what a sad sad story. bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah. always good for a laugh murky. always good for a laugh. bwbwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
On Oct 29, 4:15 am, "moveon.org mike532" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From the Desk of Anthony D. Romero Executive Director, ACLU > > The only way I can tell you how worried I am about California next > Tuesday is to share my personal story. > ************************************************* > Dear ACLU Supporter, > > I'm angry and heartsick about what may happen in California on > November 4th. > > In the most personal way possible, I'm writing to ask you for a > favor: > help us ensure that gay couples all across California keep their > fundamental right to marriage -- the basic right to be treated just > like anybody else. > > I hope you will forgive the indulgence when I speak from the heart > and > tell you my personal story. > > You see, I grew up in a loving and supportive household, where my > family believed I could be anything I chose -- anything except being > an openly gay man. Neither of my parents finished high school, and > yet, they believed I could accomplish all I set out to do as I went > off to Princeton University and Stanford Law School. > > They got me through the toughest of times, scrimped and saved, and > always believed that failure wasn't in the cards for me. They had > more > faith in me than I often had in myself. Whenever my parents visited > me > at Princeton, my Dad would slip a $20 bill in my pocket when my Mom > wasn't looking. I never had the courage to tell him that the $20 > wouldn't go very far towards my bills, books and tuition. But, it was > his support and belief in me that sustained me more than the tens of > thousands of dollars I received in scholarships. > > When I finished college, they were hugely proud of my -- and their -- > accomplishments. That was until I told them I was gay and wanted to > live life as an openly gay man. > > Though I always knew I was gay, I didn't come out to them for many > years, as I was afraid of losing the love and support that had > allowed > me to succeed against all odds. When I did tell them, they cried and > even shouted. I ended up leaving their home that night to spend a > sleepless night on a friend's sofa. We were all heartbroken. > > When my Mom and I spoke later, my Mom said, "But, Antonio (that's the > name she uses with me), hasn't your life been hard enough? People > will > hurt you and hate you because of this." She, of course, was right -- > as gay and lesbian people didn't only suffer discrimination from > working class, Puerto Rican Catholics, but from the broader society. > She felt that I had escaped the public housing projects in the Bronx, > only to suffer another prejudice -- one that might be harder to beat > -- as the law wasn't on my side. At the time, it felt like her own > homophobia. Now I see there was also a mother's love and a real > desire > to protect her son. She was not wrong at a very fundamental level. > She > knew that treating gay and lesbian people like second class citizens > -- people who may be worthy of "tolerance, " as Sarah Palin asserts > but not of equality -- was and still is the last socially-acceptable > prejudice. > > Even before I came out to them, I struggled to accept myself as a gay > man. I didn't want to lose the love of my family, and I wanted a > family of my own -- however I defined it. I ultimately chose to find > my own way in life as a gay man. This wasn't as easy as it sounds > even > though it was the mid-1980s. I watched loved ones and friends die of > AIDS. I was convinced I would never see my 40th birthday, much less > find a partner whom I could marry. > > As years passed, my Mom, Dad and I came to a peace, and they came to > love and respect me for who I am. They even came to defend my right > to > live with equality and dignity -- often fighting against the > homophobia they heard among their family and friends and in church. > > The right to be equal citizens and to marry whomever we wish -- > unimaginable to me when I first came out -- is now ours to lose in > California unless we stand up for what's right. All of us must fight > against what's wrong. In my 43 short years of life, I have seen gay > and lesbian people go from pariahs and objects of legally-sanctioned > discrimination to being on the cusp of full equality. The > unimaginable > comes true in our America if we make it happen. But, it requires > effort and struggle. > > One of the things I love about the ACLU is that it's an organization > that understands we are all in this together. We recognize that > injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. > > Given what's at stake in the outcome of this election, I am > personally > appealing to you for help to fight the forces of intolerance from > carrying the day in California next Tuesday. > > If you have friends and family in California, please contact them > right now, and ask them to vote NO on Proposition 8. You can send > them > a message here.http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=7Fh6TiNZlBbZHCsOVLJClw.. > > We need to make sure people keep in mind that gay people are part of > every family and every community -- that like everyone else, gay > people want the same rights to commit to their partners, to take care > of each other and to take responsibility for each other. We > shouldn't deny that, and we shouldn't write discrimination > into any constitution in any state. Certainly, we can't let that > happen in California after the highest court in the state granted gay > and lesbian people their full equality. > > Unfortunately, due to a vicious, deceitful $30 million advertising > blitz, the supporters of Prop 8 may be within days of taking that > fundamental right away. > > To stop the forces of discrimination from succeeding, we have to win > over conflicted voters who aren't sure they're ready for gay marriage > but who are also uncomfortable going into a voting booth and > stripping > away people's rights. With the ACLU contributing time, energy and > millions of dollars to the effort, we're working hard to reach those > key voters before next Tuesday. > > If you have friends and family in California, please contact them > right now, and ask them to vote NO on Proposition 8. Share this email > with them. Call them. Direct them to our website for more > information. > > Don't let other young people grow up to be afraid to be who they are > because of the discrimination and prejudice they might face. Let them > see a future that the generation before them couldn't even dream of > -- > a future as full and equal citizens of the greatest democracy on > earth. > > As Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us, "The arc of the moral > universe > is long, but it bends toward justice." As we strive to defeat Prop 8 > and the injustice it represents, the ACLU is trying to make that arc > a > little shorter. > > On behalf of my Mom and family, and on behalf of all the people who > will never face legally-sanctioned discrimination, I thank you for > being part of this struggle and for doing everything you can to help. > > It is a privilege and honor to have you as allies in this fight for > dignity and equality. > > With enormous appreciation, > > Anthony D. Romero > Executive Director > ACLU > > P.S. All the polls show that the vote on Prop 8 could go either way. > By making just a few calls or sending just a few emails, you could > help make the difference. Please, don't let this fundamental > right be taken away. Send an eCard to everyone you know in > California.http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=KXyXtD25xEC3Lql_LcBtgQ.. > > © ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
