Thousands Rally For Marriage Bill

by Jim Nesbitt - March 6th, 2007 - News & Observer

A noontime rally Tuesday in support of a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman drew thousands of people from across North Carolina.

With shouts of "let us vote!," the crowd aimed its collective ire at Democratic legislative leaders such as state Senate majority leader Marc Basnight, who has said he sees no need for a constitutional amendment because a 1996 North Carolina law already says same-sex marriages are invalid. Rally organizers say Basnight, a Democrat from Manteo, has kept the Senate version of the constitutional amendment bill bottled up in a committee that hasn't met since 2001.

Other coverage of the rally of over 10,000 included significant coverage on WITN-TV, which included this article on their web site: Rally Against Gay Marriage. Are you surprised that most of the press is covering this rally in such a low key manner? Can you imagine the extensive coverage if 10,000 liberals demonstrated for something?

Followup in the News & Observer on this issue included this letter from Steve Noble, Chairman, Called2Action in Raleigh with regards to Senator Marc Basnight:

I received a shocking reply to a recent e-mail to Sen. Marc Basnight's office: "Like you, I believe to my core that marriage should be between one man and one woman, and I strongly oppose same-sex marriage."

If Basnight had the courage of his convictions, then this issue would be over. If one believes in something "to the core," wouldn't you expect him to give it his best? The Defense of Marriage Act in North Carolina is a good law, but it's only one activist N.C. Superior Court judge away from being declared "unconstitutional."

Like Basnight, most North Carolinians support traditional marriage "to their core" and want to protect it to the fullest extent of the law. The fullest extent leaves only one option: the marriage amendment.

The difference is that most North Carolinians are not actively sabotaging the passage of the bill, proving that Marc Basnight cannot be telling the truth when he says he supports it. Either that or he is trying to have it both ways, kowtowing to the gay power block in the democrat party, while simultaneously claiming he agrees with North Carolinians privately.

At some point Marc Basnight is going to have to prove that he is not being a hypocrit. Liberal judges all over America are actively trying to subvert the laws that we currently rely on. Marc Basnight knows this. It is only a mtter of time until a judge declares gay marriage legal here in North Carolina. Will Basnight still be sitting on the fence or will he have taken a clear stand one way or another.

I think I know where Basnight stands. He stands with the gay power block in the democrat party. His personal claims about his beliefs notwithstanding, his actions prove it. One of those gay organizations supporting Basnight is Equality North Carolina, and they have not changed their stance since this article posted last year: Anti-Marriage Amendment Halted for Third Year

Similtaneously there is another group that is making their stand clear in support of the Defense of Marriage Bill. The North Caronlina Family Policy Council has posted this "Why North Carolina Needs a Marriage Amendment" article. No ambiguity there.

Senator Fred Smith is leading the charge to get this bill passed. His thoughts are posted on his web site here.

Neither supporters or opposition are waffling . . . . but Marc Basnight is. If you really want to make a difference either way, contact Basnight by email at Marcb@ncleg.net, or you can phone him at (919) 733-6854.

Don't you think it is time for Basnight to stop having it both ways?