The March for traditional Marriage
The essential purpose behind the March for Marriage is to send a clear and vital message to marriage advocates nationwide, and particularly to the many young people around our nation who may sometimes feel rather alone in holding on to the values of marriage and family passed down to them in their upbringing.
That message is: Countless millions of your fellow citizens SHARE your values! Take heart and stand with them!
While much of the talk and effort in the marriage movement naturally focuses on our leaders occupying the halls of power and the ivory towers shaping public opinion from within the media and the academy, here in America we believe in the strength of the ordinary citizen to change society for the better.
The greatest political storm flutters only a fringe of humanity, but an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children will literally alter the destiny of nations. — GK Chesterton
As a result, I firmly believe that the greatest asset in the marriage fight is you — you, your family, and the many individuals, families, and organizations that share your values.
The path to victory for marriage and for the protection of kids' rights to both a mother and a father does not begin on Wall Street or Pennsylvania Avenue, but on Main Street. What we need in this movement — now more than ever — is for the American people to rally behind this good and noble cause. And in order to do that marriage supporters everywhere need to be encouraged and supported to stand up and speak out on behalf of marriage by the knowledge that they are not alone. The March for Marriage is our way of giving them that encouragement and support.
The 2014 March for Marriage is just about three months away — June 19 — and just as NOM is busy planning for this great event, it is important for you today to consider how you can become engaged and help make this milestone a success.
So please allow me to share with you three ideas of ways you can get involved today.
Spread the Word!
Next Wednesday, March 26th, NOM and our coalition partners for the March for Marriage are going to take to social media and try to generate some buzz so that people can become informed about the March and begin planning to attend or to support the effort in some other way.
We're #Marching4Marriage on June 19th, and we're going to let the world know why!
Next Wednesday is the anniversary of the fateful hearing in the case of Perry v. Hollingsworth — the Proposition 8 case. On that day, the voices and values of the voters of California were put on trial before the Supreme Court. And unfortunately, when the decision came down, those voices and values were silenced by the activist judges of lower courts.
It is an outrage to think how, in California and elsewhere, citizens have had their will ignored and overturned by self-interested elites in league with a powerful lobby funneling big money from Hollywood into their campaign coffers.
And as these pro-marriage voters have been relegated to second-class citizenship status behind a privileged and protected class of bullies, insult has been added to the injury: not only have they been told to shut up and get out of the way, but they've been called names while being shoved to the sidelines — they've been called bigots and haters and worse.
Bakers, photographers, florists, and others have been dragged into court and told that sacrificing their beliefs and betraying their consciences is "the price of citizenship.” Kids in schools have had to hear their parents' values insulted and smeared by intolerant ideologues, and have been sent to the principal's office for exercising their rights of free speech. Military chaplains have seen a culture of intimidation and fear built up around their office, and the attention they pay to the men and women they serve has been divided by the need to watch over their shoulder for the lurking P.C. police.
All of these things and more add to the litany of reasons we're #Marching4Marriage:
- We're #Marching4Marriage because kids deserve a mom and a dad.
- We're #Marching4Marriage because citizens' values demand a voice.
- We're #Marching4Marriage because it's not bigotry to acknowledge biological fact.
- We're #Marching4Marriage because running a business shouldn't mean shutting the door on your beliefs.
- We're #Marching4Marriage because marriage is the very foundation on which our society stands.
How about you? What reasons could you add?
Your help in spreading the word is vital to this effort. So please share the news about this event and let's make sure everyone knows why we're #Marching4Marriage on June 19th!
Become a Bus Captain!
A second way you can start planning to be involved in the March is by planning and facilitating a bus to bring people to the March.
This information will include specific schedule and location information and a host of other details you'll need to successfully organize a trip!
But in the meantime, I want to help demystify what might seem to you to be too big a task.Remember, don't be discouraged — you can do it!
Here are some ideas that will help get your mind on the right track:
- Think of bus-trips you've been on in the past: how did they do it? Do you know the organizers? Can they help put you in touch with a good reliable bus company?
- Ask local churches or schools, the kinds of folks that probably have experience planning trips, and see if they can give you some tips and advice.
- Consider contacting your travel agent for some guidance.
- If you're a do-it-yourself type, make sure to search for multiple bus companies and get competing quotes — and always be sure to read the reviews!
Once you've found a bus you might want to use, you need to fill it and fund it! So...
- Talk to a local group or church you're involved with and ask if you can post a sign-up sheet or give out some fliers; and see if anyone else involved is interested in helping you coordinate!
- Ask the church or group if there's an opportunity to help underwrite the cost of the bus, or at least help fundraise.
- Try to find out if a local religious radio station or publication or some local faithful business leaders would consider helping you promote your bus or even help sponsor it to save on costs.
- Consider starting an online group — maybe on Facebook (click to find out how)to help keep track of everything.
Remember: as I said above, I know this can seem like a big task. But you can do it! I hope you'll consider taking the bull by the horns and becoming a leader in your community for this important cause!
Take Advantage of Lobby Day!
On the day of the March, we're also providing a chance for those able to stay in town a couple extra hours to visit with their elected officials and their staff to speak about marriage. The National Marriage Lobby Day will start at about 2:30 in the afternoon on the 19th after the March itself is wrapped up.
Remember, we'll need your full name, street address, city, state, and zip code to help begin planning for your attendance at Lobby Day. Your cell phone number would be very helpful as well, particularly during Lobby Day itself.
I hope you'll consider taking part in this exciting new initiative!
Please generously consider these three ways of being involved in helping the March for Marriage to be a great success.
This is our best way of showing the American people that the marriage movement is still vibrant in our country, and that those who stand in defense of the simple common-sense wisdom that marriage is the union of one man and one woman are not going away.
I hope, in particular, that you'll join us next Wednesday, on March 26th, in telling the world via social media why we're #Marching4Marriage again this year! Which reminds me...
There is one reason that I did not mention above about why I'm marching for marriage, and I would be remiss if I didn't add it here: it's you.
I'm #Marching4Marriage because it is quite frankly my honor and privilege to stand with you and countless others like you around our nation: good, courageous patriots who have remained strong in this most important cultural and political battle.
