Is There Hope for Families on Capitol Hill?
by Bill Fancher
June 3, 2005
(AgapePress) - Pro-family policies coming out of Washington, DC, seem at times to be in short supply. One family advocate credits that situation partially to the persistence of homosexual activists who reside in the District of Columbia. But another says he is convinced there is a place for both state and federal governments in helping sustain the traditional family.
The director of the Culture and Family Institute in the nation's capital says homosexual activists are relentless -- and he suggests that is why they wield a great amount of clout on Congress. Robert Knight says there is no doubt in his mind that the homosexual lobby has influenced Capitol Hill in a big way.
"Because there are so many homosexuals in Washington, it's a very aggressive community," Knight shares, offering that just by sheer numbers many pro-homosexual groups are able to accomplish their agenda. "You have national homosexual organizations headquartered here -- like the Human Rights Campaign -- that ... wield tremendous influence on Congress."
Such an environment, he says, causes it to appear that homosexuals are a huge segment of the population -- and has led to pro-family legislation being blocked and pro-homosexual legislation being passed. But Dr. Alan Carlson, a renowned family sociologist, is convinced that if government -- both state and federal -- would take a few simple steps to tweak existing laws, the family could be bolstered.
Boost Economic Benefits
First of all, he says, states need to address the issue of divorce. "The states should reintroduce fault into their laws concerning divorce," Carlson suggests. "All government should treat marriage as a full economic partnership." Tax breaks and increasing the personal exemption would work wonders in that area, he says.
"Replace the existing dependent-care tax credit with a universal, indexed tax credit of $2,500 per child, ages birth to five," he says. "This credit would be available to all parents of pre-schoolers -- both those with a parent full-time at home, and those purchasing substitute care."
He also maintains a new attitude is needed to encourage larger families. "The federal government needs to underscore that the demographic problem facing the 21st century is de-population -- not over-population," he says.
By strengthening families, Carlson thinks the nation as a whole will be stronger and more moral.
Bill Fancher, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
