Index of SPPS Budget Discussion http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/spps-posts.html _________________________________________
I was at the Capitol today as well, and the crowd was indeed "respectable" -- the official estimate by the House Sergeant-At-Arms put the crowd at 4,000, the police at 3,500. Either way, more than the 3,000 estimated to have attended Monday's event. The crowd was also "respectable" in another way that Monday's crowd was not. There were no hateful slogans on signs (except those held by the handful of counterprotesters); there were no attendees storming legislators' offices and threatening and harassing staff; nobody barged into Senator Dean Johnson's office, loudly praying that his staff die and go to hell (this actually happened on Monday). We simply lobbied our legislators and did not try to intimidate them. What a concept. I was very proud to hear the St. Paul City Council resolution read to the crowd. The resolution very clearly recognizes that people of good conscience may disagree on the issue of gay marriage, but that the Constitution of our state should not be used to restrict, rather than expand, rights. I'm glad that Councilman Thune knows that it is wrong for government officials to put the rights of some up for a vote. I'm happy for Mr. Swift that he apparently leads the kind of life of leisure that allows him to take time off to collect signatures for a petition demanding the restriction of others' rights. As for me, and I think the rest of this state and country, we probably have better things to be thinking about, like perhaps, the economy, jobs, our national security. Just a few that come to mind. Javier Morillo-Alicea West Side --- Thomas Swift <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Index of SPPS Budget Discussion > http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/spps-posts.html > _________________________________________ > > > I dropped by the Capital as well. It was a > respectable > turnout (in numbers) but fell short of the > pro-amendment rally. > > I was also intrigued by the speech Senator Mua gave. > > In it, Senator Mua invoked the intentions of �our > forefathers� which got me thinking. > > Senator Mua�s forefathers in Laos did not have > anything more to do with the founding of America > than > mine did in Ireland. Her family and mine immigrated > to > a country already well founded and proceeded to get > to > the business of integrating with American society. > > In fact, as a part of that integration, her > countrymen > had to give up marriage customs that are rooted in > centuries of her culture. Hmong marriages were (and > still are in Indochina) arranged affairs that > sometimes meant very young girls (13 and younger) > found themselves wedded to adult men much older than > themselves. In addition, polygamy was and is a well > accepted practice within Hmong society. > > I�ll be writing her to ask if she feels that her > people were wronged by making them conform to our > WASPy concept of acceptable matrimony and if that > concept is changed to include homosexuals whether > she > plans to introduce legislation to right that > injustice. And if she does not, by what thought > process does she now accept the discrimination of > one > minority but not another. After all, it�s all about > celebrating diversity now isn�t it? > > I also stopped by councilperson Thune�s office to > make > it official that I had taken the rest of this week > and > next off from work (using my vacation) to > coordinate > a group collecting signatures opposing the adoption > of > his resolution. He wasn�t in, perhaps he was > enjoying > the after rally festivities. Although it appears > that > he cannot be compelled to do so, I can not conceive > why he would not put this issue on the public > discussion agenda so that his constituents (and > those > of the other members) may have their say. > > After all, if his unilateral decision to speak for > us > all on this subject is not the dishonest act of > hypocrisy it appears on it's face, the vast majority > of St. Paul residents are in complete agreement with > him and my friends and I should not be able to rally > anyone�right? > > > TSwift > Cherokee Park > > "This is MY United States of Whatever!" > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on > time. > http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html > _____________________________________________ > SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 > Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ > _____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your > password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
