Friday, August 21, 2009

A vote for Burgmeier is a vote against equality

The political arm of the Iowa Family Policy Center has released a letter written by former state Rep. Danny Carroll urging voters to elect anti-gay candidate Steve Burgmeier in HD90. The rambling and inflammatory four-page letter by Carroll blamed his electoral defeat on "radical, out-of-state homosexual activists" who supported his opponent. In reality, Carroll was defeated because his constituents were put off by his narrow focus on mean-spirited, divisive politics.

Carroll draws comparisons between his defeat and Democrat Curt Hanson's campaign against Burgmeier. He claims outsiders are funding Hanson in an effort to "buy his anti-family vote in Des Moines." Carroll praises Burgmeier for his divisive and purely symbolic measure asking legislators to push an anti-gay marriage amendment. As Jefferson County Board of Supervisors president, this resolution was meaningless and his bluster a waste of county time.

As representative for HD 90, Caroll claims Burgmeier's would make undermining the freedom to marry his top priority. Instead of focusing issues affecting the majority of Iowans, Burgmeier would apparently push a divisive and mean-spirited measure that would mire the state of Iowa in 2-3 year battle to write discrimination into the Iowa Constitution.

In a severe case of misplaced victimization, Carroll claims the "homosexual agenda" wants to "criminalize all pro-family expression as 'hate speech,' and give homosexuals special rights and privileges as a protected class of citizens." Carroll fails to mention which rights gays and lesbians want that are not already afforded to other Iowans.

In contrast, Hanson's priorities are balancing the state budget, creating good-paying jobs, and education -- issues affecting all Iowans.

Read Carroll's full letter here

No comments:

Post a Comment