My apologies for continually keeping this issue in the spotlight, but it’s coming to a head and as long as the MSM keeps talking about I believe we should as well. Here’s the latest in the D&C (the D&C is Rochester’s primary newspaper):
Gay marriage in spotlight as legistlative session winds down by Sean Dobbin
With less than a week remaining in the state legislative session, the debate over gay marriage has intensified in New York, with several state and national organizations making rallying stops in Rochester in recent days.
Hoping to emphasize the economic impact that same-sex marriage could have for the state, the New York Business for Marriage group joined Rochester mayor Tom Richards at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon.
Richards expressed his support for the legislation, and Ross Levi, a member of New York Business for Marriage and the executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, referenced a study by the State Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference that estimated $391 million would be generated in the first three years by legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.
Currently, much of that revenue is being spent by New Yorkers on same-sex wedding ceremonies in nearby states like Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont, as well as Canada, where gay marriage is legal, said Levi.
Oh please! This is worse than the claim that adding casinos to cities actually generates money. What would help the economy more than anything else is strong families.
Three Quinnipiac University polls conducted this year have shown New Yorkers to be in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, with the percentage of voters who support the measure ranging from a low of 54 percent in February to a high of 58 percent last week.
Yes, we’ve seen these studies. I call shenanigans. Other polls disagree and every time this issue has been put on the ballot, same-sex marriage has been shot down. Polls such as these are intimidating. I read something a while ago saying that because of the nature of the debate, many people are actually afraid to say where they stand (even to a pollster). They say one thing to the pollster, but actually vote their beliefs, which is much more supportive of traditional marriage.
A Gannett survey of all 62 state Senators last month found that 26 senators were in favor of the bill and 28 opposed. Eight senators, including James Alesi, R-Perinton, were undecided; a spokesperson for Alesi said the senator has still not declared his stance on the issue.
I fear he’s waiting to see what kind of sweetheart deal he can get. Be sure to let him know what you think.
Members of both groups [pro traditional marriage] held a demonstration on the corner of East Ridge Road and Stanton Lane in Irondequoit last week. They displayed signs and banners that read “God’s Marriage: 1 Man + 1 Woman,” and “Honk For Traditional Marriage,” while one man played the bagpipes.
Some drivers blared their support; a few leaned on their horns for their entire trip through the intersection. Most passed through silently.
I’ve heard from a handful of people that more cars honked than didn’t. While I don’t think anyone could prove one way or the other, I’m curious how Sean Dobbin knows that “most passed through silently”.
If you haven’t yet seen this, have a look. This is the TFP group in the village of Fairport just last Friday.
You can read more about this group here.
note: at the bottom of this link is a request for donations – I cannot tell you whether or not this group warrants donations, so donate at your own risk.
As always, here’s the link to “What is Marriage?”
And a note from the Holy Father.
Bishop Clark – we could use your voice as an individual bishop right about now. NYSCC has been superb, but we need each individual bishops to speak up as well.
Tags: Homosexual Agenda
|
Senator Alesi’s local office should be called. If you are a constituent of the Senator and past supporter, let him know that you will no longer support him if he supports this bill. He has to know that he is toast if he votes for this bill. His opponent last November, it seems to me, ran as a fiscal conservative and almost won – the trojan horse issue was gay marriage, and I think that was why the Democrats wanted so badly to defeat Alesi.
Alesi needs to know that a vote for this bill is a career-ending decision.
Does anyone know when this bill will come up for vote? Living in another state, I can’t call, but I can certainly pray!
Absolutely no one on the homosexual activist side has an answer to either Dr. George’s argument on marriage nor the Church’s. They don’t agree with the definition of marriage, which they are free to do ONLY so far as they can provide one. The trouble is…they can’t. It always ends up being nothing but friendship and cannot provide a valid argument as to why marriage cannot also take place between siblings, or three+ people, or any other combination. They have no argument at the end of the day. We do.
annonymouse- You are absolutely correct about Senator Alesi. He should realize that he has a conservative base and so if enough calls and emails come in, he should understand the political consequences of voting for gay “marriage”. I’ve voted for him every time since I moved into his district but I never will again if he votes in favor. According to “City” newspaper, the last time this came up for a vote, Alesi paused and seemed to be reluctant in voting against it, so he is wavering. If only Bishop Clark would speak up more against this; after all, Alesi is a Catholic so why he would even consider voting for gay “marriage” is difficult to understand.
Alesi is no more a Catholic than any of the people who attend the schismatic Spiritus Christi (which he does, by the way).
The pressure is strong on him from Spiritus folk, so it’s extra important that if we live in his district we contact him ASAP.
…and there it is! Thank you, Dr. K. It makes a lot more sense now.
That’s why I didn’t mention appealing to Senator Alesi’s Catholicism. He’s in a heap of re-election trouble anyways with his embarrassing lawsuit thing. All he needs to ensure his electoral defeat is to vote FOR “gay marriage” – he needs to know that he will alienate his entire electoral base, ENSURING the end of his political career.
If you live in Alesi’s district, call him today. His single vote might be the difference. If this passes, it will be extremely difficult to ever reverse it in our very “blue state.”
In response to Sassy’s question, it’s my understanding that there will be no vote until the governor has lined up enough votes to ensure its passage. He doesn’t want to risk another Senate defeat, I guess.
Dr. K.- I didn’t realize Alesi attended Spiritus: That does explain a lot. I wonder if he’s getting spiritual counsel on his vote from Fr. Jim and “Fr.” Mary:)
Sorry to sound stupid, but will this bill be hanging out there constantly until Cuomo thinks it’ll pass? What’s the significance of June 20?
I called Alesi last week and emailed him this morning. My argument does not plead God at all (end of conversation with some people), because it doesn’t have to. The public good is all the argument we need, that the institution of marriage is sacred because of what it means to all, the continuation of our species! I reminded him that only we who are already married and the 98% of us who do NOT live the homosexual lifestyle are the ones whose rights would be stepped on if marriage is redefined… my marriage is NOT just about sex acts!!! and that’s all homosexual couplings CAN be about! We do not give such heights of reverence to just any form of living, but only to those that benefit all humanity, and THAT’S what marriage is about! I told him how disgusted I am with his cowardice and asked him to man up and at least tell us what he will do… The man is behaving like no one I will EVER vote for again, even if he in the end voices support for federal DOMA and votes against Cuomo’s agenda in this area, because Alesi’s silence speaks volumes about his lack of courage. I am absolutely disgusted with these elected people who live on our dime and wake up every morning putting their finger to the wind to see how they should go through their day. And to learn now that he is a bogus Catholic to boot is just confirmation of the man’s warped thinking. Wish I could take my vote back… grrrrr. +JMJ
The TFP incident is getting a slightly wider audience. H/T LifeSiteNews
I think I posted my first comment in the wrong place. I’ll just say, they’re at it again!
http://www.fortunatefamilies.com/Newsletters/Jun2011Newsletter.pdf
That should be “Unfortunate Families”, quite obviously.
Oh my, Sassy, that FF newsletter deserves a thorough parsing. I know Casey Lopata is an educated man, but he has no business playing amateur theologian.
There are several priests in the DOR who donate to FF, and it is my understanding the the diocese endorses/supports FF by way of Campus Ministries. I can try to find a link.
Has our Bishop […] publicly encouraged this group?
Maybe I have mentioned this before, so apologies if it is redundant. However, even if so I would guess that some reading this thread will find this new.
It seems as if Lopata was one of the founders of that group. When it was founded it apparently had the word “Catholic” in its name. Early on, the Bishop had a meeting with Lopata and a few others and asked them to remove the word from its name.
I have it from a very very very well placed source that the Bishop’s main (if not only) motivation was so that it would not attract attention from the Vatican and that he (Bishop) would not “get into any trouble”. Nothing (relayed to me at least) about any incompatibility with the Church. In addition, the way the source relayed this to me left no doubt in my mind that that discussion had a wink wink nudge nudge quality to it.
———
[he] ia an educated man, but he has no business playing amateur theologian
The abuse of logic there is stunning, almost beyond words. If he spent even 1% of the mental effort he did in parsing the VII claims on actually trying to understand the relevant parts of the Catechism, well you know…
Reading that screed made me think of someone posting ad hominem against (say) IBM because their calculators have the audacity to say that 2 + 2 = 4. And without even using the calculator first.
I am trying to parse together some witticism synthesizing mentions of btoh After the Ball and Genesis 3:5, but am just too flustered.
Keep this man in your prayers. He is in great need of them.
———
Can any of the admins of this site put up a local copy of the newsletter (and any other …er… material) from that site, and relink above? I would rather not give them the page hits. Or worry about having to giving my browser an enema afterwards.
If you go to the FF homepage, click on site map. You’ll see a bolded column entitled “About.”
Under that column, you’ll see “Annual Reports”. You can click on their reports as far back as, I believe, 2005. A list of donors is at the end.
It’s too bad that Mr. Lopata doesn’t put is education to better use. Very sad.
I have to do penance for disparaging Mr. Lopata’ intelligence.
I just came across this (h/t Mark Shea).
I always had a bad feeling about that whole Jesse Ventura incident.
I’ll work on it over the next couple days. Going to go through every single newsletter published by FF.
Ah, THP incident is also over at Sheavings too.
Not the same type of site as LifeSiteNews, but definitely up there with the Big Boys.