LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMPTalk: Writing Wrongs |
by Bill Sievert |
I've had such a hectic couple of weeks of writing letters that I've barely had time to dash off a column for this issue of Letters. As the name of this periodical suggests, letter-writing is something to be encouraged, not only as a way of keeping in touch with friends but also as a means of waging a war of wits against our political foes. The act of taking pen to paper (or, for most of us these days, fingers to keyboard) may not be as exciting as marching on a state or national Capitol with banners unfurled, but it can be a quick and effective way of letting the powers-that-be know exactly what we think about their actions or lack thereof. Not that many of us can afford to make a career of griping about every issue that annoys us. (My daily prayer is that someone will hire me for just such a full-time job.) But I know it's time to leap for the laptop whenever my blood pressure takes flight as I scan the front page of the morning paper. My blood has been boiling a lot of late, so I've felt obliged to return at least some of that pressure to sender. My first target was Kenneth Zwick, director of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, who told reporters that partners of gay and lesbian people killed in the terrorist attacks won't automatically be entitled to the same benefits as heterosexual survivors. It would be too difficult, he said, to treat gay people equitably when states have varying policies on domestic benefits. He said he would just go along with each state's position. Duh, what? It's easier for Zwick to bog down survivor-assistance in the convoluted details of 50 different state policies than simply to treat everyone the same? So much for the pious platitude of "united we stand." Clearly, the government has decided that the sacrifices of such hero/martyrs as Mark Bingham, pilot David Charlebois and NYC Fire Department Chaplain Mychal Judge don't carry the clout of those of their heterosexual fellow hero/martyrs. Although my first instinct usually is to whip up a letter full of biting sarcasm, I noticed that all letters e-mailed to the victim-funds government website would be posted on line (www.usdoj.gov/victimcompensation/index.html). Since my letter might actually have a readership, I decided to leave the bombast for my columns, and be concise and poignant. So I deleted the draft blaming Dubya Bush for everything from the undermining of the 2000 presidential election to his current campaign to force unmarried mothers to hitch up with the first available heterosexual male. Instead, I penned a short plea for justice at the Department of Justice, pointing out the simplicity and fairness of the one-policy-fits-all approach. Rule number-one of political letter-writing: Stick to the point and try very hard to sound reasonable (even when you're seriously ticked off). My next letter was long overdue, and I credit Rosie O'Donnell's strong stand in support of gay adoption for finally getting me around to writing it. To make things easier, Rosie and the ACLU have set up a web site (www.LetHimStay.com) to help us contact officials in Florida, the only state that bans gay people from adopting in all situations. The site provides a pre-written text for us to sign and click away to Tallahassee. But don't go there (the form letter, that is). The best use of Rosie's site is to gather information (and our thoughts). While mass-produced letters are all the rage among our outrageous opponents, they are relatively ineffective. The staff person assigned to click through E-mails on the receiving end quickly sees them as echoes of sentiment composed by an already-suspicious special-interest group. Your vote may be counted, but you have lost your voice. When, however, you make the effort to write a heartfelt personal note, it is more likely to catch the attention of the recipient (as many a legislative aide will attest). Extra brownie points may be rewarded your cause, and someone might even show your words to their intended target. So, rule number-two is: Take a few extra minutes, and find your own voice. Rather than adding your name to the letter on Rosie's site, why not E-mail Florida Gov. Jeb Bush directly at fl_governor@myflorida.com and Florida Department of Children & Families Sec. Kathleen Kearney at dcf-osc@dcf.statefl.us. In writing about the adoption issue, try not to remind Jeb that he conspired to overthrow the 2000 presidential election, or that his big brother wants to marry off unwilling women. The issue of mothers without males is another matter entirely, one that also warrants attention. Aren't you dumbfounded that the President of the United States actually intends to steer $300-million in welfare funds to those states which push matrimony on their citizens? Don't we have any personal choice anymore? Did someone mandate the integration of church and state while we were watching the home-and-garden network? And, most important, does Bush's plan mean that an unmarried homosexual parent will be rewarded if he/she has a garden-variety gay wedding? I'll get to that letter as soon as I finish the one to the Pentagon about its equally ludicrous attitude toward gay members of the armed services. Last year the military discharged 1,250 service members, the most in any year since the invention of "Don't ask, don't tell" in 1993. One such case was that of Air Force Capt. Monica Hill, who had asked for a brief delay in her new assignment because her life partner was fighting brain cancer. Oops, she "told"! So the captain was sent packing. Many of the ousters have occurred at Fort Campbell, Ky., where Col. Tom Begines argues that the Army should be given "credit" for finding a solution to the threat of violence against gay soldiers. Expulsion is a "preventative rather than punitive" policy, one that encourages safety, the Colonel has proudly proclaimed. So much for the military's role as protector of the populace. If Uncle Tomer, Colonel Tomalso dismissed all the straight soldiers, he could completely eliminate the chance that any of our fighting boys and girls would find themselves in harm's way. In fact, the colonel could declare total victory and retire (please). No, I won't say that; I'll try to keep in mind rule number-one. But I do have to get back to my correspondence, now that I've taken a stab at rule number-three of letter writing: Get others to do the same. Send copies of what you've written to your friends, and let them know where they can get more information on the subject. Provide a specific name, address or website for them to write to. You might be pleasantly surprised, as I have been, how many of your pals will pick up on the idea. And, as in an election or any other form of political protest, numbers do count. Sure, Jeb Bush may have his deputies pooh-pooh the national campaign to bring his state to its senses about adoption, claiming that many of the incoming e-mails are from non-Floridians. But, by customizing your words, you can make your vote count whether you live in Delaware or Dubuque. Just politely remind Jeb that, even in his home state of Texas, many children have been nurtured and raised by loving adoptive gay parents. Or, tell the governor that you're going to think twice about spending your vacation dollars in his adopted Sunshine State until he takes a more enlightened position on the subject. There's more than one way to write a wrong. E-mail your protests to Bill Sievert at Allforthecause@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 12, No. 03, April 5, 2002. |