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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2012
CONTACT: Jason Rose, July Fourth Forum PAC (603) 715-7290
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Union Leader Guest: Fight special interests who brought same-sex marriage to NH
Concord: The following guest op-ed from July Fourth Forum PAC's Jason Rose was published today in the New Hampshire Union Leader:
Fight special interests who brought same-sex marriage to NH
SOME PEOPLE revel in politics. They don't just follow the public debate in a newspaper or casually watch the Sunday morning news shows over breakfast or a cup of coffee.
For some, politics is a blood sport. It's a way to make a living. I am not one of them.
In fact, when it comes to legislative minutiae, or gossip about who's up, or who's down among the insiders in Concord, I never really paid much attention. But in the past few years, something changed.
Like many of my friends and neighbors, I watched as a small number of politically savvy social activists slowly began orchestrating what we now know was a full-scale, tightly scripted, and well funded political campaign to enact same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, and in every state in the country.
In 2009, they succeeded here. After flooding Concord with special-interest campaign contributions, and with the help of editorial elites, New Hampshire is now one of only six states to allow gay marriage.
But, this swirling cauldron of special interests also managed to accomplish something else: the complete corruption of New Hampshire's proud history of political independence and civic engagement.
So, I'm off the sidelines.
I've joined a growing number of local citizens committed to achieving something many of us never dreamed necessary: the restoration of traditional marriage in New Hampshire.
Why now? Because I strongly believe that restoring traditional marriage reflects the will of the people - of Republicans, independents and Democrats.
Last year, 133 towns across the state took up a question at town meetings, or on a ballot, allowing citizens the right to vote on a legal definition of marriage. Despite opposition, those towns that voted on the measure said the people should have a voice on same-sex marriage - by a factor of two-to-one.
In fact, every town that put the issue on an SB 2 ballot said yes, give the people a voice - by an average margin of 63 percent to 37 percent.
Last fall, we elected a new majority that supports the restoration of traditional marriage, defeating most of those politicians who took money from activists and lobbyists and voted for gay marriage.
It doesn't take a political professional to see that given an opportunity to stand up for traditional marriage, the people of New Hampshire have demonstrated a commitment to making their voices heard.
The stakes have never been higher. A recent report by NH Journal revealed that the gay marriage lobby responsible for New Hampshire's flawed gay marriage law was organized and exclusively funded by national gay rights donors and activists in New York City and Washington, D.C.
We now know the top gay marriage lobby, named Standing Up for New Hampshire Families, was never organized in, or by, the state of New Hampshire. Yet, these out-of-state millionaires bought and paid for New Hampshire's 2009 gay marriage law.
Today, the same group of national gay marriage activists and wealthy donors are lobbying against the restoration of traditional marriage.
Next month, the House of Representatives is likely to vote on legislation that, I strongly believe, reflects the will of the people in restoring traditional marriage. I urge every legislator to stand with the people of New Hampshire, not with special interest campaign donors, and support this legislation.
When it comes to values, I'm not afraid to take on the special interests. For me, this is not a political game. Marriage should not be used to further some national political agenda.
I'm no pollster, but something tells me I'm not alone.
Jason Rose lives in Concord with his wife and two children.
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