01 February 2013

I'm putting MY name down... are you?

This week, I saw two petitions which I gladly put my name onto. The first was one regarding the beautiful Vicki Marlane, who passed away last year.  Petitioners there were letting the mayor and city council know that one of the streets should be renamed "Vicki MarLane".  The other was far more repugnant - Atlanta legislators are allowing "No gays allowed " signs in front of their businesses... in fact, if you can't afford one, (!) the state of Georgia will pitch in and buy one for you!!! (out of your tax money, of course)

No... this not a misprint.

Many people here in the United States believe mistakenly that they have the right to vote, but not much else.  But what does the Constitution say?

(First Amendment)  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
(boldface italic mine, source Wikipedia)

See that? That's your right, from the day you can scrawl your name until the day you die.

I am urging that you go to Congress and urge them to grant the full right of marriage to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people; to have equal taxation regardless of heterosexual or homosexual status, to visit one another in hospitals or nursing homes, and to say a final farewell in a funeral home and the spot where they will be interred.

You can do this by e-mailing your Congressperson.  To make this even easier, simply copy the preceding paragraph, and print this in the body section of your Congressperson's e-mail.

It's that simple - and that profound.

Pleasantville, New Jersey - Frank LoBiondo (R) - NJ2
Mount Vernon, New York - Eliot Engel (D) - NY16
Boise, Idaho - Mike Simpson (R) - ID2
Concord, North Carolina - Richard Hudson (R) - NC8
Lake St. Louis, Missouri - Blaine Luetkemeyer (R) - MO3
Willimantic, Connecticut - Joe Courtney (D) - CT2
Elkton, Virginia - Bob Goodlatte (R) - VA6
Plattsburgh, New York - Bill Owens (D) - NY21
Seattle, Washington - Jim McDermott (D) - WA7
Renton, Washington - Adam Smith (D) - WA9

The preceding are samples from the Internet.  To find out who your legislator is, go to www.house.gov and enter your ZIP code in the box indicated.

To my Canadian friends go to www.parl.gc.ca and search from there.