Global Update
There has been a lot of activity among the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and our European and Russian affiliates over the last several days. I am currently at our offices in Strasbourg, France where I have been meeting with former Attorney General John Ashcroft and government officials from throughout Europe. We have discussed a number of issues, including the recent conflict that has developed in the Middle East. General Ashcroft has correctly noted that Israel is in a unique position of neutralizing the threat of Hamas once and for all. This is the first time that Israel has faced a situation where the Arab world is not united, there is not a Soviet threat backing hostile Arab nations, and Saddam Hussein has been neutralized in Iraq. It is clear that Israels main mission is going to be to eliminate Hezbollah as a future threat in the Middle East region. We must remember that Iran played a significant role in this conflict. After all, it was Iran that was the center of attention at the United Nations just one day before the bombs began to fall in Israel.
We just received word that the Washington Supreme Court has issued an order affirming the traditional definition of marriage as the relationship between a man and a woman. This case comes on the heels of the Georgia Supreme Court, the New York court, and the Massachusetts courts all ruling to either affirm the institution of marriage or to allow its citizens to vote on this issue. Most significantly, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, in a case that we were heavily involved in, held that the Federal Defense of Marriage Act was constitutional.
Our office in Washington, DC has been busy working on the nomination issue for John Bolton as the Ambassador to the United Nations. As mentioned in yesterdays posting, we have formally called upon the U.S. Senate to confirm John Bolton as the Ambassador. The recess appointment is not in the best interest of the United States. The idea of a filibuster on John Boltons nomination is unfortunate and inexcusable in light of the diplomatic needs that the country is now facing. As I have said, at a time when America and the free world need the best diplomatic team available, John Bolton has the experience, expertise and skill to represent the United States before the United Nations.
On a domestic note, I have also instructed a senior team at the ACLJ to file briefs on behalf of the School District in Miami-Dade County, which has been subject to a preliminary injunction. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) demanded that pro-Communist Cuban books be placed back in the school library. This order came in despite the fact that the School Board voted to remove the series because of its inaccuracies. We will be filing briefs to counter this move by the ACLU. At the same time, I have asked another legal team at the ACLJ to prepare briefs countering the ACLUs latest move: demanding that protestors be allowed at military funerals. We think this is inappropriate and the ACLUs action needs to be met in court.
I encourage you to keep updated by visiting us at www.aclj.org.
