Kucinich supporters and/or LGBT activists, help me with this letter:

[rbnyc]

Please help me with this letter. I'm especially looking for any missed grammer issues. Thanks very much:

Open Letter to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Leaders in New York City Regarding Dennis J. Kucinich

Dear friends and neighbors, (should friends and neighbors be capitalized? better greeting?)

This year our right to vote in party primaries for city elections was threatened. Democrats in New York City’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities were at the heart of the movement to educate and organize voters against this initiative, question 3 on November 4th’s ballot. LGBT activists demonstrated a profound understanding of the importance of party primaries. When I spoke with community leaders at a “No on 3” rally the Sunday before election day, people told me that voting in party primaries in one of the most important ways in which they express their needs and values to party leaders, and that supporting the most progressive candidates during party primaries is an indispensable tool for elevating under-represented issues and broadening the mainstream debate.

As an activist, working for LGBT issues for over 15 years, I’ve had many opportunities to talk to members of local Democratic clubs and other LGBT Democrats. While most people are concerned with LGBT-specific issues such as the right to marry and equal protections for LGBT families, overwhelmingly I am told that a primary concern is in moving the party to the left.

Now is the time that many LGBT Democratic clubs are deciding whom to endorse and many individuals are deciding whom to support among the nine declared candidates for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America. Understanding that primary elections are a critical vehicle for expressing our truest values and hopes for the direction of the party, the questions to ask are these:

· Who is the most progressive candidate?

· Who demonstrates the most comprehensive understanding of issues that directly impact LGBT individuals and families?

· Which candidate sends the clearest message to party leadership that we are not ashamed of being liberal, that party values grow from the bottom up, and are not to be imposed from the top down?

· Which candidate is the best positioned to reverse the anti-democratic trend of the Bush Administration, to repeal the unconstitutional PATRIOT Act, champion the interests of people over the interests of corporations and promote the values of social and economic justice, all issues that the LGBT community has worked so hard to advance?

The answer is Congressman, Dennis J. Kucinich.

Dennis Kucinich understands the importance of Federal civil rights legislation to protect lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and people of transgender experience, so that all individuals have equal rights and equal protections from state to state. Dennis Kucinich is a proponent of gay marriage. Dennis Kucinich will protect our families by supporting adoption rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and people of all gender identities. Dennis Kucinich will not leave people of transgender experience behind, and understands the importance of including language that extends to all gender identities in any legislation that addresses LGBT rights.

Beyond the fact that Dennis Kucinich has the most dignified, inclusive, and far-reaching platform on LGBT issues of the nine candidates competing for your support, Dennis Kucinich is also the best representative of other issues dear to our communities.

LGBT activists have been an important part of the anti-war movement. For example, after September 11th, 2001, one of the city’s largest anti-war groups (co-founded by lesbian film director, Maria Maggenti) had its birth at the LGBT Community Center in Greenwich Village. In the dark and sorrowful aftermath of the attacks, this group spoke out against military aggression; this group spoke out against the PATRIOT Act, which has imperiled our Bill of Rights; this group spoke out against the mistreatment of hundreds of immigrants being held without bond. It took great courage to speak out at that time, against a massive tide of blind and reflexive patriotism, when so many of our Democratic leaders were silent. But we were not alone. Dennis Kucinich spoke out as well. He voted against the PATRIOT Act, loudly opposed Bush’s doctrine of preemption, and understood—as many LGBT activists understood--that while terrorists may threaten lives and property, the threat to Democracy comes from the Bush Administration and the true patriot’s duty is to fight it. His “Prayer for America” was widely circulated and gave courage to so many of us. Perhaps you remember being heartened by these words, as I was:

"To promote the common defense" is one of the formational principles of America. Our Congress gave the President the ability to respond to the tragedy of September the Eleventh. We licensed a response to those who helped bring the terror of September the Eleventh. But we the people and our elected representatives must reserve the right to measure the response, to proportion the response, to challenge the response, and to correct the response.

Because we did not authorize the invasion of Iraq.

We did not authorize the invasion of Iran.
We did not authorize the invasion of North Korea.
We did not authorize the bombing of civilians in Afghanistan.
We did not authorize permanent detainees in Guantanamo Bay.
We did not authorize the withdrawal from the Geneva Convention.
We did not authorize military tribunals suspending due process and habeas corpus.
We did not authorize assassination squads.
We did not authorize the resurrection of COINTELPRO.
We did not authorize the repeal of the Bill of Rights.
We did not authorize the revocation of the Constitution.
We did not authorize national identity cards.
We did not authorize the eye of Big Brother to peer from cameras throughout our cities.
We did not authorize an eye for an eye.
Nor did we ask that the blood of innocent people, who perished on September 11, be avenged with the blood of innocent villagers in Afghanistan.
We did not authorize the administration to wage war anytime, anywhere, anyhow it pleases.
We did not authorize war without end.
We did not authorize a permanent war economy.

I remember how grateful I was to hear these words coming out of congress at that time. I didn’t know that much about Dennis Kucinich then. I eventually discovered that it was entirely characteristic of Dennis to stand up for the interests of the people at times when it is both most difficult and most necessary.

I’m so privileged to be a part of this great community. If you know me, you know that I’m a person who cares deeply about what I contribute to the community and considers deeply where I invest my work and my efforts. I’ve written this letter to share with you the tremendous worth and worthiness I see in Dennis J. Kucinich. I hope you will spend some time learning more about him. I hope you will discover, as I did, that Dennis Kucinich is the best candidate to represent our interests, to represent us.

Please visit www.kucinich.us .

Sincerely

René Bouchard

EDIT: typo

[La_Serpiente]

1. As a gay person

I think it is an awesome letter. Although you tie in Kucinich's support for his recorded stances on the peace movement with gay rights, try to also explain some things that show Kucinich as being open to gays and lesbians. Has he ever sponsored any legislation in Congres? Has he won any awards from GLBT groups?

I am sure the GLBT activists KNOW that Kucinich is the most progressive and liberal candidate there is and that he supports Gay marriage. However, if they are talking to their audiences, they may want to provide them with a record of what he did and what his current platform is.

Just a little thought.

Other than that, Have a nice day :-) :bounce:

[rbnyc]

2. cool, thanks.

I'll investigate.

:)

[dpbrown]

3. Some suggestions

First sentence might be more powerful if written in a more active sense, something like:

"Our right to vote in party primaries for city elections was threatened this year."

Depending on how much emphasis you want to give it, you could put "very" in front of "right" or "for the first time" after "year."

The phrase in the first paragraph:

"voting in party primaries in one of the most important ways" the word before "one" should probably be "is"

In the points about the candidate and elsewhere, I suggest the use of USAPATRIOT Act instead of merely PATRIOT Act, because it's an acronym (I actually write it U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act when I write it, because that shows how fake the name is). Just a style point.

Take out the comma before Dennis in "Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich" and if you're seeking to make it a little more dramatic, put a hyphen in before "Congressman"

In the bit about the speech “Prayer for America”you could use the adjective "prescient" something like this:

"His prescient and powerful speech, "A Prayer for America," given February 17, 2002, was widely circulated and gave courage to so many of us."

I believe "Congress" is capitalized when it refers to the US Congress - in your paragraph right after Dennis' speech quote.

Beautiful letter, René.

Dan Brown
Saint Paul, Minnesota

[rbnyc]

5. awesome suggestions

thanks!

[redqueen]

4. A few small things.

· Which candidate sends the clearest message to party leadership that we are not ashamed of being liberal, that party values grow from the bottom up, and that these values are not to be imposed from the top down?

(the previous 'that's require the agreement of the last phrase)

· Which candidate is the best positioned to reverse the anti-democratic trend of the Bush Administration, to repeal the unconstitutional PATRIOT Act, and to champion the interests of people over the interests of corporations and promote the values of social and economic justice -- all issues that the LGBT community has worked so hard to advance?

He voted against the PATRIOT Act, loudly opposed Bush’s doctrine of preemption, and understood -- as many LGBT activists understood -- that while terrorists may threaten lives and property, the threat to Democracy comes from the Bush Administration and the true patriot’s duty is to fight it.


Sorry if these changes seem nitpicky. I'm a former technical writer so I tend to notice very itty bitty thing. :)

Great letter! Have you consider putting his ten key positions paper in there with it, kind of as an introduction of sorts? Just an idea...

Thanks for your efforts in spreading the word! :D

:yourock:

[rbnyc]

6. Great!

Little things are very important. Thanks so much for taking the time with this letter.

:)