July 13, 2004

a letter to my Senator

Below is the text of an email I just sent to my Senator, John McCain. McCain is a conservative, but one who decides for himself on big issues rather than always toeing a party line. I rather like him. I wish I'd gotten a chance to decide between him and Bill Bradley four years ago, instead of the choice we were given. I might have had a hard time deciding which one I liked more - what a pleasant dilemma. I didn't bother writing to my other Senator, John Kyle, because I don't suppose there's much point. Maybe I should have anyway, for the sake of being counted.

Sen. McCain,

I read your book "Why Courage Matters," the other day. (Bought, incidentally, not borrowed. Consider it a campaign contribution.) I am writing to ask you to call on the courage portrayed in that book. As an Arizona resident for nearly a decade, I have admired your courage and integrity in choosing your own positions and sticking to them, rather than performing to someone else's script and conforming to a party line. Though I am not of a conservative viewpoint on most issues, I have voted for you twice because of those characteristics.

I am asking you to exercise fortitude in standing up to your party's right wing on the "protection" of marriage amendment to the Constitution currently propsed. I know it is very difficult for a Senator to break with the views of a President of his own party, but that's what I ask you to do. Please do NOT support passage of this amendment.

Though I am a heterosexual woman married to a man, I happen to believe that legalizing gay marriage is the right and moral thing to do, for many reasons: supporting families, fairness, civil rights, human decency. I can't see that my own marriage is in any way threatened by what other people do in their private lives. You may disagree. But that's not even really the main issue here. The U.S. Constitution is a great and hallowed document and a proud guarantor of individual freedoms. It should *not* be used to restrict individual liberties. We've done that once before in that name of a restrictive and mandated morality, with Prohibition, and that wasn't exactly a great success. We ought to learn from our mistakes.

Please, Senator, vote to stifle this proposed amendment. Marriage may not be in danger, but in this tense time, individual liberties need all the protection they can get.

Thank you,
Paula Berman

Posted by dichroic at July 13, 2004 01:24 PM
Comments

Well said.

Posted by: Peg at July 13, 2004 04:19 PM

Schumer and Clinton heard from me, but it wasn't as eloquent. Missed you while you were gone. Glad you had a nice time. Was wondering about your rain situation, how do you know when you're having a drought when you're in the desert? ~LA

Posted by: LA at July 13, 2004 06:51 PM

Well said. IMHO the ever-increasing divorce rate is a much bigger threat to marriage than gay marriage could ever be. If peope really want to work on saving the institution of marriages, they should concentrate on that instead.

Posted by: Maria at July 13, 2004 10:56 PM

Eloquently, eloquently put.

I heard a commentator say that Bush put this on the front burner because this election is going to be too close for words and gay marriage is one of those things that gets his core vote out.

Meanwhile, other major issues such as dealing with the Patriot Act, are languishing.

Oh, man. There are days when I just can't watch American news. It gets me too upset.

Posted by: Marn, eh at July 14, 2004 12:39 PM
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