Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

Revenge of the Dirty Dozen: 12 Policies that Undermine Civil Society

Taken as a whole, these 12 policies serve to undermine traditional families, devalue life and human dignity, and weaken civil society in American life.

Executive Summary: The Price of Prop 8

Supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry. Arguments for same-sex marriage are based fundamentally on the idea that limiting marriage to the union of husband and wife is a form of bigotry, irrational prejudice, and even hatred against homosexual persons. As this ideology seeps into the culture more generally, individuals and institutions that support marriage as the union of husband and wife risk paying a price for that belief in many legal, social, economic, and cultural contexts.

The Price of Prop 8

Supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry. Arguments for same-sex marriage are based fundamentally on the idea that limiting marriage to the union of husband and wife is a form of bigotry, irrational prejudice, and even hatred against homosexual persons. As this ideology seeps into the culture more generally, individuals and institutions that support marriage as the union of husband and wife risk paying a price for that belief in many legal, social, economic, and cultural contexts.

Executive Summary: ENDA and the Path to Same-Sex Marriage

A significant body of evidence suggests that sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) can function as important incremental steps toward same-sex marriage. This evidence, which shows how effective a step-by-step strategy can be for redefining marriage, provides substantial cause for individuals who support marriage as the union of husband and wife to be concerned about local, state, and federal nondiscrimination laws like ENDA.

ENDA and the Path to Same-Sex Marriage

A significant body of evidence suggests that sexual orientation nondiscrimination laws like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) can function as important incremental steps toward same-sex marriage. This evidence, which shows how effective a step-by-step strategy can be for redefining marriage, provides substantial cause for individuals who support marriage as the union of husband and wife to be concerned about local, state, and federal nondiscrimination laws like ENDA.

Assaulted by sex-ed

Much of what is being taught to our young girls and boys in sex-education classes is too graphic and vulgar to be quoted in the newspaper.

Culture wars and the political future of the U.S.

American soldiers engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan remind us that our debates about the state of American culture are far from actual "wars." Unlike other societies where division often leads to violence, we inherited a framework for resolving our differences according to shared principles and practices of constitutional government.

Change views on marriage

From reality show stars like Jon and Kate Gosselin to politicians to the folks next door--what we thought were the most solid of marriages are falling apart.

Using God as father's guide

The facts are brutally painful -- More than 25 million children in America live in homes where fathers are absent. Millions more have experienced emotional wounds so deep at the hands of their dads it seems as if they can never break free from the bondage of suffering and bitterness.

Reliable dads deserve respect

Recently I saw a MasterCard commercial in which a preteen son arrogantly "teaches" the father environmental lessons while grocery shopping. Right.

To whom honor is due

Everybody loves a hero. But pop culture spends so much time worshipping athletes and Hollywood stars that many of our children don't know a true hero from an impostor.