Profile in Courage Essay Contest Prize Winning Essay
Stephanie Dziczek,
Holmes High School, Covington, Kentucky
Subject of essay: Governor Howard Dean
Americans have rewritten the Declaration of Independence a thousand times since it was signed in 1776. The concepts that "all men are created equal" and that we are endowed with rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are inaccurate according to Thomas Jefferson, the author of these words. Their purpose was to prompt Americans to constantly reexamine our liberties and to promote these ideals until they equal truth (Boyer et al. 158).
As America has developed, we have awarded women suffrage, presented African Americans with equal opportunities and granted homosexuals the right to join in civil unions. With each transformation, we rewrite a truth that more closely resembles our ideals. The daring few who advocate justice to an unenlightened majority are the heroes and progressive sculptors of our living Declaration.
In 1967, a group of these bold Americans congregated outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia to crusade for the idyllic liberties of which Thomas Jefferson wrote. In an era where most gays tried to hide their "sinful and sick" identities in miserable heterosexual marriages (Galas 18), a black and white placard was held high: "Fifteen million U.S. homosexuals ask for the right to the pursuit of happiness" (Galas 16). Since 1967, gays have endured failed lawsuits and unfavorable legislation in their campaign for gay marriage. But in 2000, Vermont’s Governor Howard Dean signed a landmark bill finally awarding homosexuals the freedom they had been fighting for.
An unlikely gay rights advocate, Dean seemed politically infallible. The Yale graduate assumed the Governor’s position in 1991 and over 9 years developed every politician’s ideal resume. Dean made Vermont the forerunner in welfare and health care reform and made it first, nationally, in childhood immunizations. Dean also eliminated his state’s sixty-four million dollar deficit and still managed to cut taxes. No one was surprised that Dean won reelections easily with seventy percent of the vote (State of Vermont). With his performance and popularity as governor, he could have run for President. Why did Howard Dean risk his political future with the signing of one bill?
On April 26, 2000, H.0847, known as the civil unions bill was signed into law. Vermont became the first state to allow gay couples to enter into civil unions, the marriage substitute for homosexual couples. Finally, they too had won the right to pursue happiness. Through civil unions, gays now have access to hundreds of benefits, from spousal inheritance rights to tax advantages to society’s recognition that they, too, can commit to loving relationships. The Washington Post declared that the bill "significantly raises the standard for gay civil rights nationwide" (Ferdinand). The Advocate praised Vermont as "the most forward-thinking state in the nation." (Dean).
Vermonters will proudly tell you that they have always had a "live-and-let-live" state of mind but the prospect of letting homosexuals enter into civil unions sparked intense political controversy. At the time of the bill’s signing, the majority of Vermont voters were against it (Vermont Governor Signs . . .). A backlash campaign called "Take Back Vermont" publicized its slogan on barns, billboards, cars and t-shirts. They vowed that come Election Day, Dean and legislators who had supported the bill, would be voted out of office (Goldberg). Officials received hate mail and had their cars vandalized (Ferdinand) while political graffiti littered Vermont roadsides (Goldberg).
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http://www.jfklibrary.org/pica_essay_winner_2001_dziczek.html
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