With the enactment of Clinton¡¯s Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, same sex marriages have become increasingly controversial. This Act allowed states to determine who is eligible for marriage within their jurisdictions. With this, issues of legality, religion, parenthood, and societal stability became concerns, both nationally and locally recognized.
In 2004, President Bush called for a constitutional amendment to require that marriage shall only occur between a man and a woman. He believes that the amendment process should be able to address the preservation of marriage because he feels that it is of great national importance. However, domestic issues such as marriage have always been an issue of state. Thus many states have recently allowed same sex unions or arrangements while others have only recognized heterosexual unions as lawful.
President Bush¡¯s proposal will likely be challenged under the 14th Amendments Equal Protection Clause which argues that a state must......
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