Posted on 01/19/2007 7:14:00 PM PST by Gelato
Romney Violated Massachusetts Constitution by Ordering ‘Same-Sex Marriage’
44 U.S. pro-family leaders signed letter asking him to recant illegal orders
By Meg Jalsevac
HARRISBURG, PA, January 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A letter addressed to Massachusetts’ ex-governor Mitt Romney has just been made public in which 44 conservative, pro-family leaders from across the nation requested that before stepping down from office, Romney would adhere to the Massachusetts Constitution and repeal his order directing public officials to perform ‘same-sex marriages’.
The letter was hand delivered to members of Romney’s staff on December 20th, 2006 at his office. Romney took no action to adhere to the letter’s requests before he left office at the beginning of the New Year.
The letter cited numerous, historical cases and the Massachusetts’ Constitution to assert that Romney’s actions in implementing ‘gay marriage’ were beyond the bounds of his authority as governor. The authors further asserted that his actions were unconstitutional as were the actions of the four initial judges who formulated the official opinion on the matter in the ‘Goodridge’ case, the case that originally brought the matter to national attention.
Commenting on the ‘Goodridge’ opinion, Judge Robert Bork said that it was “untethered to either the Massachusetts or United States Constitution.”
As quoted in the letter, the MA Constitution denies the judicial branch of its government any authority over the state’s marriage policies. So it was that three of the seven judges that heard the Goodrich case strongly dissented that the court did not have authority to formulate laws.
The letter also outlined how the MA Constitution forbids judges from establishing or altering law. According to the Constitution, such a task is to be left to the legislature. The judges’ opinion in the Goodrich case admitted that they were not altering the standing marriage statute in MA.
Instead, Governor Romney took it upon himself, despite legal counsel to do otherwise, to order officials across the state that they would have to perform ‘gay marriages’, even though, according to Massachusetts law, to do so is a felony. Officials who refused were advised to resign their position.
Throughout the whole ordeal, Romney maintained that he was personally against ‘homosexual marriage’ but that he must “execute the law.” The conservatives’ letter clearly illustrates how Romney was not “executing the law” but merely facilitating the agenda of activist judges – beyond even the judges’ own expectations.
The letter clearly explained how Romney’s actions, in reality, are a crime under Massachusetts because of his oath to uphold the Constitution.
The authors called Romney to task for ignoring the solemnity of the oath of office that he took in which he swore to uphold the Constitution of Massachusetts. They requested that Romney publicly repeal his orders to perform ‘same-sex marriages’ throughout the state and confirm the fact that, under Massachusetts law, ‘same-sex marriage’ remains illegal. They also ask that Romney publicly take to task the political officials that worked to undermine the constitution to bring about ‘same sex marriage’ in Massachusetts.
John Haskins, writer and family activist, told LifeSiteNews.com, “Mitt Romney’s contribution to history will be that he pro-actively imposed ‘homosexual marriage’ in stark violation of the state Constitution that he swore to uphold. Those denying this are subverting the rule of law and the plain language of a constitution.”
Haskins expressed frustration at conservatives like Mary Ann Glendon of Harvard and Glen Lavy of the Alliance Defense Fund who he says initially counseled Romney not to permit gay marriage but then defended the governor’s actions saying that he had no choice but to obey the law. On the MassResistance website, Haskins says, “Our lawyers, law professors and pro-family political leaders are blundering this historic challenge because we have wandered far from the Constitutional texts we swore to defend. Some of them are realizing this belatedly. Others appear determined to defend and disguise their own errors (some quite fundamental) at whatever cost to Massachusetts and America.”
The legal background and framework of the letter was researched and confirmed by attorney Robert Paine, an expert on the topic of MA’s unconstitutional ‘same-sex marriages’.
Of the 44 signers of the Romney letter, several prominent conservative leaders are listed including Paul Weyrich, Free Congress Foundation; Robert H. Knight, veteran Washington political activist and a draftsman of the federal Defense of Marriage Act; Linda Harvey, Mission America; Rev. Ted Pike, National Prayer Network; Randy Thomasson, Campaign for Children and Families; Peter LaBarbera, Americans for Truth; Dr. Chuck Baldwin, radio host and columnist; Paul Likoudis, The Wanderer; Phil Lawler, Catholic World News; David E. Smith, Illinois Family Institute; Michael Heath, Christian Civic League of Maine; Gary Glenn, American Family Association of Michigan; Joe Glover, Family Policy Network; and Bill Cotter, Operation Rescue Boston.
As reported previously by LifeSiteNews.com, Romney is known for flip-flopping and wavering on key social issues. Coinciding with his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Romney just recently declared himself a pro-life figure despite a history of inconsistent decisions in life issues.
Read the full text of the letter: http://www.massresistance.com/docs/marriage/romney/dec_lette...
Read ‘Romney Gay Marriage Timeline’ at MassResistance.com http://www.massresistance.com/docs/marriage/romney/timeline....
Read Related LifeSiteNews.com Coverage:
Homosexual “Marriage” Not Legal in Massachusetts, Lawyers’ Coalition Says http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/06092104.html
Despite Past Statements, Former Gov. and Presidential Hopeful Romney Says He is Pro-Life http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07010408.html
Romney Does Flip-Flop and Forces Catholic Hospitals to Distribute Morning-After-Pill http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/dec/05120905.html
Reinquist was wrong, if he said that. The legislature can impeach, convict and remove for any reason, or no reason. On that one, it has the FINAL say.
Which is why threads such as this are so important.
What I do do, when the spirit moves me, is take on your posts on the merits, one by one. Cheers.
Thanks for making what has been my point throughout this whole thing: The Judicial Branch is out-of-control, and the other two branches of government are too cowardly and/or ignorant to rein them in.
Sorry to disappoint you, but that is not going to happen. They will NEVER allow us a vote on this because they cannot win.
I'm shocked that it got this far, seriously shocked, but when the heat dies down after a few months, it will be SOS here in Massachusetts. That means NO VOTE!
Do you folks live in a cave?
Address the issues.
Your post is addressed to my post #300. It primarily is devoted to what Thomas Jefferson had to say about the judiciary.
Do you disagree with his premises? If so, why?
His premise is irrelevant other than academic mental masturbation. In reality, the courts are the final arbiter of constitutionality.
You do know you sound more and more like Mullah Mohammad Omar speaking in tongues.
Get this and get it right this time. Middle America is scared speechless about theocratic pluguglies such as your self appointed guardian, Hair Docktor Ambassador Keyes.
I wondered when your type would show up.
The very mention of the God that our Founders served sends y'all into apoplectic fits.
I wouldn't advise reading the verbiage of the MA constitution if I were you. You might have a heart attack at how much they mention the Christian God.
And you choose to characterize me how?
Your post speaks for itself.
Cherry picking portions of your bible to trash an opponent is petty and obnoxious.
Your posts resonate with images of every phony religious charlatan of the past in my memory to include Bakker, Swaggart, Reed and Abramnoff, Schuller and that dame with the giant hair.
You and yours do not help the body politic. You infect it with your toxic waste.
Your posts reek of anti-Christian bigotry.
The founders of the US did not think God belonged only in the hidden places you suggest. They premised their hopes for the republic entirely on reliance on Him, and in the public square at that. They knew that without Him, their best efforts were useless.
My homepage here lists all of the preambles to the state constitutions, and each and every one says exactly that.
"Personal attacks?"
I'm attacking your morality, behavior and decision to pimp out. That's not a personal attack. It's an observation about your behavior. Your reprehensible behavior.
Thomas Jefferson is irrelevant to your absurd and brazen pimpitude.
God is God.
He ain't a Christian, a Jew or a Muslim, not to mention Hindi.
You are the bigot.
Hey are you and Gelato related? You sure post in the same manner.
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