Politicians, Courage & Covering Butts

Waco Tribune Herald - Editorial: A courageous vote
Wednesday, April 27, 2005

House Joint Resolution 6, which would amend the Texas Constitution to ban gay marriage, is unnecessary. Texas does not recognize gay marriage or civil unions. Case closed. Yet 101 members of the Texas House voted Monday for HJR 6. Why? Because it's good politics.
For that reason, State Rep. Jim Dunnam deserves great credit for voting "no." So doing, he is guaranteed to have the vote used against him on the campaign trail. For that reason, quite a few opponents who know this bill wasdubious counted the votes and fled for the other side.
Lawmakers should always choose principle and reject unnecessary legislation. Proponents of this bill have chosen to stage political theater to paint themselves as "pro-family" or opponents as "pro-homosexual."
It's pure posturing. When legislation is redundant, pointless and distracting, as with HJR 6, lawmakers should vote "no."
source: http://www.wacotrib.com/opin/content/news/opinion/stories/2005/04/27/20050427waceditorial_2.html
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Texas Representative Senfronia Thompson's(D-Houston) remarks from the House floor on Monday debating the gay marriage amendment (HJR 6).

I have been a member of this august body for three decades, and today is one
of the all-time low points. We are going in the wrong direction, in the
direction of hate and fear and discrimination. Members, we all know what
this is about, this is the politics of divisiveness at its worst, a wedge
issue that is meant to divide.
Members, this issue is a distraction from the real things we need to be
working on. At the end of this session, this Legislature, this Leadership
will not be able to deliver the people of Texas, fundamental and fair
answers to the pressing issues of our day.
Let's look at what this amendment does not do: It does not give one Texas
citizen meaningful tax relief. It does not reform or fully fund our
education system. It does not restore one child to CHIP, who was cut from
health insurance last session. It does not put one dime into raising Texas'
Third World access to health care. It does not do one thing to care for or
protect one elderly person or one child in this state. In fact, it does not
even do anything to protect one marriage.
Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. I know
something about hate and fear and discrimination. When I was a small girl,
white folks used to talk about "protecting the institution of marriage" as
well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to marry people of Mr.
Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my color hanging from a tree.
That's what the white folks did back then to "protect marriage." Fifty years
ago, white folks thought inter-racial marriages were a "threat to the
institution of marriage." Members, I'm a Christian and a proud Christian. I
read the good book, and do my best to live by it. I have never read the
verse where it says, "gay people can't marry." I have never read the verse
where it says, "thow shalt discriminate against those not like me." I have
never read the verse where it says, "let's base our public policy on hate
and fear and discrimination." Christianity to me is love and hope and faith
and forgiveness- not hate and discrimination.
I have served in this body a lot of years-and I have seen a lot of promises
broken. I should be up here demanding my 40 acres and a mule because that's
another promise you broke. You used a wealthy white minister cloaked in the
cloth to ease the stench of that form of discrimination.
So, now that blacks and women can vote, and now that blacks and women have
equal rights-you turn your hatred to homosexuals- and you still use your
misguided reading of the Bible to justify your hatred. You want to pass this
ridiculous amendment so you can go home and brag...brag about what? Declare
that you saved the people of Texas from what? Persons of the same sex cannot
get married in this State now. Texas does not now recognize same-sex
marriages, civil unions, religious unions, domestic partnerships,
contractual arrangements or Christian blessings entered into in this State-
or anywhere else on this planet Earth.
If you want to make your hateful political statements then that is one
thing, but the Chisum amendment does real harm. It repeals the contracts
that
many single people have paid thousands of dollars to purchase to obtain
medical powers of attorney, powers of attorney, hospital visitation, joint
ownership and support agreements. You have lost your way- this is obscene.
Today, you are playing to the lowest common denominator- you are putting
aside the real issues of substance that we need to address so that you can
instead play on the public's fears and prejudices to deceive and manipulate
voters into thinking that we have done something important.
I realize that gay rights are not the same as civil rights-but I can
guarantee you we are going in the wrong direction. I can not hide my skin
color. In fact, in most of the South, people as pink as Rep. Wayne Smith
were still Black by law if they had a great grandparent who was African. I
was unable to attend an integrated and equally funded school until I got my
Master of Laws degree. There were separate and unequal facilities
for nearly everything.
I got second-hand textbooks even worse than the kind you're trying to pass
off on every public school student next year. I had to ride to school on the
back of the bus. I had to quench my thirst from filthy coloreds-only
drinking fountains. I had to enter restaurants from the kitchen door. I was
banned from entering most public accommodations, even from serving on a
jury.
I had to live with the fear that getting too uppity could get you killed ---
or worse. I know what third-class citizenship feels like. In my first term,
one of my colleagues walked up and down this aisle muttering about how
"Nigras" should be back in the field picking cotton instead of picking out
committees.
So, I have to wonder about Rep. Chisum's 3/5 of a person amendment. Some of
you folks hid behind your Bible then, too, to justify your cultural
prejudices, your denial of liberty, and your gunpoint robbery of human
dignity.
We have worked hard at putting our prejudices against homosexuals in law. We
have denied them basic job protections. We have denied them and their
children freedom from bullying and harassment at school. We have tried to
criminalize their very existence.
But, we have also absolved them of all family duties and responsibilities:
to care for and support their spouses and children, to count their family's
assets in determining public assistance, to obtain health insurance for
dependents, to make end-of-life or necessary medical decisions for their
life partners---sometimes even to visit in the hospital,
even to defend our own country. And then, we can stand on our two hind legs
and proclaim, "See, I told you homosexual families are unstable." And nearly
every one of you on this Floor has a homosexual in their extended families.
Some of you have shunned and isolated these family members. Some of you,
even some of the joint co-authors, have embraced them within your own family
for the essence of Christianity is love. Yet, you are now poised to
constitutionalize discrimination against a particular class of people.
I thought we would be debating real issues: education, health care for kids,
teacher's health insurance, health care for the elderly, protecting
survivors of sexual assault, protecting the pensions of seniors in nursing
homes. I thought we would be debating economic development, property tax
relief, protecting seniors pensions and stem cell research, to save lives of
Texans who are waiting for a more abundant life. Instead we are wasting this
body's time with this political stunt that is nothing more than
constitutionalizing discrimination. The prejudices exhibited by members of
this body disgust me.
Last week, Republicans used a political wedge issue to pull kids -sweet
little vulnerable kids- out of the homes of loving parents and put them back
in a state orphanage just because those parents are gay. That's disgusting.
Today, we are telling homosexuals that just like people of my ilk, when I
was a small child, they too are second class citizens. I have listened to
all the arguments. I have listened to all of the crap.
Mr. Chisum is a person who I consider my good friend and revere. But, I
want you to know that this amendment is blowing smoke to fuel the hell-fire
flames of bigotry. You are trying to protect your constituents from danger.
This amendment is a CYB amendment for you to go home and talk about.
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CYB - Cover Your Butt