The Sanctity of Marriage Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Marriage--Between a Man and a Woman--Featuring Those Who Cast the First Stone by Bryan Harris

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Synopsis

An edgy, tongue-in-cheek look at the lives of some of the most vocal "defenders" of marriage, and how they have (not) lived up to the sacred standards of the institution they claim to protect.

In November 2004, the right wing won elections across the country by spinning a vote for the right as a vote for family values. And yet these same politicians judge others by a standard that they themselves cannot uphold.

Composed of short profiles of some of the right wing's most vocal "defenders" of marriage, The Sanctity of Marriage Handbook takes a satirical look at these leaders to see how well they live up to the sacred ideal they profess to be defending against "defilers" of marriage, such as gay couples hoping to marry. Seldom has hypocrisy been so funny. Bryan Harris profiles some of our moral forerunners as they lead by example. Just a few include:

- Newt Gingrich: served his wife with divorce papers while she was incapacitated by cancer and receiving treatment in a hospital room. He is currently enjoying the sanctity of his third marriage.
- Representative Bob Barr, author of the Defense of Marriage Act: before the age of fifty, Representative Barr had three marriages under his belt. The old Beltway joke goes, "Exactly which marriage is Bob Barr defending?"
- Rush Limbaugh: between Rush and his current wife, Marta, there are six marriages and four divorces. Rush is currently in the process of divorcing Marta.
- Senator Dan Burton: Republican senator who called Clinton a "scumbag" and who runs his campaigns on family values. Burton fathered a son out of wedlock.

This book needs to be thrust into the hands of everyonewho voted "red" because they thought it was a vote for "family values," and it is required reading for those blue blue-staters who might want to feel a little sanctimonious themselves.

Biography

Bryan Harris writes for various alternative weeklies and dailies in red states. He has also written for the Poynter Institute for Media Studies.