Letters On The Edge Of Debate
Jul. 14th, 2004 08:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eggwardsI had been debating writing a letter to my Senators this week to argue against the Federal Marriage Amendment. (I hate to say it, but i wrote it in the snooze of an All-Star Game last night.) I have to admit that it seems like a useless effort since both Texas senators are co-sponsors of the amendment. John Cornyn, who I really dislike, and did not vote for, had a speech written that compared equal marriage rights to marring your pet turtle...what ever that meant. They say he didn't actually say that comment, but still, it was released to the public. The man is a complete ass, and is a very good friend of the president. I didn't like him in 1992, and I can't wait to vote against him in 2008.
Kay Bailey Hutchinson comes off as being a little more compassionate, but she can also act like the popular head cheerleader at your old high school who's a bitch to anyone she perceives as lower than her. She's being mentioned as a possibility to replace Gov. Rick Perry next year, as the hard-right crowd in this state doesn't like him.
It looks like the Amendment debate will go down in defeat today, though Republicans are looking to keep the debate going through the remainder of the election season. It's looking like they have picked the wrong debate and they are struggling to save face. It seems that they are trying to deflect attention from the war in Iraq and from other issues on which they have been weak.
So I guess my letter, which I just re-addressed for each senator, is just a nail in the hopefully closed coffin. Good riddance. I just felt that I needed to be heard, and go on record that they do have people who oppose this measure. I never made an issue of my own sexuality, just that as a citizen, I oppose this measure.
I know the House is now trying to get a vote on a law to stop judges from being able to accept cases, such as the one in Florida and California, regarding marriage equality. I altered my message and sent it to my congressman.
So, here's my letter to our senators:
To the Honorable Mrs. Hutchinson ,
As one of your constituents, I’d like you to vote against the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment that is being considered before the senate this week. Even with language added or removed, the Amendment is not a needed effort to protect anything, but a political game meant to divide, target and damage your fellow senators. In using same-sex marriage as a topic to create a witch-hunt, politicians not only diminish themselves, but also seek to push America’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered citizens into a second-class status.
Those who promote this legislation claim that it needs to be done to protect marriage. Protect it from whom? If marriage was in so much trouble, why would a group denied these basic rights be fighting to be included in it. It’s not to change marriage, but to open marriage to all loving couples.
It’s been mentioned that same-sex marriage would hurt families and society, but doesn’t it help society when we uplift all loving relationships and encourage people to take care of one another? Equal marriage rights help all members of society.
Still, at this moment, the right is still denied by 38 of our United States, and federally through the Defense of Marriage Act. None of these laws, designed to define marriage, and to resist the need to recognize the same-sex marriages that may occur in other states, have been overturned in a court of law. The legislatures of many states have already spoken out on this issue and done what they felt was right for their state. At this point, there has been no need to go above the powers of the states, or to trump what is already the law of the land with an amendment that quells public debate and changes the rights of the people to be governed by their local legislatures.
There will be continued debate about this issue, no matter what the outcome of this week. Still, there are already checks and balances within our system that, when allowed to work, will serve the people, and work to balance the opinion of the majority against the needs and wishes of the minority. Working to prevent the workings of our system of democracy by placing clearly discriminatory language into a document made to protect the rights of the American people is a losing proposition.
Please do not fall into the trap of playing divisive politics just to attempt to prove a commitment to families. There are many more, important debates that need your concern. By concentrating on the important matters, government spending, Social Security, Medicare, national security and foreign relations, you will do more for American Families than those supporting this proposal.
Please work for your constituents by voting against or dropping the Federal Marriage Amendment. It is a poor election-year ploy that doesn’t work to better our Union.
Thank you for your consideration,
Michael Edwards
Houston, Texas
Again, I hope this ends all of this political mess for now. Rather than allow real debate on the issue, the right is just hoping to stop all action, and trying to circumvent the actual process. let the process work. We may not get all we want right now. These things take time, but to try to stop everything in it's tracks will just create more frustration and more activism. Let this progress, and society will be served.
Oh, and I think Senator Rick Santorum has really lost it. He doesn't even know what he's doing now, since he's so full of hate. I don't know how he can claim to be a Christian. No one says marriage is evil, when we're fighting to be included. Stupid, Stupid man.
I've done my bit, and will continue to fight, as necessary. Let's move forward.
Kay Bailey Hutchinson comes off as being a little more compassionate, but she can also act like the popular head cheerleader at your old high school who's a bitch to anyone she perceives as lower than her. She's being mentioned as a possibility to replace Gov. Rick Perry next year, as the hard-right crowd in this state doesn't like him.
It looks like the Amendment debate will go down in defeat today, though Republicans are looking to keep the debate going through the remainder of the election season. It's looking like they have picked the wrong debate and they are struggling to save face. It seems that they are trying to deflect attention from the war in Iraq and from other issues on which they have been weak.
So I guess my letter, which I just re-addressed for each senator, is just a nail in the hopefully closed coffin. Good riddance. I just felt that I needed to be heard, and go on record that they do have people who oppose this measure. I never made an issue of my own sexuality, just that as a citizen, I oppose this measure.
I know the House is now trying to get a vote on a law to stop judges from being able to accept cases, such as the one in Florida and California, regarding marriage equality. I altered my message and sent it to my congressman.
So, here's my letter to our senators:
To the Honorable Mrs. Hutchinson ,
As one of your constituents, I’d like you to vote against the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment that is being considered before the senate this week. Even with language added or removed, the Amendment is not a needed effort to protect anything, but a political game meant to divide, target and damage your fellow senators. In using same-sex marriage as a topic to create a witch-hunt, politicians not only diminish themselves, but also seek to push America’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered citizens into a second-class status.
Those who promote this legislation claim that it needs to be done to protect marriage. Protect it from whom? If marriage was in so much trouble, why would a group denied these basic rights be fighting to be included in it. It’s not to change marriage, but to open marriage to all loving couples.
It’s been mentioned that same-sex marriage would hurt families and society, but doesn’t it help society when we uplift all loving relationships and encourage people to take care of one another? Equal marriage rights help all members of society.
Still, at this moment, the right is still denied by 38 of our United States, and federally through the Defense of Marriage Act. None of these laws, designed to define marriage, and to resist the need to recognize the same-sex marriages that may occur in other states, have been overturned in a court of law. The legislatures of many states have already spoken out on this issue and done what they felt was right for their state. At this point, there has been no need to go above the powers of the states, or to trump what is already the law of the land with an amendment that quells public debate and changes the rights of the people to be governed by their local legislatures.
There will be continued debate about this issue, no matter what the outcome of this week. Still, there are already checks and balances within our system that, when allowed to work, will serve the people, and work to balance the opinion of the majority against the needs and wishes of the minority. Working to prevent the workings of our system of democracy by placing clearly discriminatory language into a document made to protect the rights of the American people is a losing proposition.
Please do not fall into the trap of playing divisive politics just to attempt to prove a commitment to families. There are many more, important debates that need your concern. By concentrating on the important matters, government spending, Social Security, Medicare, national security and foreign relations, you will do more for American Families than those supporting this proposal.
Please work for your constituents by voting against or dropping the Federal Marriage Amendment. It is a poor election-year ploy that doesn’t work to better our Union.
Thank you for your consideration,
Michael Edwards
Houston, Texas
Again, I hope this ends all of this political mess for now. Rather than allow real debate on the issue, the right is just hoping to stop all action, and trying to circumvent the actual process. let the process work. We may not get all we want right now. These things take time, but to try to stop everything in it's tracks will just create more frustration and more activism. Let this progress, and society will be served.
Oh, and I think Senator Rick Santorum has really lost it. He doesn't even know what he's doing now, since he's so full of hate. I don't know how he can claim to be a Christian. No one says marriage is evil, when we're fighting to be included. Stupid, Stupid man.
I've done my bit, and will continue to fight, as necessary. Let's move forward.
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;-)
Date: 2004-07-14 06:37 am (UTC)Re: ;-)
Date: 2004-07-14 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 06:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 09:48 am (UTC)We have a saying here: "Pennsylvania: Philadelphia on one side, Pittsburgh on the other, and Alabama in between." It's truer than I'd like sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 10:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 10:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 10:16 am (UTC)*tossing in a light moment*
Re: *tossing in a light moment*
Date: 2004-07-14 11:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 12:33 pm (UTC)http://www.moveon.org/unitednotdivided/
no subject
Date: 2004-07-14 12:38 pm (UTC)It may be time for you to do it again