[Davis Democrats] Demos & LGBT discrimination--from the Democratic National Committee

[John Chendo]

See you all at Marla and Greg Cook¹s house this Sunday, June 4, 11:30-2pm.
For Champagne Brunch and  to get out the vote on June 6.
The GOP game of diverting attention away from the issues!
JoAnn 

From: "Brian Bond, Democratic Party" <democraticparty at democrats.org>
Reply-To: <dnc-003by00Mbm at mailer.democrats.org>
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2006 12:54:53 -0500
Subject: If you were setting the agenda...

 <http://www.democrats.org/lgbtdiscrimination>

Imagine for a moment that you're Republican Bill Frist, the Senate's
Majority Leader, and you have the power and awesome responsibility to
control what issues the Senate considers and when it considers them.

Knowing everything you do about the crises facing our nation and the things
that most concern Americans, would your top priority be to:

> A) Force the administration to change its failed strategy in Iraq
> B) Help consumers walloped by $3.00 a gallon gas and take steps to reduce our
> oil addiction 
> C) Pass the first minimum wage increase in 10 years and develop plans to
> create good jobs in America
> D) Expand educational opportunities for college by providing relief from
> skyrocketing college tuition
> E) Ensure access to health care for every American
> F) Amend the Constitution to deprive gay people of equal rights under the law
> 
As someone who cares deeply about this nation, its problems and its future,
you probably said A, B, C, D, or E. But Republican Majority Leader Frist
chose F.  Why? Because it's an election year, and Republicans are in deep
trouble. So they've decided that instead of addressing the things Americans
really care about, they're trying to change the subject and using wedge
issues in hopes of distracting from their failures and dividing Americans to
win elections.  This time, LGBT families are the pawns in their political
game. And this time, the American Constitution is their political playing
field.  

Majority Leader Bill Frist plans to bring up the "Federal Marriage
Amendment" as the first order of business when Senators return Monday. And
to drive the message home, President Bush will host a Rose Garden event that
same day to reiterate his support for this divisive, unnecessary and
diversionary attack on LGBT Americans and on our Constitution--even though
his own Vice President opposes the amendment and his own wife says it's
wrong to use this issue as a campaign tool.

This is a sad moment in American history. Over two hundred years ago, our
nation's founders and framers thought guaranteeing rights and protections
was so important that the first ten Constitutional amendments they proposed,
which the states soon ratified, were an explicit Bill of Rights for
individuals and for states.

Now, in an unprecedented move, Bill Frist and George Bush hope to convert
this bedrock document that confers liberties and freedom into one that
erases them. They want to deny equal rights under the law because of
individuals' sexual orientation--and they want to deny to states avenues
that would allow them to recognize and extend equal rights and protections
to the LGBT community and their families.  This is shameful and wrong. It
hurts LGBT Americans and their families, and it is inconsistent with the
constitutional values that set us apart as a nation-and with how we do
things in America. 

Democrats are committed to equal rights for every American; we oppose
discrimination in all their forms. We think it's wrong for the federal
government to bar states from extending rights and protections to all their
residents. We believe no church, synagogue or mosque should be told by the
government whom they may or may not marry. And when it comes to government
services and benefits, every citizen and taxpayer should receive equal
treatment.  

You can show Bill Frist just how wrong he is by signing this petition to
stop this divisive amendment and tell him to put the Senate to work on the
things that really matter to America and to Americans. Sign on here, and
your message will be delivered the day the Senate begins debating the issue:
http://www.democrats.org/lgbtdiscrimination
<http://www.democrats.org/lgbtdiscrimination>

Republicans have intentionally put divisive, anti-gay initiatives on the
ballot in many states as well, and no doubt many nervous GOP Congressmen
hope they can get reelected by scapegoating LGBT Americans instead of
dealing with the challenges confronting our nation.  But for the first time
in our party's history, we are fighting them everywhere. Through our
50-state strategy, we are providing state Democratic parties with needed
resources, training and message assistance to fight these measures. At the
national level, we are working closely with the leadership of key groups to
magnify our capacities. And, around the nation, we are aggressively
recruiting volunteers to take a message of equality, tolerance and results
on issues that matter into every community.

Sending a powerful message to Bill Frist and George Bush that legislating
discrimination defames good people and defiles our Constitution is an
important first step in turning our nation around and in beating back
efforts at both the federal and state level to scapegoat Americans for
partisan gain. But our success depends on you -- so please take part in this
action, and learn about what more you can do in the weeks and months ahead:
http://www.democrats.org/lgbtdiscrimination
<http://www.democrats.org/lgbtdiscrimination>

With hard work and the participation of every American who has had enough,
next year we could have a Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate whose answer to
our opening quiz looks a lot more like yours.

Thank you, Brian 

Brian Bond
Executive Director, GLLC
Democratic National Committee
     
     
 Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee,
www.democrats.org <http://www.democrats.org/> .
 This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
committee. 
 Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20003
    

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not
deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
 

------ End of Forwarded Message