Which is something I have no use for. But to each his own. My personal opinion is that closeted gays do more damage than the homophobes do. Usually by taking a decisively anti-gay position. "Well he can't be gay. He hates gays. Have you ever heard him talk about gays?"

No doubt Warren Chisum will annul those marriages, send the husband to prison, the wife to a mental hospital and the kids will go off to Tom DeLay's Kiddie Wonderland in Richmond so they can be raised in a proper Christian environment.

How much you want to bet his wife has pink hair?

I think he'd be better off doing something about no-fault insurance. Somehow I don't think 76% of Texans who vote will support a proposition to ban straight divorce. Which is what he really would like to do. There are a number of attorneys among others who would probably end his political career very quickly. How, now that's an idea. Flood his office demanding he have a proposition banning divorce. See how long he lasts after it's put on a ballot. About two seconds.

Will it get very far when they realize one reason for the Texas high divorce rate is the comparatively weak financial burden for men to get divorced compared to the low rate states?

Forgot that, I doubt those hillbillies will publicly make that connection.

Can someone remind me why married people get all these special breaks in the first place?

"I guess getting hitched isn't enough like getting an abortion in Texas." Getting married is exactly like an abortion - there's protesters, an embarassing procedure, and feelings of shame afterward.

I do not understand the focus on marriage. According to the 2000 Census, only 25% of all American families fit that mold (one man one woman married with 2.5 kids). If the family (children) is the main concern, what does marriage have to do with it? There just does not seem to be a connection between the two and thats the reality of it.

The Focus on the Family should change its name to Focus on Marriage, if you cant be realistic, at least be real.