Scalia: 'A Naked Judicial Claim To Legislate'

Here are some excerpts from Justice Antonin Scalia's dissent to the Supreme Court's gay "marriage" ruling.  Justice Scalia felt the matter was not one to be decided by the courts or the constitution but rather by the democratic process in the states. His words:

"I join THE CHIEF JUSTICE’s [dissenting] opinion in full. I write separately to call attention to this Court’s threat to Americandemocracy.

The substance of today’s decree is not of immense personal importance to me. ...

...So it is not of special importance to me what the law says about marriage. It is of overwhelming importance, however, who it is that rules me. Today’s decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court. The opinion in these cases is the furthest extension in fact—and the furthest extension one can even imagine—of the Court’s claimed power to create “liberties” that the Constitution and its Amendments neglect to mention. This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves.
...

The strikingly unrepresentative character of the body voting on today’s social upheaval would be irrelevant if they were functioning as judges, answering the legal question whether the American people had ever ratified aconstitutional provision that was understood to proscribethe traditional definition of marriage. But of course the Justices in today’s majority are not voting on that basis; they say they are not. And to allow the policy question ofsame-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation."

...

This is a naked judicial claim to legislative—indeed, super-legislative—power; a claim fundamentally at odds with our system of government. Except as limited by a constitutional prohibition agreed to by the People, the States are free to adopt whatever laws they like, even those that offend the esteemed Justices’ “reasoned judgment.” A system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.

Dan Cirucci

More Relevant Today Than Ever . . . .

Five Things Conservatives Must Do Now

The past week has not been a good one for conservatives or Republicans. Not at all.

Make no mistake about it: Conservatives are under siege. Heady with irrationally-concocted victories fashioned by the Supreme Court (including two GOP-appointed justices) and a Republican Congress that seems rudderless, liberals are on the march. They are drunk with a new sense of power and triumph. Barack, Uncle Joe, Plastic Nancy, Crazy Harry, HillBill and their ragtag army are all on a roll. And suddenly, for them this is not the end but rather, a rainbow-colored new beginning -- a new dawn. Yes, they've just begun. And they're target is us, our liberties and our freedoms.

So, what to do? How to answer this new assault?

Here are five things that can get us moving in the right direction:

1) Return.
This is no time for retreat. Conservatives must return to our core values. When a big company faces bad times, slashed profits and angry stockholders it learns how to get back to basics real fast. We must return to what makes conservatism strong and meaningful: Smaller government, lower taxes, more individual responsibility, more power to the people, grassroots democracy. And these core values must be crafted and hammered home in a simple, basic manner that it easy to understand for all Americans.

2) Regroup.
There are dozens of conservative groups representing millions of people and raising zillions of dollars. To name just a few: Americans for Prosperity, American Conservative Union, Freedom's Watch, Family Research Council, Eagle Forum, Citizens United, etc. There's no shortage of ideas or energy. But we must find a way to regroup and work together on clear, simple, common goals. If liberals can do this (and they can and have) so can we. Remember: so long as we remain splintered among so many different groups and interests, the liberals will have the upper hand. The time for internecine squabbling is over!

3) Reimagine.
We don't have to give up our core beliefs. But we must reimagine them. We must make them relevant to today -- to the here and now. We can learn a lot from groups such as Turning Point USA, Young Americas Foundation and Generation Opportunity. These groups are working hard to make our message meaningful to new generations. They can help us reawaken conservatism's belief in all that is right and just.

4) Recruit.
Now is the time to reach out. Now is the time to recruit and engage new followers. Many, many people are confused, dismayed, frustrated and even angry. They can't understand what's happening to our nation, its institutions, its traditions and its heritage. They're looking for like-minded individuals. They're looking for a way forward. We are those individuals. We are that way forward. We must recruit.

5) Resolve.
We must resolve to unite. We must unite around clear, simple ideas clearly and simply stated. We must unite around fresh, new plans to carry out those ideas -- good, solid, alternative plans that are practical and relevant to today's challenges and problems. And finally, we must unite around a single person -- a single voice who will convey our message and move us forward. More than anything else, this personality (our new standard bearer) will have the potential to capture the nation's imagination and bring our movement and our party to victory. We've got lots of choices but we must settle on one person soon -- real soon!

The darkest hour is often the precise moment when the brightest light emerges.

Remember these words of Ronald Reagan in 1980:
"They tell us we must learn to live with less, and teach our children that their lives will be less full and prosperous than ours have been; that the America of the coming years will be a place where — because of our past excesses — it will be impossible to dream and make those dreams come true. I don't believe that. And, I don't believe you do either.  . . . I cannot and will not stand by and see this great country destroy itself. Our leaders attempt to blame their failures on circumstances beyond their control, on false estimates by unknown, unidentifiable experts who rewrite modern history in an attempt to convince us our high standard of living, the result of thrift and hard work, is somehow selfish extravagance which we must renounce as we join in sharing scarcity. I don't agree that our nation must resign itself to inevitable decline, yielding its proud position to other hands. I am totally unwilling to see this country fail in its obligation to itself and to the other free peoples of the world."

Graham: Only God Defines Marriage!

After the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on same-sex marriage, Franklin Graham made the following statement on his Facebook page:

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled today that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states. With all due respect to the court, it did not define marriage, and therefore is not entitled to re-define it.

Long before our government came into existence, marriage was created by the One who created man and woman—Almighty God—and His decisions are not subject to review or revision by any manmade court. God is clear about the definition of marriage in His Holy Word: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

I pray God will spare America from His judgment, though, by our actions as a nation, we give Him less and less reason to do so.

In 2016, Franklin Graham is traveling to all 50 states to share the Gospel and encourage Christians to boldly live out their faith. Get updates on the Decision America Tour.

Why Their Mascot Is A Jackass . . .

Video: Champion Hypocrite/Liar Of All Time!

Hillary Clinton, 2004.

Chaput: Decision Will Have 'Painful' Impact

Following is a statement from Archbishop Charles J. Caput of the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia:

"The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision on marriage is not a surprise. The surprise will come as ordinary people begin to experience, firsthand and painfully, the impact of today's action on everything they thought they knew about marriage, family life, our laws and our social institutions. The mistakes of the court change nothing about the nature of men and women, and the truth of God's Word. The task now for believers is to form our own families even more deeply in the love of God, and to rebuild a healthy marriage culture, one marriage at a time, from the debris of today's decision."

Marriage: Orthodox Jewish Group Asserts Beliefs

Today, the leadership of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America issued the following statement:

“In response to the decisions announced today by the United States Supreme Court with reference to the issue of legal recognition of same sex marriage, we reiterate the historical position of the Jewish faith, enunciated unequivocally in our Bible, Talmud and Codes, which forbids homosexual relationships and condemns the institutionalization of such relationships as marriages. Our religion is emphatic in defining marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. Our beliefs in this regard are unalterable. At the same time, we note that Judaism teaches respect for others and we condemn discrimination against individuals.

We are grateful that we live in a democratic society, in which all religions are free to express their opinions about social issues and to advocate vigorously for those opinions. The reason we opt to express our viewpoint in a public forum is because we believe that our Divine system of law not only dictates our beliefs and behaviors, but also represents a system of universal morality, and therefore can stake a claim in the national discourse. That morality, expressed in what has broadly been labeled Judeo-Christian ethics, has long had a place in American law and jurisprudence.

We also recognize that no religion has the right to dictate its beliefs to the entire body politic and we do not expect that secular law will always align with our viewpoint. Ultimately, decisions on social policy remain with the democratic process, and today the process has spoken and we accord the process and its result the utmost respect.

In the wake of today’s ruling, we now turn to the next critical question for our community, and other traditional faith communities – will American law continue to uphold and embody principles of religious liberty and diversity, and will the laws implementing today’s ruling and other expansions of civil rights for LGBT Americans contain appropriate accommodations and exemptions for institutions and individuals who abide by religious teachings that limit their ability to support same-sex relationships?

Already, several states have struck a balance by incorporating religious liberty protections into their same sex marriage statutes. This approach must continue, for the expansions of civil rights for some Americans must not come at the cost of the civil rights of other Americans.

The Orthodox Union is proud to assert its beliefs and principles in the public forum, and will continue to do so in a manner that is tolerant and respectful of all of our nation’s citizens, but which is also authentically based upon our sacred ancient texts and time-honored traditions.


- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/322380/orthodox-union-statement-on-supreme-courts-same-gender-marriage-ruling.html#sthash.1Hw094a2.dpuf

Family Research Council Blasts SCOTUS Ruling

Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins responded today to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision forcing the people in all 50 states to embrace same-sex “marriage,” regardless of their votes to define marriage in their states as a man-woman institution.

Of the decision FRC President Tony Perkins said:

"Five justices on the Supreme Court have overturned the votes of 50 million Americans and demanded that the American people walk away from millennia of history and the reality of human nature.

“In reaching a decision so lacking in foundation in the text of the Constitution, in our history, and in our traditions, the Court has done serious damage to its own legitimacy.

“No court can overturn natural law. Nature and Nature’s God, hailed by the signers of our Declaration of Independence as the very source of law, cannot be usurped by the edict of a court, even the United States Supreme Court.

“Marriage is rooted not only in human history, but also in the biological and social reality that children are created by, and do best when raised by, a mother and a father. No court ruling can alter this truth.

“It is folly for the Court to think that it has resolved a controversial issue of public policy. By disenfranchising 50 million Americans, the Court has instead supercharged this issue.

"Just as with Roe v. Wade in 1973, the courts will not have the final say on this profound social matter. The American people will stand up for their right to have a voice and a vote, especially as they experience the ways in which redefining marriage fundamentally impairs their freedom to live and work in accordance with their beliefs.

“With this ruling, the Supreme Court has set our government on a collision course with America’s cherished religious freedoms, explicitly guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution.

“Americans will not stop standing for transcendent truth, nor accept the legitimacy of this decision. Truth is not decided by polls or the passage of time, but by the One who created time and everything that exists therein.

“We will not lapse into silence but will continue to speak uncompromisingly for the truth about what marriage is, always has been, and always will be: the union of one man and one woman,” concluded Perkins.

Family Research Council’s amicus brief in this case can be found here: http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=LK15F126

ACU Sees Threat To Religious Freedom

Following is a statement from Matt Schlapp, Chair of the American Conservative Union:

“The American people have received two devastating rulings from a Supreme Court that has become unhinged from its purpose. As with other catastrophic decisions, this Court is attempting to resolve through judicial fiat questions appropriately belonging in the hands of the American people. That is the opposite of what our Founders envisioned.

“The Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts has dramatically re-imagined the role of our Judiciary and has empowered the Court to behave as unelected legislators without term limits.

“It should come as no surprise given yesterday’s tragic dismantling of a government of, for, and by the People, that the Roberts Court has moved us farther in the direction of using the Judiciary to serve political ends by disregarding the notion of constitutionality in today’s decision. Sadly, one consequence of this overreach will undoubtedly be growing resentment and rancor around these issues. As in the Roe vs. Wade decision concerning abortion, usurping the will of the people does not resolve conflict, it only extends it.

“The 1st Amendment clearly states that Religious Liberties are protected. However, President Obama and the liberals ignore this protection and seek to dictate what are ‘appropriate’ tenets of faith. Today’s opinion creates the Church of the Supreme Court, with President Obama serving as its High Priest.

“If America is strong enough to live under this decision, then it should be strong enough to protect the rights of sincere and decent people of faith, whose rights are sadly forgotten.”

- See more at: http://conservative.org/todays-opinion-creates-the-church-of-the-supreme-court-says-acus-schlapp/#sthash.WSeLVSrp.dpuf