CHARLES JAY ASKS UTAHNS
"WITH A MIND OF THEIR OWN"
TO REJECT AMENDMENT 3

Personal Choice Candidate Fears Dangers of "Government by Religion"

Elkhart, IN -- CHARLES JAY, the Personal Choice Party's presidential candidate, says that Utah's proposed Amendment 3, which would officially recognize as legal only those marriages between one man and one woman, is a violation of basic civil rights and must summarily be rejected.

Here is his statement:

"Yes, I have seen all the arguments in favor of the amendment put forward by the proponents who don't want to sound mean-spirited - how health insurance does not necessarily have to be compromised, how people can still will their property to whomever they want, how other states have done the same thing, etc., etc. etc.

I have read the statement endorsing Proposition 3 from the Mormon church, which, when referring to homosexuals, speculates that 'there may be great loneliness in their lives'. Boy, if ever there were a 'kinder, gentler' way to hate and pity at the same time, they've certainly found it. if I were a part of the homosexual community, I'd take great solace in the Mormon brand of 'compassionate conservatism', and then I'd regurgitate.

One may cloak one's statements any way one wishes, but when it gets right down to it, the debate is being fueled by those who just can't handle the fact that some people are not like them. I guess values like tolerance, acceptance and love don't seem to have a place when religion meets politics.

Besides, I'm not interested in technicalities or semantics; I'm more interested in rights and choices.

Personal choices are not to be restricted by the referendum process. Matters of individual rights, guaranteed by the Founding Fathers, are not subject to 'majority rule'. If it were up to people like this, African-Americans might never have equal rights. Women might never have been granted the right to vote. Other minority groups through the years would have seen their liberties compromised.

To use another passage from the LDS endorsement, 'what is right before the Lord', contrary to what the Mormon hierarchy might believe, is NON-discrimination. Sadly, Amendment 3 delivers just the opposite.

This endorsement is an abuse of the Constitution, and it provides another dangerous example of 'government by religion'.

I would challenge any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to demonstrate, conclusively, where any homosexual marriage somehow diminishes the value of their own heterosexual marriage.

At the Utah State Fair, a number of my supporters went down to the Yes For Marriage booth and tried to get an answer to that. Of course, no answers were forthcoming.

Instead, what we have is a textbook example of one group's perception of 'morality' and its attempts to legislate it by forcing it down everyone's throat.

But I'm confident there are enough Utahns out there - including Mormons - who can think for themselves. I would urge Utah voters with a mind of their own to cast a "NO" ballot on Amendment 3 when going to the polls November 2nd."


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CHARLES JAY is the Personal Choice Party's candidate for President. He is on the presidential ballot in the state of Utah and is running a write-in campaign in other states. For further information on the Charles Jay--Marilyn Chambers campaign, please visit http://www.charlesjay.com. More information on the Personal Choice Party can be obtained at http://www.personalchoice.org.

CJ For America -- P.O. Box 534, Elkhart, IN 46515-0534


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