Obama's response to my letter about DOMA

[Plaid Adder]

Some of you may remember that a couple months ago, after the Department of Justice filed that brief defending DOMA, I sent Obama a letter about that with a picture of our family, and encouraged others to do the same. After a while I assumed it had gone straight into the memory hole. However, last week I got a letter back from the White House. Here's what it says, in its entirety. My comments are after the letter.
* * * * * *
Dear Friend,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate your perspective.

Every American deserves equal protection under our laws, and neither Federal nor state law should discriminate against any American. The issue of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights has all too often been used to divide our country. We must treat all of our citizens with dignity and respect, and stand united in our protection of equality--a founding principle of our Nation and a moral imperative.

I continue to oppose a Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. We must also extend the over 1,100 Federal marital rights and benefits to same-sex couples, because every American should be able to visit a loved one in the hospital, transfer property, and receive equal health insurance and other employment benefits.

My Administraiton is committed to addressing a full spectrum of issues important to the LGBT community. We can reduce discrimination by strengthening hate crimes statutes; supporting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; ensuring adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation; and opposing discrimination in public accommodations. To combat HIV/AIDS, we need policies that support people living with this illness and increased funding for prevention, care, and research. I also support repealing the current Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in a sensible way that strengthens our Armed Forces an our national security. Please join me online to learn more about my civil rights agenda at: www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights .

Together, we can create a more open and tolerant society that protects and values all people. Thank you again for writing.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
* * * * * *
So.

First of all, it must be acknowledged that no Republican president would ever have written that letter, let alone Obama's Predecessor Who Shall Not Be Named (hereafter OPWSHNBN). It must also be acknowledged that on an issue like this, to some extent, talk itself does actually matter. By that I mean that there is a material difference between having a president who implicitly and explicitly encourages public hatred of you and your kind, and having a president whose public pronouncements on the issue start from the premise that LGBT people are human and should have human rights.

Nevertheless, I cannot help thinking that this letter reads more like a campaign statement than like a letter from a sitting president. It does not talk about what his administration has done; nor does it say anything specific about what his administration will do, or when. It talks a lot about things that his administration "supports" or "opposes" and things that we "can do" (but of course haven't yet done). And so one does think, at the end of it, "You're the President of the United States. If you 'support' all this stuff, shouldn't you be making it happen?"

All in all, there's nothing in this letter to give me any reason to believe he'll do much for us. And in that, as I have said before, there is nothing new. We are important enough to help these guys get elected but we are clearly not important enough for them to take political risks over.

Is it possible that I am misjudging him, and that time will prove me wrong? Sure. It's possible. Indeed I hope I am wrong. But it should be understood that I, and I'm sure many of my GBLT Democratic brethren and sistren, will continue to hold this view of him and his administration *until something is actually done.*

Ah well,

The Plaid Adder

[Name removed]

1. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cant trust em]

2. You're not going to get detailed respones in a letter like this.

The impatience of the LGBT community is understandable.

[EFerrari]

17. There is no definition impatience that fits this situation, is there?

"Justice deferred is justice denied."

[Cant trust em]

20. 2nd definition in the dictionary says "restlessly eager"

Sounds about right to me.

[EFerrari]

25. Describing people who are fighting for their civil rights

as "restlessly eager" is disrespectful as is describing them as impatient. It's a small thing but I'm marking it because how we talk about this matters.

"Impatience" implies there is some error of character on the part of the person who is waiting. And "eager" resolves to the same meaning when coupled with "restless". Clearly, people who are fighting for equal rights are not the parties in error here. And it's long past time where anyone could reasonably ask them to be "patient" as if some virtue of temperament needs to be demonstrated in order to earn the same rights everyone else was born with.

Just a thought.

[ruggerson]

26. +1

[Robb]

27. No, it's a very good thought, and I agree. nt

[Cant trust em]

29. I think we're having a semantic argument.

I think we agree on intent, but maybe I'm just not finding the right words.

When I thought of "restlessly eager" I'm thinking of someone who wants something very badly and isn't waiting idly by to wait for it to happen.

[melnjones]

3. I'm not sure which is more frightening...

The non-reassurance of the letter, or the typos?


on edit, typos fixed, that's a relief, lol.

[Plaid Adder]

13. They were my typos.

It's an actual letter on real paper, not an email, so in order to get it into the post I had to transcribe it. (It also has a fairly lifelike signature at the bottom, of which the only letters you can really identify are the B and the Ob. Still, it is embassarring that I left out the "c.")

Sorry,

The Plaid Adder

[PSzymeczek]

36. Sounds like a form letter

with an Autopenned signature.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Plaid Adder]

5. You've got to be kidding me.

I had to retype the letter to post about it and I introduced some typos while I was doing that. I fixed them on edit. That's all.

yeesh,

The Plaid Adder

[BlooInBloo]

9. If I said anything that is false, please let me know, and I'll be happy to correct it.

[RetroLounge]

33. If you say anything that isn't false, we'll let you know...

RL

[ruggerson]

6. Why are you attacking Plaid Adder's credibility?

Read her journal.

She's contributed to DU in a far more generous, intellectual and profound way than you ever have.

[saracat]

16. Plaid Adder has been a generous contributor sice 2001. The

harrasser has not.The critical thinking of some is sorely lacking but the ability to jump to negative and unfounded assumptions is highly developed.

[Sapphocrat]

23. I can only imagine what "Ignored" is saying...

...but I'll throw in my two cents: I've "known" Plaid Adder online since long before DU was even a twinkle in Skinner's eye. She is the real deal, and anyone who attempts to undermine her credibility is... well, to keep this post from getting deleted, I'll just say "woefully misguided."

[Jax]

45. Thank you ruggerson

You said it better than I would have.

Attacking Plaid Adder...disgusting but not surprising from this poster.

Plaid Adder is one of the best DUers period.

Thanks again for stating a fact and putting it eloquently ruggerson.

[Starry Messenger]

8. I came to my conclusions about you a long time ago. n/t

[Autumn]

12. I've drawn my conclusions, Plaid Adder I trust

completely.

[saracat]

15. Are you seriously implying that Plaid Adder, who is one of our best and most credible members

is somehow suspect? Are you freaking kidding? This is all part of a real problem.Some folks need to get help.

[Autumn]

7. I don't get to recommend

your posts often enough. k/r

[PSzymeczek]

47. HI, Autumn!

[Autumn]

48. Hi

[d_r]

10. well

did he at least send you a picture of his family?

[Plaid Adder]

14. Come to think of it, no.

But then we have plenty of pictures of his family from all the "thank you for donating, now donate again" stuff his campaign sent us.

The Plaid Adder

[Starry Messenger]

11. Straight allies have him on notice too.

I hope the President is watching the NEM today. He needs to make this personal.

[EFerrari]

21. Yes, we have. n/t

[saracat]

18. So far, it is "just words"on this and other issues. It all sounds nice but means very little.

[cali]

24. Actually words matter a great deal. Yes, he needs to live up to those words

but don't think that they don't carry a lot of weight. They do.

[saracat]

34. Action counts more. Words with nothing behind them mean little to me anymore.

[grantcart]

19. "If your the President of the United States . . . shouldn't you be making this happen"

A reasonable question.



My read on this is that the President has seriously misread exactly how much time, resource and capital he would have to expend in simply getting Congress to do its small part.

The clearest example of this is closing Gitmo. The President announced a year ago that he was going to close it within a year. He is not going to make that deadline. The reason is not because he doesn't want to but because Congress, including Democratic leadership have passed resolutions to stop the movement of prisoners into the US.

I believe that the President has decided that if has to go out so far ahead on every single issue then the number of issues that he is going to engage in successfully is going to be reduced significantly.

So his response is to state: Let Congress pass the bill and I will sign it for both DOMA and DADT. That the President has other executive actions he might or might not be able to take is beside the point. Our Democratic congressional leadership has a duty to bear some of the burden and so far they not only have not but have actually undercut the President.

The delay, IMHO, is entirely the fault of Congress. If they pass the necessary legislation the President will sign them.

[Cant trust em]

22. Do you think that Obama has effectively used the bully pulput in this issue?

In order to move this forward, Obama needs to do more than just sign the legislation. He needs to call for it. Give them a date to deliver the legislation and set the expectation.

[grantcart]

30. No I think he is being forced to conserve the bully pulpit

He announced closure of Gitmo, Congress opposes him. He is now going to fail in keeping a promise he made. So instead of using the bully pulpit on a number of issues he is going to have to pull it out and use it over and over on an issue he shouldn't have to.

My point is that Congressional inaction has forced him to slow down in order to make sure that the policies that he has already announced get passed.

He is running slow. The reason is that rather that running in a relay he has an anchor around his neck that is slowing him down.

I believe that the blame should be aimed at Congress not the President. They are making the execution of policy unnecessarily complicated and slow.

[joeycola]

28. It sounds like a form letter to me.

[Peacetrain]

31. No other President has ever ever put himself in the line of fire like this before.

If he were not going to do everything he can, and push every button he can.. it would be totally self destructive exercise. He has and is going to be beaten to the ground on the right.

It is the great unwashed middle that gets a President elected and re-elected. And he has taken a verbal, written, very public stand on GLBT rights.

Hang in there Plaid Adder.. for yourself and your family. Don't give up hope.. and that is not a campagin slogan.

You and your family are in our hearts and prayers.. Hang in there..

[rtassi]

39. JFK's speech at American University in the fall of 63 bears another read ...

speaking of "line of fire" No other President ... really? Though GLBT rights weren't on the front burner then, as President Kennedy was a little busy trying to keep the two super powers from blowing up the world. He did however evolve from the cold warrior mentality to a man dedicated to peace, so I acknowledge that President Obama has plenty room and time to grow as well.

[Peacetrain]

41. Apples and Oranges.. We are talking GLBT needs and rights in this OP

From Lincoln to Roosevelt, Lots of Presidents have much on the line, and have put much on the line..

[rtassi]

43. Understood ... was only confused regarding scope & context of opening line n/t

[dsc]

44. uh Clinton actually tried to change the policy

Yes he failed but he did try, more than Obama has currently done.

[Toasterlad]

50. Not Wanting to Piss Off the Right Is Not an Excuse For Continuing Bigotry.

[Triana]

32. He has never responded to one of my letters...sent to whitehouse.gov OR by snail mail

even when I requested one.

Wonder what the trick is?

[placton]

35. but but Plaid

he made ANOTHER nice speech about it, just this weekend...like he did in June and March and all during his 2 year campaign - just wait a Freidman Unit or 2, and THEN you'll see! so don't worry your pretty little head about it, just eat your veal!

[Bette Noir]

37. I got a similar form letter in response to my letter regarding health care.

I still believe that he means well, but wants Congress to lead with legislation. Maybe we should be writing our congresscritters more, and Mr. President less.

[midnight]

38. Plaid Adder thanks for lending support to repeal prejudice that some of our

community here on D.U. have been fighting against for way to long. We can do better than don't ask, don't tell.... This population is just as important as any other. Do we make any other population silenced into secrecy about who they are? This silence and secrecy is the mark of repression. The time for ending this is now....

[damonm]

40. This was well done...

And I can't help but agree with you on every point. While Obama does represent a major leap forward from the OPWSHNBN, I gotta say I'm disappointed in his administration's slowness in this area. I UNDERSTAND why they're foot-dragging, but I still don't approve.

[Time for change]

42. That pretty well expresses my feelings on this issue as well

Not only on LGBT issues, but many other issues as well. Words are not enough for a president of the United States. And I too recognize that "it is possible that I am misjudging him...."

[Jax]

46. As always well said Plaid Adder

This straight woman holds the same view *until something is actually done* as well.

Equal rights under the law now. Enough words, actions.

Plaid, for me you are the best writer on DU and I have learned much from you. You write with intelligence, grace, dignity, passion.

(I miss 'khephra' every single day, your account of his memorial is something I often read. Meant a lot. Thank you.)

Thank you for sharing this and your thoughts here. I will keep fighting for your rights toay. Now.

Alyce

[derby378]

49. Notice what's missing from the form letter?

That's right, boys and girls - a timetable.