Please vote NO

[pegkerr]

Here is the text of the e-mail message I just sent to my state senator:

Dear Senator:

I am a resident of your District, and I have lived there for the past eleven years. I did vote for you in the last election. I am writing to urge you to vote NO on the proposed bill which would amend the Minnesota Constitution to limit marriage to only heterosexual couples. This bill is a mean-spirited attempt to inject discrimination into our Constitution. I can appreciate that you have probably heard from many of your constituents--and probably from many who are not your constituents--who are urging you to support this bill because it's what "God ordains." Well, speaking as a devout Christian, I happen to disagree. But whatever people's religious views, I believe that our government should operate on the principle of the separation of church and state, and equal protection under the law. This bill has no place in our Constitution.

I feel extremely strongly about this: I believe marriage between gay people is no affront to the institution of marriage. Certainly, it's no affront to my marriage. In fact, it is only right and proper that gay couples should enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples do. Please, please, please, I'm begging you. Don't further the cause of discrimination by voting for this bill!

Sincerely,
etc.

You can bet he's been hearing from people about this. His voice mail box was full.

Comments

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Print it out and use a stamp. Email has less impact than real mail.

B

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

True, and I will. But I think the vote was scheduled for today, which is why I sent an e-mail, too.

[pameladean]

It is scheduled for today. Approximately right now, in fact.

I think paper mail is losing ground to fax and email, anyway, partly spurred by technology and partly by things like the anthrax scare. When activist groups tell me to fax or email, I figure they know what they're talking about.

Pamela

[lcohen]

this is a beautiful letter, peg. you are such an eloquent ally. thank you.

[stephdray.livejournal.com]

Kudos to you for being an active citizen. So few people give a damn these days!

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to thank you for this post, and for sending that message. I grew up in North Dakota, and I'm back here now for a couple of weeks (after becoming thorougly liberal and Californian), and flames were shooting off the side of my face when I read the Fargo-Moorhead Forum last night. There's little reason for me to write letters to CA senators or editors, as everyone there is on my side, but I wish I had some say in things back here, sometimes. My family, and people from my town (all 600 of 'em) are entirely closed-minded about this topic, but your post really brightened my day.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Everyone there is on your side? It's a comforting belief, but sadly false: Prop 22 passed. California has an anti-gay marriage law that, as unconstitutional as Newsom thinks it is (and I hope he's right) still stands on the books. And Gov. Schwarzenegger is not exactly a bastion of liberalism and tolerance.

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Hrm, point, I hadn't even looked into the vote spread on that. I'm ashamed to say I was still naive and ignoring the world at large in 2000, and not even registered to vote at the time. That's changed now, but. I'm still highly dismayed that Santa Clara county voted for this, and would agree that the Governator doesn't give much hope for overturning it.