Marriage Once Again at Risk in Maryland
Thrilled as I am about the united front the bishops are putting up against the HHS Mandate, I'm afraid in my diocese it's overshadowing the effort to defend marriage, which may be gone in Maryland by the end of February unless there's massive demonstration against it.
When I asked my pastor about promoting tomorrow's rally for marriage in Annapolis, he was thrilled to be able to help, but had not heard about it.
Four action items and some scuttlebutt.
1. Show up for what organizers hope will be a a massive rally in defense of marriage tomorrow evening from 6-8 pm at Lawyer's Mall in Annapolis. The other side rallies the next night, and the numbers matter, because this is not a done deal. No sticks are allowed (that's an Annapolis rule), but you can carry hand-held signs. Keep it positive, no hate signs. We're against no one, we're for marriage. Most of the local churches are allowing you to park in their lots and catch shuttles to the state house.
2. Call or write your senators and delegates, especially your delegates. If the vote had been held Friday, it would not have passed, and in fact there are not enough votes on the House Judiciary Committee to pass it out and to the floor, so they're manipulating the process and sending the Civil Marriage Protection Act (always with the Orwellian counter-titles, right?) to a second committee just to get it to the floor. There are a lot of folks on the fence, and calls and emails and letters can make a difference. Use the links here or here to find phone numbers and send emails, or download, sign and share postcards to be sent to legislators.
3. Attend the hearings, the other side will! This is not only to persuade the wavering, but also to defend the vocal marriage defenders, who are being subjected to the usual personal denunciations. Hearings begin in the Maryland Senate Tuesday at 1:00 pm.
4. Spread the word!
