Letters
We have a dream
When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American is heir. It promised that all men would be guaranteed the "unalienable rights" of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
America has defaulted on that promissory note, insofar as citizens of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community are concerned. Instead of honoring the sacred obligation, America has given that community a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
We refuse to believe that the bank of equal rights is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we've come to cash a check that will give us, upon demand, the riches of freedom and the security of equal rights.
We still have a dream; a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
We have a dream that, one day, people will rise up and live up to the true meaning of the creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
We have a dream that our children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by who they choose to love, but by the content of their character.
We are just like you: fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, lawyers, doctors, clergy. Why can't we have the same equal rights?
John Cole, Lewiston
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A list of Bush and
A list of Bush and Republican failures ...
Lied about WMD.
Unilaterally invaded a sovereign nation without provocation and justification.
Lied during State of the Union speech re: Niger Uranium.
Responsible for pre-9/11 intelligence failures in White House, CIA, FBI.
Allowed 9-11 murderers to remain free while diverting precious military and financial resources to his vanity war in Iraq.
Lied about Saddam/bin Laden connection.
Turned Iraq into a terrorist breeding ground.
Lied about nation-building.
Opposed creation of 9-11 Commission and Homeland Security Department.
Disrespected and alienated the U.S. from French, German and other key allies.
Lied to Americans about the real cost of war.
Fostered an environment of torture at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.
Lined Halliburton's pockets in Afghanistan and Iraq with fat no-bid contracts.
Under-manned and under-equipped our armed forces in Iraq, resulting in unnecessary death and injuries.
Ignored the nuclear build-up in both Iran and N.Korea; marginalized Kim Jong Il.
Shunned Kyoto Treaty.
Lied about effects of man-made pollutants on the environment to support corporate pals.
Lied about the insolvency of Social Security.
Gave huge cuts to the wealthiest taxpayers.
Lied about true cost of health care bill.
Lied about Free Trade stand.
Bitterly divided the nation along religious, party and sexual preference lines.
Guilty of numerous cronyism appointments (Homeland Security, Supreme Court, etc)
Rewarded failures of Condi Rice and other cronies with key promotions.
Dreadful energy policies lead to record gas and oil prices.
Responsible for the largest debt in U.S. history.
Colossal failure of preparedness, rescue and relief during Hurricane Katrina.
Fostered a culture of corruption among GOP and top leadership (Tom Delay, etc).
Allowed Donald Rumsfeld to keep job despite utter failure in Iraq.
Presided over the U.S.'s lowest popularity throughout the world.
Saw No Child Left Behind fail.
Lied last week about Iraqi troop strength during Saturday radio address. Directly contradicted by testimony given earlier in the week by Gen. Abizaid.
Colossal failure of preparedness for the transition of Medicare Part D.
Allegations of fraud surrounding the 2000 and 2004 elections.
Not elected by a majority of the popular vote in 2000.
Bush's lied when he said, "I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."
verified We all don't have the same
We all don't have the same dream as you. My dream is that the gay/lesbian community will jump off the marriage band wagon and fight for stronger civil union laws across the country. Marriage for many of us is a religious ceremony and the line we will not cross.
What I don't get is why the g/l community fights so hard for a marriage law when a civil-union law would do exactly the same thing and would be endorsed by a majority of Maine's citizens.
It's this in-your-face attitude that exacerbates the problem in my opinion.
You can cry all you want that everyone that voted yes is a homophobe but then you would be overlooking the fundamental differences the two sides have, and those differences have nothing to do with being anti-gay.
verified no matter how you say
no matter how you say it/spray it-still sounds like discrimination to me.
verified The issue is not about civil
The issue is not about civil rights; it's about civil unions.
verified What was inflammatory about
What was inflammatory about Pirate's comments? The term "civil union" or the word "comprimise", which would bring more support to the g/l communtiy then the favored word "bigot" has?
verified Why have one group have
Why have one group have marriages and another group have "civil unions?" It remind me of the whole serperate, but equal. Blacks wanted an education, white people said "hey, we'll give you school just not the one we have our children in." Whether you choose to believe it or not this IS about civil rights. For generations after this finally becomes legel, they will look back it as such. I know I refuse to put my head in the sand and deny others the same rights that I, as a straight individual are granted.
verified You can drop the "separate
You can drop the "separate but equal" argument. That is EXACTLY what the "equality in marriage" law would have done, create two separate entitities, "civil" marriage and "religious" marriage. It also made religious organizations exempt from recognizing or performing "gay marriages." How is that "equal?"
This is NOT about civil rights. It is an attempt by the gay community to convince government to redifine the definition of marriage. (Which the government has no authority to do.)
John A. Chick
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." -- Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Colonel Charles Yancey (January 6, 1816)
verified AARRGHH!!!
AARRGHH!!!
verified John you one of the few who
John you one of the few who know that the founding fathers created a
"Republic" and not a "Democracy".
That said has any opened minded person denied your right to live your life as you wish? The road block you are running into is wanting to use the word marriage instead of another word meaning the same thing. Is it really imperative that you use the word marriage. The homosexual community has sucesssfully changed the meaning of the word gay. When I was a child if you were gay you were happy, cheerful, etc. Perhps civil union for everyone is the way to go with marriage reserved for a male and a female.
I personally could care less how other people live their lives but I will not be bullied into accepting their wants on everything.
Just for the record my life partner (female) and I have been together under one roof for 23 years and have never had the privilages afforded to married couples, nor do we seek to have them.
Ernest, just because you
Ernest, just because you chose to forgo marriage doesn't mean other should have to.
And the whole "wanting to use the word marriage instead of another word meaning the same thing" is a crock of s***
Its a lame attempt at trying to appear accepting of homosexuality.
verified Great post, Ernest. You
Great post, Ernest. You nailed it spot on.
verified VERY GOOD LETTER JOHN!
VERY GOOD LETTER JOHN!
EQUALITY FOR EVERYONE! =]
verified Diversions from natural law
Diversions from natural law sever the code of equality.
verified its comments like these that
its comments like these that have me asking myself 'why are you telling it to me?' hehe!
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