congresscritter

[solipsistnation]

Dear Joshua:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your support for the
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruling on gay marriage.

As you may know, on November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme
Judicial Court ruled that gay and lesbian citizens in Massachusetts cannot
be denied the same right to marriage as other citizens in the Commonwealth.
Denying the right to marry, according to the court, violates the state
constitution's "free and equal" clause. The Massachusetts legislature now
has 180 days to implement the court's decision.

I strongly agree with the SJC decision that gay and lesbian citizens
in Massachusetts should have the same rights as other citizens in the
Commonwealth. This decision ensures that same-sex partners will finally
have the legal protections and benefits, as well as the responsibilities, of
marriage. Legal and cultural challenges still lie ahead for same-sex
partners in Massachusetts. The Defense of Marriage Act, which became
federal law in 1996, limited the definition of 'marriage' to 'a legal union
between one man and one woman.' Therefore, same-sex partners will have to
keep fighting for recognition at the federal level.

Please be assured that I will continue to support same-sex partners
in their fight for equality and will oppose any amendment that would change
the U.S. Constitution to prohibit gay marriage.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please contact me in the future
if you have further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

John W. Olver
Member of Congress

Comments

[eccles.livejournal.com]

Wow, the system works. Or was "Joshua" slightly misaligned with the rest of the poorly photocopied letter?

[jon3.livejournal.com]

Congresscritters don't make personal replies, unless you're powerful.

Even if it was signed, it was signed by an aide.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

What difference would it make if it had? The IMPORTANT point is that the form letter this congresscritter has is a "I support gay marriage" form letter, not an "I'm sorry you don't oppose gay marriage with me" form letter.

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

Sweet.

I received a letter saying "I'm glad you agree with me that the sanctity of marriage is threatened by decisions such as those by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court." But, then, I'm convinced my Congressman's staff actually can't read.

[bluegargantua]

20 bucks says he's got both form letters and sends them out as appropriate. ;)

Tom

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

That's REAL easy to check. Believe me, whether Massachusetts congresscritters support or oppose gay marriage is a matter of public record.

[meranthi.livejournal.com]

Ooh, now that's useful...

[eccles.livejournal.com]

Well I think it does matter if it is a form letter. If it seems that he has replied personally it makes you feel he has read more than the first line of your letter and then the system has worked, otherwise his assitant has just sent out "form letter 7a - in support of gay marriage".

[meranthi.livejournal.com]

Where? Findable online??

[jon3.livejournal.com]

Actually, he doesn't really say that. Read closely.

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

It was email.

[jon3.livejournal.com]

did you EXPN and see if it gets piped to some program? :)

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sure it was automated, at least partially. I wrote a letter using the Write your congressperson page yesterday.

It's a useful sort of thing. They're trying to convince people to use email more since the whole anthrax thing...

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Damn, you're cynical. Representatives tend to be a lot better than that. Senators, maybe not.

[jon3.livejournal.com]

Hrm. Maybe I shouldn't lace all my letters with baby powder...
;)

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

But it makes them smell so nice!

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Sure.

Every single Massachusetts Congresscritter gets a 100% from the Human Rights Campaign, a PAC which, among other things, supports gay and lesbian rights.

[jon3.livejournal.com]

And it really shows them you _care_!

[mr-teem.livejournal.com]

Well, it is useful in a way. I can add it to the list of "I don't care what you think" issues, like the flag burning amendment, to name one.

[bonisagus.livejournal.com]

Well that's a better response than the ones I got out of my state senator and state representative. The senator merely said he would take my opinions into consideration if and when he had to vote on the issue. This is his standard canned response, he never commits to a position. My state rep on the other hand said she is opposed to gay marriage but would support same-sex unions. Needless to say I'm none to happy with them. One for a lack of a spine to commit to a position and the other for not having the position I would like. Ahh democracy...

[solipsistnation.livejournal.com]

I've been pretty happy with Olver, actually. He seems to be reasonably clueful.