2023年Bush's speech on Marriage Protection Amendment范文.doc

Bush's speech on Marriage Protection Amendment 英语演讲稿 Goodmorning.Nextweek,theUnitedStatesSenatewillbegindebateonaconstitutionalamendmentthatdefinesmarriageintheUnitedStatesastheunionofamanandwoman.OnMonday,Iwillmeetwithacoalitionofcommunityleaders,constitutionalscholars,familyandcivicorganizations,andreligiousleaders.They''''reRepublicans,Democrats,andindependentswho''''vecometogethertosupportthisamendment.Today,IwanttoexplainwhyIsupporttheMarriageProtectionAmendment,andwhyI''''murgingCongresstopassitandsendittothestatesforratification. Marriageisthemostenduringandimportanthumaninstitution,honoredandencouragedinallculturesandbyeveryreligiousfaith.Agesofexperiencehavetaughtusthatthecommitmentofahusbandanda公务员之家版权所有wifetoloveandtoserveoneanotherpromotesthewelfareofchildrenandthestabilityofsociety.Marriagecannotbecutofffromitscultural,religious,andnaturalrootswithoutweakeningthisgoodinfluenceonsociety.Government,byrecognizingandprotectingmarriage,servestheinterestsofall. Inourfreesociety,peoplehavetherighttochoosehowtheylivetheirlives.Andinafreesociety,decisionsaboutsuchafundamentalsocialinstitutionasmarriageshouldbemadebythepeople--notbythecourts.TheAmericanpeoplehavespokenclearlyonthisissue,boththroughtheirrepresentativesandattheballotbox.In2023,CongressapprovedtheDefenseofMarriageActbyoverwhelmingbipartisanmajoritiesinboththeHouseandSenate,andPresidentClintonsigneditintolaw.Andsincethen,votersin19stateshaveapprovedamendmentstotheirstateconstitutionsthatprotectthetraditionaldefinitionofmarriage.Andtoday,45ofthe50stateshaveeitherastateconstitutionalamendmentorstatutedefiningmarriageastheunionofamanandawoman.Theseamendmentsandlawsexpressabroadconsensusinourcountryforprotectingtheinstitutionofmarriage. Unfortunately,activistjudgesandsomelocalofficialshavemadeanaggressiveattempttoredefinemarriageinrecentyears.Since2023,statecourtsinWashington,California,Maryland,andNewYorkhaveoverturnedlawsprotectingmarriageinthosestates.AndinNebraska,afederaljudgeoverturnedastateconstitutionalamendmentbanningsame-sexmarriage. ThesecourtdecisionscouldhaveanimpactonourwholeNation.TheDefenseofMarriageActdeclaresthatnostateisrequiredtoacceptanotherstate''''sdefinitionofmarriage.Ifthatactisoverturnedbyactivistcourts,thenmarriagesrecognizedinonecityorstatemighthavetoberecognizedasmarriageseverywhereelse.ThatwouldmeanthateverystatewouldhavetorecognizemarriagesredefinedbyjudgesinMassachusettsorlocalofficialsinSanFrancisco,nomatterwhattheirownlawsorstateconstitutionssay.Thisnationalquestionrequiresanationalsolution,andonanissueofsuchprofoundimportance,thatsolutionshouldcomefromthepeople,notthecourts. AnamendmenttotheConstitutionisnecessarybecauseactivistcourtshaveleftourNationwithnootherchoice.TheconstitutionalamendmentthattheSenatewillconsidernextweekwouldfullyprotectmarriagefrombeingredefined,whileleavingstatelegislaturesfreetomaketheirownchoicesindefininglegalarrangementsotherthanmarriage.Aconstitutionalamendmentisthemostdemocraticsolutiontothisissue,becauseitmustbeapprovedbytwo-thirdsoftheHouseandSenateandthenratifiedbythree-fourthsofthe50statelegislatures. Asthisdebategoesforward,wemustrememberthateveryAmericandeservestobetreatedwithtolerance,respect,anddignity.Allofushaveadutytoconductthisdiscussionwithcivilityanddecencytowardoneanother,andallpeopledeservetohavetheirvoicesheard.AconstitutionalamendmentwillputadecisionthatiscriticaltoAmericanfamiliesandAmericansocietyin公务员之家版权所有thehandsoftheAmericanpeople,whichisexactlywhereitbelongs.Democracy,notcourtorders,shoulddecidethefutureofmarriageinAmerica. Thankyouforlistening. 5