Dear Marriage Supporter,

This Thanksgiving, I'm grateful to live in a country that is still free. Party bosses cannot shut down the authentic voice of a free and good people.

Benjamin Franklin was asked as he left the Constitutional convention of 1787 what form of government the leading men had given to the American people. "A republic, madam, if you can keep it," he responded.

Keeping that republic, our precious inheritance from great and good men, requires respect for the Biblical values that underlay our two century old experiment in democracy, which is undergirded by rights that come not from government but from God himself — and therefore cannot be taken away from us.

That's what "unalienable" means.

Part of that democratic process was on display last week at the presidential Thanksgiving Family Forum hosted by The Family Leader, and co-sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage and CitizenLink.

I was there, and it was really an extraordinary experience.

Six men and women who would be President of the United States gathered around a table and bared their hearts, and their minds, on issues of grave importance, including marriage.

Here's an 8-minute video of the candidates answering the question of whether and how they would protect marriage (yes, that's me asking the question!):

And here, for those of you who want the complete experience, is the full and uncut version:

There are some amazing moments, like Rick Santorum talking about his baby Bella, and his realization that he had been withholding his full love from her because he feared the pain of losing her. That's not something you ordinarily see.

It really is a window into the souls of the men and women seeking the honor of serving as our President. I'm very grateful to have been part of it, thanks to your help and support of the National Organization for Marriage.

This Thanksgiving, I am humbled by all the blessings a great and good God has given me — including the treasure of your support, your notes of encouragement, and your steadfastness.

The Pew Forum released a report this week highlighting the fact that NOM is one of the fasting growing "religious advocacy" organizations in the nation, as Roll Call reports:

While the economic downturn has depressed spending by such groups overall, religious lobbying has spiked in some areas while tapering off in others.

The National Organization for Marriage, for example, more than doubled its advocacy expenditures from $3.3 million in 2008 to $8.6 million in 2009, the most recent data available, the group found.

That's one amazing thing you and I and thousands of other Americans working together have accomplished here at NOM.

God bless you!

And happy Turkey Day!

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage