On the recordJune 17, 2015
With the Supreme Court about to rule on the legal definition of marriage, I rise in support of States like Pennsylvania that have defined marriage as between a man and a woman. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was founded on religious tolerance by William Penn. In Europe, whoever was most popular and powerful in a given place and time tried to force minorities to violate their beliefs, and that was why so many different groups of people came to America and particularly to Pennsylvania, religious minorities such as the Quakers, the Amish, the Mennonites, the Moravians, and others. Philadelphia has the most synagogues per capita of any city in the United States. Pittsburgh and Harrisburg also have significant Jewish populations. Pennsylvania continues the tradition of respecting each other, even when they disagree. We hear a lot of talk about diversity these days, but many of those same people who tell us they want diversity are also trying to force their views on others by law. States that, through the democratic process, have defined marriage should not be overridden by five Federal unelected judges. ____________________
