Through extensive research (okay, I browsed their web site), I discovered the secret (these people are really not at all subtle) agenda behind the web site “Nation for Marriage,” the organization currently attempting to overturn same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.
Take for example, their primary talking point:
Language to avoid at all costs: “Ban same-sex marriage.” Our base loves this wording. So do supporters of SSM. They know it causes us to lose about ten percentage points in polls. Don’t use it. Say we’re against “redefining marriage” or in favor or “marriage as the union of husband and wife” NEVER “banning same-sex marriage.”
Hey, this is kind of familiar. Don’t use the word “privatization.” Use the term “protecting our investment in the future.” Don’t say “torture” say “coercive methods via which to obtain critical and crucial information.” Don’t say “quagmire.” Say “global war on extremist ideologies among those evil evildoers of evil.”
But that’s not all. They also have some really nice gems about Why marriage matters.
Now, mind you, many opponents of same-sex marriage will tell you that it’s not about religion, but about an institution that’s been part of our lives for a very long time.
But here’s something interesting. Nation for Marriage thinks that you need three different versions of the explanation as to why marriage matters: Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish.
What can we learn from these different approaches to marketing based on religion?
Well, for one thing, Jews apparently like the color green, and are fond of the font Herculanum:
Catholics, on the other hand, clearly like stark color and contrast, and prefer a non Jewy, serif font:
Protestants, however, clearly have no taste at all:
And you know what else we learned? Cathoics and Protestants, unlike Jews, speak Spanish.
Their website also has some neat tools. Take for example, their Northeast Project page. You can use it to e-mail your legislator. I just used it to send a thank you note to my legislators in Vermont. Of course, one of my legislators is a friend so I’ll probably see him at the next jam session I go to, so this seems silly. But that’s Vermont for you.
How about the various threats that same sex marriage poses? You can read all about them on NOM’s handy little blog. On their blog you can learn about all sorts of things, like the threat of same-sex marriage being handed down through the courts!
“Unlike the people of California, the people of Iowa have no direct way to get this issue on the ballot so that they can take marriage back from the courts,” notes Maggie Gallagher, president of NOM. “Once again the most undemocratic branch of government is being used to advance an agenda the majority of Americans reject. Marriage means a husband and wife. That’s not discrimination, that’s common sense.”
Of course, just because they object to it done through the courts doesn’t mean they don’t object to it through the legislature:
“Even in states like Vermont where they are pushing this issue through legislatures, gay marriage advocates are totally unwilling to let the people decide these issues directly,” agreed Brown. “They’ve just about run out of courts willing to radically redefine marriage. The next step for gay marriage advocates will be to use these new laws to push Congress to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and then use the federal courts to impose gay marriage on all 50 states.”
Now, admittedly, it is indeed a sad day for Vermont (emphasis mine):
But we take heart in knowing that this vote was not representative of what Vermonters understand marriage to be…
Which is interesting, as Vermont, like the rest of the country, seems to be a representative Democracy
The piece continues:
Today is indeed a sad day, but let all of us who understand that marriage is the union of a husband and wife redouble our commitment to ensuring that same-sex marriage does not spread throughout our nation, that religious liberty is protected, and ultimately that marriage is restored in these states as well for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
Hear that, people? It’s a virus. Like that HIV thingy!
But, really, how can you say no to this face?
Have we have no hearts? Clearly, Christians are under attack from the onslaught of same-sex marriage!
I will note two facts:
- not only did Vermont’s legislature support same sex marriage, they did it with over 2/3rds support of the legislature;
- Not only did Vermont’s senate vote to support same sex marriage, a majority of Vermont’s Republican senators voted to support it.
Be sure to thank your legislators, everyone. They’ll be here all week.
Sidenote: I originally wrote this back in April of 2009, just after Vermont passed legislation supporting same sex marriage. Since then, they have removed Vermont entirely from their Northeast Project page.
There was even an attempt to primary some of the Republican who supported same sex marriage and it did not go as planned.
Apparently, we are unredeemable.
Hurray!