My letter to my MP - Bill C-38

[CatBoreal]

Hello Mr. *****!

My name is Catboreal and I'm a resident of Generic Northern Ontario Town, located within your riding.

I'm writing to urge you to support Prime Minister Martin in his efforts to ensure that all Canadians have the right to marry the person they love, not just a select number of the population who's sexual orientation is deemed appropriate.

I am a married mother of two beautiful daughters. I draw strength from my husband and our commitment to each other. I in no way feel that our commitment would be threatened by allowing Gay and Lesbian's to marry the ones they love. I think their long fight to be allowed to partake in matrimony speaks to the meaning of the institution of marriage in our society and the inclusion of Gay and Lesbian members can only strengthen it's position in our communities.

Opponents speak of 'defending traditional marriage', but what is a tradition. It's something that is handed down from one generation to the next; ONE GENERATION is all it takes to make an idea, a event, a marriage traditional. Shouldn't being able to marry the person you love be a Canadian tradition? Shouldn't fairness, inclusiveness and equality under the law be traditional for my daughters? If you vote against Bill C-38, then you are answering "No" to those questions and you are not defending the Canadian Constitution.

I understand you are under tremendous pressure from religious groups in our country who are opposed to gay marriage, but we are a secular country. How can you justify blocking the issuance of a civil license on religious grounds? As Bill Prentice, Calgary MP said today in the Globe and Mail :

"We have no such right at all because whether two people of the same sex marry, and how and whether their gender enters into the relationship, is none of the government's business, providing they do no harm to anyone else."

Please, please vote in support of equality, or justice, of inclusiveness. Please help make those values traditional not only for my children, but for all of Canada's children.

Sincerely,

Catboreal
Generic Northern Ontario Town
______________________________________________________________________

Anyone else writing their MP's in support of gay marriage???

[Mother Jones]

1. That was a great letter Cat!

I've called mine and we're playing phone tag.

Funny thing is, here in my own rural town, our new MP (liberals just lost their seat to the conservatives) sent out questionnaires on various topics. A great idea -however, he left out all the issues where I presume he will vote along party lines. ie nothing about gay marriage, Missile defense,etc...

His questions were very pointed criticisms of the liberals handling of BSE and healthcare.

I plan to call him out on this. How can you possibly cast a vote, representing your constituents when you don't know ask them how they feel?

[iverglas]

2. anybody in Bev Desjarlais's riding?

I got a free copy of a Sun delivered to the mailbox when I wasn't looking yesterday, and I read that Desjarlais is planning not just to abstain, but to vote against the bill.

Old discussion at babble:
http://www.rabble.ca/babble/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=25&t=001195

Here we go, from the CBC site today:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/samesexrights/parties-positions.html
(run-down of positions of and within the parties)

"I believe as an elected representative, there are issues that people want to see you vote on one way or the other." - Manitoba MP Bev Desjarlais, Jan. 26, 2005.

Well, that's as clear as mud.

http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n013163A.xml

NDP Leader Jack Layton ordered his members to support the legislation, saying a human rights issue is no place for a free vote. However, Manitoba New Democrat Bev Desjarlais says she'll vote No anyway.

Then fuck 'er, sez I. Party of principles and all that.

Apparently this was part of the bargain when she was nominated: she would be permitted to abstain. (I believe Bill Blaikie may have had a similar deal on abortion-related matters, e.g.) But voting no -- that's an entirely different matter.

I agree with the poster "Stockholm" at babble:

If Desjarlais breaks the deal and votes NO, then boot her out. But let's be careful about how this gets spun. The NDP cannot let this turn into a debate over whether or not she has the right to vote "according to her conscience". She has the right as an MP to vote anyway she wants on any issue she wants, BUT if she wants to be part of the NDP caucus, she has to accept certain rules. Other parties may regard this issue as a so-called free vote. The NDP does not. For an NDP MP to vote against equal marriage is treated the same way as an NDP MP voting against an NDP budget or voting with the opposition on a non-confidence vote.

May be time for me (and other right-thinking NDPers -- you Liberals can abstain here, no meddling in internal party affairs ;) ) to write Jack, and my own NDP MP, to make that view known.

[CatBoreal]

3. Yeash! I thought the NDP votes were a safe bet...

I'd be writing Desjardin too - just to let her know that you're thinking of her.

[abandon_ship]

4. it helps if you include a cheque with it