Dear Mr. Bush,
Why are you a bigot?
For a long time I have supported you when others would not, written columns defending you while others were calling for your head and told others to have faith when they wanted to give up on you.
And now I am sitting here, a Republican, one of your supporters, disgusted. I will not vote for you again. I will not defend you anymore.
For this disgruntled conservative, the last straw came last week when you put your weight behind a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. I shuddered as I read the headlines. Do you realize you are promoting open hostility toward a segment of our population – active discrimination against fellow Americans?
How, Mr. President, is this different than preventing blacks from voting? In such a scenario, they are a minority segment of the population, prevented from exercising, as the Declaration of Independence puts it, their “unalienable Rights,” endowed “by their Creator.” If you think about it, gay marriage is the exact same issue. Making it unconstitutional is nothing short of bigotry.
But there is so much more than the law that disgusts me here.
First, think of the hypocrisy of this religious mindset. Love your brother, neighbor and friend, but not the gays! They are sinners, right? Don’t deserve any privileges, right? God doesn’t care for them, right? You know what, if there is a God who would want us to actively hate a segment of the world, I don’t much care to believe in him.
Second, this proposed constitutional amendment is far worse than any executive order or piece of legislation. In proposing this, you are not looking to enact a law, gain public support and see if it is deemed constitutional. Rather, you want to forever change the structure of this country, the very fabric of our freedom, to actively promote a prejudicial mindset. Don’t you see you are making the position of this country anti-homosexual and permanently establishing a brand of nationalistic homophobia?
Shame on you.
And how about this, Mr. Bush: In Texas, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the sodomy laws, you and other “conservatives” were appalled, saying that local communities should be able to enact their own laws, reflecting their own morals. OK, I can kind of see that – states’ rights and all that jazz. But changing the Constitution would prevent communities from doing just that. What if San Francisco’s morals led them to legalize gay marriage? Your amendment would prevent them from doing so.
My real question here is why. Why do you turn your back on people and promote hate?
I have been hesitant to abandon you. But after the last year, it has just gone too far. For the life of me, outside of the gay-hating religious right, I don’t know why anyone is still on your side.
Why aren’t social conservatives more upset about your rampant violations of individual rights? You have incarcerated people for years without bringing them in front of a judge. You have classified prisoners as “enemy combatants” so they won’t have the legal rights established by our Constitution. Of course, it has all been done in the name of “national security.” What an abomination your national security has been.
The No Child Left Behind Act is a complete and utter failure. But it sure sounds catchy come election time, doesn’t it?
Why aren’t fiscal conservatives disgusted with your expansion of the national government? With the Department of Homeland Security, you have expanded federal power more than any president in years, and that includes Democrats.
And how about Iraq, Mr. Bush? More than 500 soldiers are dead now. No weapons of mass destruction. No plan for reconstruction. Halliburton’s repeated defrauding of the U.S. government. If the press weren’t in a waking coma, you would have a few major scandals on your hands.
I’m not willing to accept it anymore. For a while you were the lesser of two evils, but not when you started advocating hatred and discrimination. I once thought you deserved the benefit of the doubt, but it has become clear to me that you are growing increasingly out of touch with what this country stands for.
Because you admitted that you don’t read the newspaper, however, I doubt if this will ever reach you. Maybe if I submit it to a Christian publication Ö
Regretfully yours,
Steven Snyder
Steven Snyder welcomes feedback at [email protected]
