• President's Message
• Protect Marriage Arizona Amendment? Federal Marriage Protection Amendment?
  Why Both? What is the Difference?
• One Month Left to Help Insure a Vote in November to Protect Marriage in Arizona!
• "No One Has the Right to Choose to Do What is Wrong."
• We Owe it to the Next Generation
• Arizona Legislative Update
• United Families Arizona Presents Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse
• Upcoming Events

President's Message

United Families Arizona educates and advocates in behalf of five basic respects. These respects are marriage, parental rights, religious liberty, national sovereignty and the right to life. For the past four months, we have chosen one of these respects and discussed it as the theme for our monthly newsletters. Our purpose is to help define the principles that guide our choice of policies we advocate. This month our focus is on our right to life.

Protecting life is essential if societies are to survive in love and peace. A respect for life causes one to relish differences and individual uniqueness. Each human life has intrinsic worth and value and each merits the utmost respect and protection. It is incumbent upon societies to protect life at all stages — from its very beginning to its very end. When one ceases to respect life at any stage, one diminishes a respect for all life.

When I was at the United Nations earlier this year at the Commission on the Status of Women, I was pleased to feel the momentum of the movement against legalized abortion. I attended several side events taught by women who had experienced abortions, and having felt the consequences of them, spoke out strongly against it. We were provided with information and research on the medical, psychological and social aspects of abortion. In one bulletin entitled “The Science, Studies and Sociology of the Abortion Breast Cancer Link” by Angela Lanfranchi, M.D. it states, “Women considering abortion need to know about the abortion breast cancer link so they can give an informed consent.”

Mother Teresa suggests another consideration for women who may be thinking about having an abortion. She said, “I believe that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion… if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. The mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child... Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching the people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.”

We strengthen families and promote love and peace when we protect life.

Warm Regards,

Carol Soelberg

Protect Marriage Arizona Amendment?
Federal Marriage Protection Amendment?
Why Both? What is the Difference?

By Nancy Salmon

In 2004 both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate failed to pass a federal marriage amendment. Earlier this week, marriage amendment supporters in the Senate again failed to get enough votes to overcome a procedural hurdle and actually consider a federal constitutional marriage amendment. The House is expected to vote on the amendment again in July

During the Senate debate two years ago, many senators, even our own Senator John McCain, said that marriage was a domestic issue and should be left to the states to decide. That is when United Families Arizona decided to join the efforts of many other states to show Congress that “we the people” wanted this amendment and we would do it by passing state constitutional amendments. At the same time, these amendments would at least protect marriage from attacks at the state level. So, the Protect Marriage Arizona Coalition was formed to add an amendment to the Arizona State Constitution to define marriage in Arizona as the union of one man and one woman.

United Families Arizona / United Families International have always felt that defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman is very important, and actually started our work on the issue at the national level. When we saw that the issue was dead in Washington, DC for the time, we proceeded to get involved at the state level. Even though we are relentlessly pursuing a state amendment, our ultimate goal has always been to have a unified law throughout the country because that is the only way that we can be certain to protect the institution of marriage, and therefore, protect families and children.

We need to keep pushing for a federal amendment. But until we can build enough support nationally it is critical that we continue to collect signatures for the Protect Marriage Arizona amendment to at least protect marriage in Arizona.

Fifty different marriage laws across the country is not the best solution to the attacks on marriage, but right now it is our only option until Washington gets it right!

One Month Left to Help Insure a Vote in
November to Protect Marriage in Arizona!

By Nancy Salmon

In our last newsletter we informed you of the possibility that the Protect Marriage Arizona amendment could fail to make the November ballot for lack of signatures. Well, today the amendment remains in trouble. With only one month left to collect signatures, we are at a very critical stage in the effort to place an amendment to the state constitution defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman on the November ballot. The Protect Marriage Arizona Coalition still needs 80,000 signatures to reach our goal. That averages out to more than 13,000 signatures per week. If we don’t reach this number, then the amendment could fail to make the ballot simply because we didn’t get enough valid signatures of registered voters. Even though PMA is on track to most likely set a record for the most signatures collected by volunteers, we’re still significantly short of the signature goals set by the coalition. I must ask you to redouble your efforts to get petition signatures. If you have not signed a petition, call us today. If you can get even a few signatures on a petition, call us today. If you can spend an hour or a few hours attending various locations and events to get signatures, call us today!

The Human Rights Campaign, one of the largest and wealthiest homosexual advocacy groups, has now donated $125,000 to Arizona Together, the campaign committee organized to defeat the marriage amendment. While the PMA campaign has had a handful of generous $10,000 donations, we continue to have a very critical need for funding. Donations should be mailed directly to the PMA office, P.O. Box 3025, Tempe, AZ 85280-3025. Please make your check payable to Protect Marriage Arizona. We cannot succeed without your help!

“No One Has the Right to Choose to Do What is Wrong.”
-Abraham Lincoln

By Marcia Barlow

With Mother’s Day just past and Father’s Day on the way, I want to take a moment to thank all parents who have made the sacrifice to bring their children into this world and who work each day to rear their children to become healthy, moral, and productive citizens. Happy parenting! While focusing on “Respect for Life” in this month’s newsletter, I wanted to address a couple of issues where the truth rarely seems to percolate to the top in the mainstream media.

Abortion Stops a Beating Heart

Each year in the U.S. about 1.2 million unborn babies are aborted. Contrary to what you hear in the media, the U.S. has some of the most liberal abortion laws in the world. Approximately 43 million babies have been aborted since 1973. The Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade (and shortly thereafter Doe v. Bolton that clarified “health of the mother”) created what is known as “abortion upon request.” A woman in the U.S., citing any health reason--no matter how trivial--can legally end the life of her pre-born baby right up until the moment before it is born (its entire body escaping the birth canal). Abortion results in the tragic death of a pre-born baby, in tragic consequences for its mother and in an ugly stain upon our country.

Another “Life” Issue

Did you know that the results from adult stem cell research are currently being used in close to 260 human clinical trials while successes from embryonic stem cell research are a big fat ZERO? Chances are you didn’t even know there was a difference. So what is the debate about? Embryonic stem cell research ends the life a human embryo while adult stem cell research (using cells from bone marrow, delivered placentas, organs, etc.) yields results while not morally compromising those who believe that life begins at conception. There is scientific evidence that adult stem cells can grow to become every cell in the human body and can also renew themselves. Embryonic stem cell research deliberately destroys one life in an attempt to save another. Don’t be misled when you hear the term “stem cell research.” Ask what kind.

Contrary to media reports, Pres. Bush’s policies have NOT stopped embryonic stem cell research. The government’s policy simply does not grant the use of taxpayer money for research that many taxpayers would find objectionable (i.e. taking the life a newly conceived human being.) Private entities are entirely free to spend their own money when conducting embryonic stem cell research. The real question is why isn’t there a bigger push for more funding of adult stem cell research that’s already helping patients rather than continual efforts to force the taxpayer to finance questionable embryonic stem cell research that isn’t even helping rats?

We Owe it to the Next Generation

By Lina Hatch

On May 17, 2004, one member of a same-sex couple in Massachusetts declared, “I’m doing this for the next generation!” What generation? If all civilization were to practice a homosexual lifestyle, our society would become extinct in ONE generation. That is a sobering, yet valid statement. It adds credence to the statement: "As marriage goes, so go the children, so goes the nation, so goes the world." Yes, same-sex couples claim, “I’ll just adopt,” but in so doing they take a way a child’s right to have a mother and a father. In order to protect marriage and the family as we know it, we need a constitutional amendment which will provide the strongest possible legal protection for marriage.

We are now experiencing a worldwide birth decline--a "population implosion." Soon our population will not be replenished. Currently in Australia, couples are paid $2500 to have a child. In France, couples are given monetary benefits for a third child. It is imperative that countries understand that the future depends on children being created and cared for in the best environment possible.

In The Case for Marriage, Maggie Gallagher states: "The future belongs to those people and cultures that deeply commit to ideas grounded in human nature: Men and women are not interchangeable units, sex has a meaning beyond immediate pleasure, society needs babies, children need mothers and fathers, marriage is a word for the way we join men and women to make the future happen." Clearly, in countries that do not value marriage, the birth rate is spiraling downward.

For a better understanding of, and ability to articulate these life issues, we encourage you to host a Cottage Meeting. Invite a trained presenter from United Families International to come to your home, your club or your organization. The purpose of a Cottage Meeting is to educate us and help us articulate to family, friends and associates why we need a federal and state marriage amendment.

In the months ahead, as the initiative is placed on the ballot, there will be an even greater need to educate the public as to why we need a state and federal marriage amendment. Contact us for the opportunity to host a Cottage Meeting.

Arizona Legislative Update

By Daniel H. Walker

The current legislative session is winding to a close and the legislators are principally focused on passing a state budget. Nonetheless, an important piece of legislation relating to the harvesting of human eggs has been recently introduced in the Senate. SB 1097 Human Egg Donor; Informed Consent would require disclosure of health risks and the obtaining of informed consent from each woman who chooses to donate their eggs for use in in-vitro fertilization and research.

To the surprise of many, an entire industry has grown up around the harvesting of human eggs. A recent, widely circulated advertisement offered women up to $24,000 for the donation of six eggs. The procedure for harvesting these eggs is complicated, extensive and fraught with health risks. Currently, there are no uniform standards that require disclosure of all health risks to the women who elect to undergo this procedure. SB 1097 would change this in Arizona by requiring full disclosure of the potential harms involved.

As the human body becomes a commodity, sacred privileges such as life and family become easier to discard, reshape and neglect. It is uncertain whether any action will be taken on this bill during the current legislative session, but please contact your local representative and express your view on this issue. You can do so using the legislature’s switchboard at 602-926-4221.

United Families Arizona Presents

Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D

Author and Expert on Marriage and the Family

Speaking on The Defense of Marriage

Friday, June 16th
7 O'clock P.M.

$5 Admission

Securing a future for the family

Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse is a highly-accomplished author and nationally syndicated columnist who writes about the family and free society. She advocates victory - not appeasement in the culture wars. Dr. Morse received her PhD in economics from the University of Rochester in 1980. She served as a Research Fellow for Stanford's University's Hoover Institution and taught economics at Yale University and George Mason University. Her first book, Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn't Work, shows why the family is the necessary building block for a free society and why so many modern attempted substitutes for the family do not work. Her second book, Smart Sex: Finding Life-Long Love in a Hook-up World, exposes the sexual revolution's fraudulent promise of freedom and points the way to the most thrilling adventure of all-- life-long love. Her columns appear weekly at TownHall.com. Dr. Morse has appeared on numerous talk radio shows nationwide and is a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register.

Dr. Morse is currently a Research Fellow at the Action Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. To learn more about Dr. Morse, please visit her website: www.jennifer-roback-morse.com

Presented by United Families Arizona

For more information, contact Carol Solberg at (480) 834-5051 or carols@unitedfamilies.org. Visit our website at www.UnitedFamiliesArizona.org

Upcoming Events

The following list of events includes terrific opportunities to obtain signatures for Protect Marriage Arizona. With only 4 weeks remaining, we need to collect as many signatures as possible. Please contact Emma Ray, our Volunteer Coordinator (emmajaneray@gmail.com), with questions or to add events to the calendar.

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