The only way to restore constitutional order is with an amendment that clearly defines marriage and counters judicial mischief.
And make no mistake: In this case, the definition matters. For millennia, marriage has been the union of a man and a woman. That?s because people know instinctively that marriage benefits husbands, wives, children and all of society.
In recent decades, social science has provided proof that marriage matters. For example, a national study shows a child raised by a never-married mother is seven times more likely to live in poverty than a child raised by both biological parents in an intact marriage. Clearly, we all have a stake in maintaining and promoting traditional marriage.
That?s why a constitutional amendment is an appropriate way to address this crisis: It allows the people to speak. It wouldn?t leave states out of the decision-making process, since after an amendment gets the required two-thirds votes in both the House and the Senate, it must be ratified by three-quarters of the states.
And that?s the point. We already know traditional marriage enjoys widespread support. A constitutional amendment will express that settled opinion, and protect a key building block of our civil society. Let the process begin.