| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/13/2009 3:46:09 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Washington--Your Voice Crucial in Preserving Traditional Family! |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 13, 2009 Washington--Your Voice Crucial in Preserving Traditional Family! Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, There are two bills currently in the Washington legislature that would provide same-sex couples all of the same benefits and rights reserved for married men and women. These companion bills are House Bill 1727 and Senate Bill 5688. Your calls are vital to let your elected officials know where you stand and help stop these bills. Both bills state that "[i]t is the intent of the legislature that for all purposes under state law, state registered domestic partners shall be treated the same as married spouses." The effect of these bills will establish domestic partnerships as the same as marriage. Why is HSLDA opposed to this bill? Our freedom to educate our children is based upon "Western civilization concepts of the family as a unit with broad parental authority over minor children." Same-sex marriage or domestic partnerships attack the traditions of the family in Western civilization upon which the foundation of parental choice in education and basic parental rights are based upon. Two years ago we stated that the domestic partnership law was the first step in recognizing same-sex relationships as marriage in Washington. These bills will do just that. Please call now to help preserve the traditional family and help defeat this legislation. While this issue has been highly polarized, if you speak with conviction in a kind and loving manner you will be the most effective advocate. ACTION REQUESTED: 1) Please call and email both your state senator and representative and give them this message in your own words: "Please oppose House Bill 1727 and Senate Bill 5688. These bills establish same-sex marriage in Washington and provides the same rights and benefits of married couples to domestic partners. Most of these rights and benefits can be obtained through private agreement, and the state should not endorse such an agreement." If possible, continue to call and email your elected officials each week until you get assurances that they will oppose this bill. You do not need to identify yourself as a homeschooler but should let them know that you are a constituent. To find the name and contact information for your elected officials, visit HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox . You can also send a brief message to your elected officials through the in-state toll-free Legislative Hotline number: 1-800-562-6000. 2) If your state senator or representative is a co-sponsor of these bills, please ask them to withdraw their support of this legislation. Senate Bill 5688 Co-sponsors Senators Brown, Fairley, Franklin, Fraser, Hobbs, Jarrett, Kauffman, Keiser, Kilmer, Kline, Kohl-Welles, McAuliffe, McDermott, Murray, Oemig, Prentice, Pridemore, Ranker, Regala, and Tom. House Bill 1727 Co-sponsors Representatives Appleton, Blake, Carlyle, Chase, Clibborn, Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dickerson, Driscoll, Dunshee, Eddy, Ericks, Flannigan, Finn, Goodman, Haigh, Hasegawa, Hudgins, Hunt, Hunter, Hurst, Jacks, Johnson, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Kirby, Liias, Linville, Maxwell, McCoy, Moeller, Morris, Nelson, O'Brien, Ormsby, Orwall, Pedersen, Pettigrew, Quall, Roberts, Rolfes, Santos, Seaquist, Sells, Simpson, Springer, Sullivan, Takko, Upthegrove, Van De Wege, Wallace, Walsh, White, Williams, and Wood. BACKGROUND How does defining marriage as being between one man and one woman potentially affect your right to homeschool your children? Here is what the Supreme Court said in 2000 in the case of Troxel v. Granville: "Our jurisprudence historically has reflected Western civilization concepts of the family as a unit with broad parental authority over minor children. Our cases have consistently followed that course." Thus, parental rights are based on "western civilization concepts of the family." When those concepts are no longer the legal definition of the family in this nation, then the foundation upon which parental rights are based is completely removed. Therefore, HSLDA will continue to fight against same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage attacks the traditions of the family in western civilization. This is an attack on parental rights. This is a battle the homeschooling movement cannot afford to lose. H.B. 1727 and S.B. 5688 inserts into every statute relating to marriage the statement that "the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to marital relationships and married persons...." Additionally, these bills state "[w]here necessary to implement this act, gender-specific terms such as husband and wife used in any statute, rule, or other law shall be construed to be gender neutral, and applicable to individuals in state registered domestic partnerships." To see the entire bill text you can go to: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ and enter the bill number. The bill summary for House Bill 1727 states: "It is the Legislature's intent that for all purposes under state law, state registered domestic partners shall be treated the same as married spouses. Any privilege, immunity, right, benefit, or responsibility granted or imposed by statute, administrative or court rule, policy, common law or any other law to a person because he or she is a spouse, shall also be granted or imposed on equivalent terms, substantive and procedural, to a person because he or she is in a state registered domestic partnership. Please call now in support of traditional family values. Thank you for your support of traditional marriage in Washington! To find out the latest status of these bills and our most current action requested on any bill please go to http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/WA/default.asp . Sincerely, Thomas J. Schmidt HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> Is customer service an art or a science? For us, good customer service is both an art and a science -it should appeal to our members and be effective. Consider what our members say about us: We're thankful for the support HSLDA membership provides us. We'd never homeschool without them. We highly recommend HSLDA to all homeschoolers. - North Tonawanda, NY I cannot imagine our homeschool journey without HSLDA's strong leadership, protection, and guidance. God bless HSLDA! - Alta Loma, California More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1940 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. 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If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
