. . .groups like the Log Cabin Republicans and Freedom to Marry have been quietly courting Ros-Lehtinen for months, and this isn't the first time Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen has abandoned the Republican party on important issues. She has repeatedly voted against a constitutional amendment to protect marriage, and earlier this year, she was the only Republican co-sponsor of a bill to shut down Catholic Charities and other religious adoption agencies across the nation, forcing them to violate religious convictions or go out of business.
Gay marriage activists know they don't need to persuade the Republican grassroots to support same-sex marriage – they just need to split off enough GOP elite opinion to provide cover as they force SSM on the entire nation. Several prominent GOP elites have already signed on, and gay marriage activists are spending millions of dollars to pressure and persuade more Republican lawmakers that they can support same-sex marriage without consequence.
I need you to send an email to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen today. Let her know that you are outraged that she would abandon marriage and the millions of voters who have adopted state amendments to protect marriage. And maybe it's time Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen started looking for a new job.
There is a certain irony concerning NOM having the temerity to weigh in on DOMA. According to Joe Sudbay of Americablog Gay, the lawyer defending DOMA in court, Paul Clement, tried to cite anti-gay documents in an attempt to have the case against DOMA dismissed. One of those documents was written by former NOM chair Maggie Gallagher.
However, the lawyers trying to strike down DOMA asked the court to dismiss those documents because they would not have the opportunity to cross-examine those witnesses. Sudbay said the following:
. . . Clement tried to be very clever. He wanted to get Maggie's testimony into the record with having Maggie deposed. And, if we noticed one thing about Maggie Gallagher, she really doesn't want to go under oath.
With that in mind, the fact that NOM criticizes a Congresswoman for wanting to repeal DOMA while tricks are used to keep its former chairwoman from testifying in the DOMA court case stinks of hypocrisy.
Members of the gay community and allies should write Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen (her address is generously provided above by NOM) and thank her for her support of DOMA's repeal.
I hope this doesn't post twice, as I had a computer glitch, but here's the email I sent, using the provided link in your story, Alvin:
ReplyDeleteDear Rep. Ros-Lehtinen,
I am writing to express my gratitude and appreciation that you have chosen to stand with other equality minded citizen and to fight against the discriminatory DOMA law.
Thank you for believing in equality. Please, do not be shaken in your belief that all our decent and loving gay and lesbian citizens deserve the same / equal rights as all other citizens of this nation.
I know there will be those that promote bigotry and prejudice, and will try to "force" you to bend to their hateful ways, but please, stand strong against them. Even though our own "Speaker of the House" fights to promote prejudice and bigotry, stand strong and stand tall. Being the equality minded person you are, surely indicates you deserve the job of Speaker of the House, far more than does Mr Boehner.
Again, thank you.
Alvin, thanks for providing a link to show our support, even though it was provided through NOM's site. Hopefully they'll not censure it and keep it from being delivered.
- Bobby In Seattle
Ha! I did the same thing, rewriting the letter to show gratitude and support for a Republican that dares to stand up for what is right....my only concern is that I'll now get innondated with mail from NOM. Oh, and like Unknown said that they will censure or edit my email to fit their original agenda....
ReplyDelete~Michael in Chicago
Here is what I wrote:
ReplyDeleteDear Rep. Ros-Lehtinen
Good day. My name is James Cearlock.
I would like to thank you very much for standing up for marriage equality and helping bring about the downfall of the Defense of Marriage Act. With so much going on today, marriage in its current definition is one thing that does not need to be defended.
While I don't wish to lecture, in my arguments and debates with those who are against marriage equality in defense of "traditional" marriage (because we have a precise definition of which form of tradition they wish to uphold), they have come up with many, many reasons that homosexuals should be banned from attaining full marriage equality. While they argue using factors such as children, money, property, etc., they don't argue love.
Our culture has already dramatically changed the definition of marriage. It is no longer about property, about procreation, or about money. It is about love. We have changed the definition to include the capacity to choose the one we are going to marry, no longer enforcing arranged marriages. If one is to ask a married couple why they have decided to wed, the answer will be almost 100% of the time, "Because I love him/her." When a culture changes the definition of marriage to be based on love, that culture must in turn present the opportunity for all of its citizens to express the same thing.
I hope this message strikes you well enough to pass it on to others who think of marriage as a purely heterosexual privilege.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I apologize that it came from such a horrid website.
Sincerely
James Cearlock