Obama Admin. “Shows Contempt” for States, Federal Courts, Congress

Marriage,

Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the federal government would recognize any same-sex marriage licenses that have been issued in Utah.

As you may be aware, a federal judge declared same-sex marriage legal in Utah last month, and the state was forced to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in spite of the states ban on gay marriage. This week, however, the U.S. Supreme Court put a stay on the judge’s ruling until the matter can be appealed and decided by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In keeping with the decision, the State of Utah has said it will not recognize the same-sex marriage licenses issued between the initial judge’s ruling and the Supreme Court decision. The Obama Administration, however, has unilaterally decided to ignore the Supreme Court, saying it will recognize the marriage licenses even though those licenses are not currently valid.

Family Research Council released a statement about the decision, which says in part,

“The Obama administration’s decision today is an effort to make law in the breach and shows contempt for the states, the federal courts, and Congress. It only adds to the administrative chaos by flouting Utah’s marriage law and is in contrast to the U.S. Supreme Court’s cautious approach in granting a stay in the case. The Department of Justice’s announcement is doing the very thing which the Supreme Court condemned in the U.S. vs. Windsor decision – ‘creating two contradictory marriage regimes within the same State.'”

Here’s the problem: There is no federal marriage license. Marriage licenses are issued by states, and the federal government defers to states in determining whether or not someone is lawfully married. That was actually a point the U.S. Supreme Court touched on last summer when it struck part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

If the U.S. Supreme Court says the State of Utah does not have to recognize same-sex marriage, and if the State of Utah says these couples are not lawfully married, then the federal government really has very little grounds for saying otherwise.

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Oaklawn Lets People Wager $10,000+ on Credit

Gambling,

Last week we talked about Oaklawn racetrack’s new “Oaklawn Anywhere” website that lets people bet on horse races online.

The website lets people place bets literally from anywhere. If you have an internet connection, such as with a smart phone, you can gamble. You can also bet on horse races happening in other countries — all from your computer or mobile device.

So how are the bets placed? By credit card, debit card, ATM card, check, money transfer — basically any way you can get money to Oaklawn in Hot Springs.

And how much money can you wager? As much as you want.

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Words From Our Founders: George Mason

Words From Our Founders, , ,

Today we continue our Words From Our Founders series examining the Founding Fathers’ own words on religion, religious liberty, and virtue.

On June 12, 1776, just a few weeks before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Fifth Virginia Convention unanimously ratified the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The chief author of the declaration was George Mason. Below are the final two enumerations of the declaration — pertaining to morality and religious liberty — as written by George Mason and edited by the Convention. In addition to the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Mason’s work was influential in the adoption of the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Made by the Representatives of the good People of Virginia, assembled in full and free Convention, which rights to pertain to them and their posterity as the basis and foundation of government. …

XV. That no free government, or the blessing of liberty, can be preserved to any people, but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality and virtue, and by a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.

XVI. That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love and charity towards each other.

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