Same-sex marriage has passions high, Syria has Rogers on high alert
Washington, D.C.--NFL linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo spoke in favor of Gay marriage on "Face the Nation" Sunday. As the issue of same-sex marriage heads to the Supreme Court in the cases about the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 and the United States' Defense of Marriage Act, the Ravens player told host Bob Schieffer why he's gotten involved in the fight for same-sex marriage. "This is a fight myself and a bunch of my colleagues we want to take to and we feel that everyone should be treated equally and we're not going to stop until everyone is treated fairly and that's especially including the LGBT community."
Ayanbadejo pointed out he's advocated in favor of same-sex marriage since 2009, and he told Schieffer he and others in the NFL "are laying the groundwork for a player to be comfortable in 2013 to come out if he's willing to do so." The linebacker has also spoken out against bullying gays, as the Wall Street Journal notes. The Baltimore Sun and Politico have full commentary of what he had to say on "Face the Nation."
On the other side, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council called the polls showing support for gay marriage misleading. Perkins argued more than half the states in the U.S support the "natural definition" of marriage. He also pointed to a Pew Research poll that has voters are nearly split when it comes to a same-sex marriage decision. "We're far from being at a point where America has embraced same-sex marriage," said Perkins. He pushed even further to say the Supreme Court should not "interjected itself" in the case of same-sex marriage, pointing to the 1973 ruling of Roe vs. Wade, which ruled abortion as a constitutional right.
CBS: Should the Supreme Court impose a nation-wide mandate on same-sex marriage?
"I wish this was just about the marriage altar. It's more, it's about altering all of society." Read Politico for more on Perkins stance against same-sex marriage.
Attorney and gay rights advocate Evan Wolfson pushed back against Perkins' remarks.
"Marriage is not defined by who is denied it," he said,"When gay people share in the freedom to marry, it doesn't change your marriage. It doesn't change Tony Perkins' marriage. My marriage is my marriage, and it means I'm able to share in the same aspirations of commitment and love and support and dedication and connectedness, and that my parents are able to dance at our wedding and that our family and friends are able to support and celebrate and hold us accountable for the commitment we've made to one another. That takes nothing away from anyone else." The Advocate has more on the back-and-forth between Perkins and Wolfson.
Slate picked up during the foreign policy panel when Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., made news telling Schieffer a "red line" had been crossed in Syria. Last week there were news reports that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons in Syria last week, and the Michigan Republican told Schieffer the evidence is there. Rogers, who has pushed for more U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war said Sunday, "I think that it is abundantly clear that that red line has been crossed."
CBS News: Rogers: "Red line" has been crossed in Syria
Rogers called the conflict "a growing, destabilizing event in the Middle East." The Atlantic explains why Rogers' conclusion on Syrian weapons don't match other U.S intelligence sources.
Rogers also says U.S. special forces should take an on-the-ground role training rebels seeking to unseat Assad and protect weapons from ending up in the hands of dangerous groups like al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah. The Wall Street Journal dives into this.
Watch: Rogers calls President's Mideast trip disappointing, others disagree
"If Assad goes next week, this is mass chaos," Rogers told Schieffer. "The flow of dangerous arms out of Syria will make the weapons trade in Libya look like an antique gun show by comparison.