By Craig Myers
At
the entrance to Union Station in Washington, DC, you will find the following
quote from Thomas Jefferson, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” It would be hard to find more appropriate
advice for us today than his words, which are carved in a marble monument to a
proud democracy. Clearly the
preservation of our freedom requires our constant vigilance, as those who do
not practice or believe in America's founding principles are on the attack.
With
brazen disregard for the will of Oregon's voters, 54 liberal legislators and
our governor violated both the spirit and the letter of our Constitution and
created homosexual marriage, in 2007.
With the same sort of arrogance, the Secretary of State empowered a handful
of liberal County clerks to disregard clear proof that they had disenfranchised
active registered Oregon voters within their own counties. In doing this, they assured that the effort
to repeal HB 2007, the homosexual marriage bill would fall just five sample
signatures short of qualifying for the November 2008 ballot.
On
August 14, the Ninth Circuit Court issued a decision that these voters’
petition signatures do not enjoy the protections intended by the U.S.
Constitution. These three, notoriously
liberal, justices have thereby deemed that the Constitution of Oregon can be
disregarded and that the voters of Oregon can be denied the chance to reaffirm
their unmistakable will, through the democratic process.
All
of this perfectly illustrates why, in November, we need to elect conservative
leaders who respect our values, our democracy, and Oregon's Constitution, which
already clearly defines marriage. The
price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
Will you register and vote, and stand up for the principles and freedoms
that our forefathers fought and died to protect?
Craig
Myers is a Spokesman for Concerned Oregonians. You can reach him at (503) 999-8668.