Ted Kennedy asks for YOUR input in fighting bigotry - send him your story!

[Nothing Without Hope]

He plans to send the comments to his colleagues who voted to REJECT the Hate Amendment - they need to see that we support their vote. You KNOW that they will be getting piles of hate mail from freepers and crackpots that vilify them for opposing anti-gay discrimination. Whether you're from Massachusetts or not, please add your voice. (You'll see at the end of the email that he has included examples from all over the country.)

Here's the email I received from Ted Kennedy's office today:

From: [email protected]
Subject: Bigotry Denied
Date: June 8, 2006 3:10:47 PM EDT

Thanks to an outpouring of support from across the country, your voice was heard this week on the Senate floor. The so-called Federal Marriage Amendment was defeated and the Constitution was protected.

I was particularly moved by the comments so many of you made and your powerful testimonials and passionate calls for fairness and equality. You are not alone. Americans from all walks of life and from every state came out strongly against bigotry and prejudice and in favor of equality, and that groundswell of support defined this debate.

I'd like to share these moving appeals with my colleagues. As Democrats urge the Senate to work on issues that matter, I want to offer one more opportunity to share your personal story or thoughts on the issue. It's important for Senators to know that hateful political tactics like this affect real people - and offer thanks when they reject the politics of discrimination. Your comments will be delivered to the Senators who voted to reject this despicable proposal.

Add your personal story or comment here:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/FMAcomments

Thousands of people like you in every part of the country told Congress to concentrate on issues that matter to working Americans. Improving education and health care, ending the war in Iraq, rewarding the value of work by raising the minimum wage - action on these and many other priorities will do far more for our country than the Republicans' disgraceful effort to discriminate against millions of decent Americans.

The politics of the Federal Marriage Amendment were driven by bigotry and division. It's gratifying that Republican Senate leaders couldn't even produce a majority for it, let alone the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution. Gay and lesbian families who share their lives together, and who seek the simple grace of a government that acknowledges their equality, deserve our protection and our respect.

Thank you again for taking timely action at an important moment. I appreciate your support. Your commitment to protect the freedoms of all Americans is very inspiring.

Sincerely,
Senator Edward M. Kennedy

P.S. -- Here are just a few of the comments people like you sent in from Massachusetts and all across the country:

From Massachusetts:

Maria from Massachusetts
I live in Massachusetts. I've lived here all my life. My marriage of nearly 21 years has not been and will not be threatened by the fact that gay couples can now legally marry here. In fact, the last I heard, Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate in the country. In my view, this is an issue of civil rights, nothing else. And I profoundly resent that the Senate is wasting my hard earned dollars on this stunt.
Eileen from Massachusetts
It's time for our elected officials to do our country's work -- not waste precious time on issues that do nothing to help resolve today's difficult and important problems.
Rachel from Massachusetts
I'm a minister who performed a civil marriage for a wonderful, loving lesbian couple in my congregation two years ago. They would be devastated to see their marriage dissolved. So this issue is very real to me.
Richard from Massachusetts
Please, do not codify discrimination by opting to vote it into our constitution. Certainly the founding fathers could not have had such a thought when they began their expression of a new, civil society with the words all are created equal with certain inalienable tights ... thank you for your NO vote on the F.M.A.
Arleen from Massachusetts
Why on earth would anyone want to prevent either of my two gay children from marrying someone they want to spend the rest of their lives with and who on earth would want to deny them the same rights, privileges, and benefits of married life as other United States citizens. Whose heterosexual marriage has been hurt by the marriage of my son to his (and our) beloved partner and who would deprive my beautiful grandchildren from knowing that their beloved parents are married in the eyes of the civil and religious worlds. Please keep up the fight to defeat such awful aims. What is happening to our wonderful country?
Mathew from Massachusetts
One day soon, people will look back proudly at what Massachusetts had the courage to do for her citizens. If you really want to "defend" marriage, don't make it into a political football legislated by Congress ... let it remain a commitment made freely between two individuals.
Thomas from Massachusetts
The FMA is a repulsive bit of pandering to the worst impulses of human nature. This country will not remain great with policies of exclusion and repression, despite the best efforts of the present administration and Republican-controlled Congress.
Edward from Massachusetts
It is the unpopular freedoms that most need protecting. It is absurd to justify a restriction of rights in our Constitution by saying that "most" Americans are against same-sex unions. There was a time, not so long ago, when most Americans were against interracial marriages, too. Would today's Republican party try to use the Constitution entrusted to us to restrict marriage freedoms in that way as well? HANDS OFF the Constitution, unless you're going to expand liberty rather than constrain it further than it already is.

From around the country:

Lisa from Connecticut
As a lesbian woman who lives in Connecticut, my partner of 15 years and I had a civil union on Oct. 1st of 2005. Thinking that it would finally afford me the right to go onto her health insurance, I was sadly mistaken. Apparently, her company is "federally exempted" from allowing same-sex couples from having a medical family plan. Then, last month we tried to get life insurance and were told that we could not be on the same policy as a same-sex couple. It would cost us $400.00 more per year to have separate policies. This is outrageous, and entirely prejudicial. ... Aren't we all Americans?
Christina from New Mexico
If you think homosexuality is wrong, don't sleep with people of the same sex. Otherwise, stay out of people's bedrooms and people's personal lives. It's NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.
Christine from Virginia
I am gay and have been with my partner for 15 years. We were able to legally express our love for one another and get married two years ago! Has the sky fallen since that date? Has any heterosexual couple lost their ability to get married?
Have they lost any of their rights? The answer is clearly NO so why do you feel that you now have the right to take this event and right away from us? Who exactly are you protecting? Our son would love to know! Families come in all shapes and sizes ... God loves all of us unconditionally!
Alan from California
With all of the problems facing our country I would think the Congress of the US could find better issues to deal with than this ill-thought-out amendment. Have they forgotten about protecting the rights of the minority against the majority? Why do they think marriage needs to be protected? Is someone or something threatening the whole institution of marriage, or if gay people are allowed to marry does that deny the right of heterosexual people to marry?
Dan from New York
The proposed Marriage Amendment will do nothing but discriminate against Americans. As a gay man I have no intention of breaking up a current straight marriage/relationship. There is no threat to the traditional marriages from my partner or me. My biological children have given full support to my being gay and my partner. I fully support straight marriages for the honor it lends on their union. We deserve the same.
Peter from California
I agree with Senator Kennedy ... knock off this divisive and hateful garbage and do your job -- working to solve the REAL problems that face working American families.
Fred from Virginia
The proposed amendment is born and bred of bigotry and underpinned by discrimination, and I don't think those kinds of sentiments should be enshrined in our Constitution. It's un-American, un-Western, and uncivilized.
Patricia from Florida
Not only in our Constitution, but also in God's eyes, all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally. No man has the right to tell another how he or she should live, especially if they are following the rules of a good society. The thought or idea of a Federal Marriage Law is over the line and pure discrimination. I reject it.
Christine from New York
I agree with Sen. Kennedy, we cannot allow bigotry and discrimination to be written in to our Constitution!
In addition, there are so many really important issues to deal with -- the war in Iraq, true homeland security, global warming, minimum wage levels, health care for all, preparation for hurricane season (and repair of what was damaged last year) -- that it is unbelievable that the president and the Republicans in Congress want to spend time on the issue of gay marriage! It is such a clear example of pandering to the extreme right in order to whip up a frenzy in order to get panicked extremists to the polls in November.
Lucile from Ohio
I am totally opposed amending the Constitution to impose restrictions on any individual in America from having fair access to our laws.
Michael from Washington
My partner and I have been together for over ten years and are more stable in our relationship than many, if not most straight couples. Denying us our rights as Americans to equal treatment under the law is simply "un-American."
Charles from Missouri
The FMA is a very transparent attempt to divert attention from the problems created by the administration and the resulting public backlash. It seems like the only state with moral and ethical backbone is Massachusetts, the state that recognizes gay and lesbian rights and universal health insurance. I'm proud to say I was born and raised there.

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. He will share the input with Senators who voted AGAINST the FMA n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

2. kick n/t