Kerry: courage when it counted

[Feanorcurufinwe]

The same courage he showed in Vietnam John Kerry has shown on issue after issue important to the gay rights movement.
by David Mixner, Washington Blade

AS I LOOK at the field of candidates still campaigning for the Democratic nomination, I realize how far we have come as a community over the last couple of decades. Almost all of the candidates have mostly good stands on behalf of the GLBT communities, and we have a wealth of good choices. One especially stands out because of his history of courageously standing with us even when it was at great risk to his own political future. That person is Sen. John Kerry.

<snip>

No one moment illustrates his courage on our behalf more than when he stood on the Senate floor in 1996 and was one of only 14 senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act.

Even people like President Clinton and the great former Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone could not bring themselves to oppose this repressive measure. It was a tough and courageous vote for John Kerry, especially since he was in a tough fight for reelection. He rose to the floor of the Senate and spoke eloquently against this legislation with his full personal moral authority. We must never forget that act of bravery.

IF THAT WERE his only moment of courage for us, it almost would be enough. So few people were with us at that difficult time. His unwavering support for equality for the GLBT community and in the fight against HIV/AIDS has been of epic proportions. In his first year in the Senate, John Kerry introduced a bill to extend the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to gay men and lesbians. As a decorated war hero, he was in the forefront in fighting “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” In 1993, he was one of four senators who testified before the Armed Forces Committees for the rights of our community to serve our country in the military. He has been a leader in holding the Pentagon responsible for anti-gay harassment.

More: http://www.washblade.com/2004/2-13/view/columns/kerry.cfm

[pezcore64]

1. lol

"Vietnam John Kerry"

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. Is there

some joke here that I'm not getting? Could you explain it please?

[polpilot]

25. I got it. 'Kerry: courage when it counted' response: lol

What didn't you get?

Dean...The courage to take on the pro-war DLC establishment. Got it?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

37. Well since you are

talking about something else than the message I was responding to, your post is meaningless.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

2. Where did his courage go then?

I mean where was it when he voted for the Iraq War. Where was it when he voted for NCLB. Where was it when he voted for the Patriot Act. Where was it when he voted for the Trillion dollar tax cut. Where was it when he skipped out on the medicaire vote. Where was it?

[nancyharris]

4. You are absolutely correct

that Senator Kerry should be commended on his vote against the DOMA. However I am not so convinced that it took much courage. The bill would pass no matter how he voted and everyone knew at the time that the bill had no teeth. That is why the Republicans are proposing a Constitutional Amendment.

The problem I have is that on one hand he voted against the DOMA yet he is unwilling to support the MSJC ruling on gay marriage. (Even 2 former MA Republican governors support it). One has to ask; why does he not support this historic court ruling that would give both state and federal rights to gay and lesbian couples. I can only conclude that it is an election year and he simply does not have the courage to stand up for what might be perceived as an unpopular position. Fair enough.

But do I want a Democratic nominee that will back down from a civil rights fight because it may be politically difficult. I would much prefer someone like Congressman Kucinich who is not afraid to fight for the rights of those that have been denied.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Cowardice when it really counted.

The IWR vote to support Bush is not going to go away.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. This has been such a winning issue for Dean hasn't it.

:eyes:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. So, you are giving Kerry a pass for voting for the war?

Or, do you agree with Kerry that it's a good thing? After all, what's 20,000 plus dead people so that Kerry can prove that he's "tough on defense"?

Well, "winning" is everything..isn't it?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

10. Im pointing out that the voters recognize that as a false characterization

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. False? He didn't vote for the IWR?

I'm a voter, I don't think that it's a false charecterization. He did vote for the war, which cost over 20,000 lives.

It's just about 20,000 reasons I won't vote for him or Edwards.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. LOL, you actually want to have this debate AGAIN?

I can't imagine that anyone reading this couldn't predict everything the two of us would say.

If anyone doesn't already know the arguments by heart, just do an archive search on "IWR" and "Kerry", lol.

Thanks for the kick. Please vote your conscience.



PS. this thread is about an endorsement of Kerry because of his GBLT record, in case you didn't notice.

[Snivi Yllom]

22. Voters's have not recognized it as a false characterization.

They just seem to have forgotten what was important to them.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

26. Sorry but you are wrong.

Most people just don't agree with Dean, and even when they do they don't think he is the right person to become President.


Belittling the voters won't change the facts.

[zoeyfong]

38. I think you mentioned something about courage... Dean takes the *right*

position on issues; sometimes that's the 'winning' position, sometimes it isn't. It appears that some democrats think that the winning position *is* the right position. That would be the opposite of courage in my book.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

39. Which of Dean's positions

was the *right* one? When he was for or against preemptive war? When he supported Biden-Lugar, or when he actually claimed, in a speech last June, that he voted against IWR? Dean is a career politician who straddled the fence masterfully, but just never knew when to jump off.

[Larkspur]

9. Agree, Kerry doesn't know what political courage is

If the media allows Kerry to be the next Prez, Kerry's first thought after Inaugeration will be how to get himself re-elected. And because of that attitude, Kerry will be a lackluster Prez, just like he was a lackluster senator.

[bigtree]

7. David Mixner abandoned Clinton over principled differences

This is a significant endorsement.

[stickdog]

13. YES!

30 years ago.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

14. Thanks for the kick, Kerry's record of standing up for GBLT rights is long

and consistent.

He was one of the first signers of the Human Rights Campaign pledge not to discriminate in his Senate office, and he has hired numerous lesbians and gay men to leadership positions on his staff.

He is one of six Senate co-sponsors of the legislation that will provide domestic partnership benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees. In 1992, he voted against the amendment that would have forbidden the District of Columbia from extending domestic partnership benefits to its own employees.

Kerry has constantly stated that, “I believe same-sex couples should be allowed the same immigration rights as married couples.” He has voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, for hate crimes legislation, is for civil unions, adoption rights and so many other key votes that are too numerous to name.

JOHN KERRY WAS also a key supporter of the Ryan White Care Act for HIV/AIDS in 1990. He has fought against discrimination of people with HIV/AIDS. He fought to fund research to find a cure and ensure the funds are there for treatment and care.

Kerry is the author of the single largest United States response to the global AIDS pandemic to be signed into law. He understands that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has implications for the life and death of millions around the globe as well as deep implications for our long-term national security.

This man has proven time and time again that he is our champion. He put his political career at risk with his DOMA vote. He is not a recent friend but has been with us for decades.
http://www.washblade.com/2004/2-13/view/columns/kerry.cfm

[nancyharris]

15. If Kerry's record of standing up for GBLT rights is long

Why will he not support gay marriage?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

19. I think you should

vote for DK if you feel that the word 'marriage' is more important than guaranteeing equal rights for everyone.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

33. You are entitled to your opinion, even though it is wrong.

[nancyharris]

35. Sorry

But in no way does Senator Kerry's position "guarantee equal rights for everyone". It does not guarantee equal rights under federal law. This is plain to anyone that looks beyond the populist rhetoric proffered by Senator Kerry. How does Senator Kerry’s position afford equal rights under federal law?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

36. Have you

heard of the 14th Amendment?

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.amendmentxiv.html

[stickdog]

21. Like everything else, he's for it if it helps him realize his ambitions.

Otherwise, how do you explain why he's not for it anymore?

[oasis]

16. Courage is not enough, can Kerry walk on water and cure the common cold?

:eyes:

[Mairead]

17. Kerry has a solid, albeit unexciting, liberal record. But it ended 2 yrs

ago. People are starting to catch on that today's Kerry is not the Kerry of VVAW. They really are.

[indigo32]

18. I'll acknowledge Kerry's GLBT record as much has Kerry supporters

have acknowledge Deans. EOM

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. I will

say that Dean did the right thing in signing the civil unions bill, and he has been courageous in not running away from that.

On the actual issues, as far as I know, Kerry and Dean have the exact same position.

[dsc]

24. to compile that record in Massachusetts isn't that courageous

It is a good record, but it isn't significantly different than Weld's. I honestly don't know that it is different at all from Weld's. Weld was the only opponent he has had since voting against DOMA.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

27. Gay marriage makes Dean 'uncomfortable' - do you feel the same way?

“It makes me uncomfortable, the same as anybody else,” Dean said of gay marriage. “The 4,000-year-old tradition of heterosexual marriage being an institution is something I think you have to respect. I think there are a lot of people in this state who are uncomfortable about the concept of gay marriage.”
http://www.mountainpridemedia.org/jan2000/news_scyes.htm


Early assumptions following the Court’s December 20 decision were that domestic partnership is the only real plan of action. Governor Howard Dean has said on several occasions that he would support domestic partnership legislation, but is uncomfortable with the idea of actual gay marriage. Dean has recently clarified his position, declaring in a radio interview, “I’m against gay marriage.”
http://www.mountainpridemedia.org/feb2000/news_centerstage.htm

I don't understand exactly what Dean means when he say it makes him 'uncomfortable' -- does he lay awake at night fretting about the fact that committed same-sex couples might get married? Why? What is this feeling based on? Kerry, for example, says that marriage is religious and the government should only be in the business of ensuring equal rights and equal protections under the law. That is a stance I understand. But what is this about feeling 'uncomfortable'? To me that sounds like a feeling based on fear - but what is Dean afraid of?

[dsc]

28. Dean publicly threatened to veto a DOMA statute

and didn't amend the constitution to express his discomfort with gay marriage. Kerry is on record as both finding me unfit to marry and considering (depending on the wording) an amendment banning it in his state. I don't care what Dean thinks of gay marriage. I do care what his public policy on gay relationships is.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

29. Dean says gay marriage makes him 'uncomfortable' - a code word.

And we all know what it is a code word for.

[dsc]

Dean no amendment under any circumstances

Kerry amendment if the wording is right. Code words not with standing. I know the difference between amendment and no amendment.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

31. Although Dean is good at pandering, his own words reveal the truth

[Forkboy]

32. So do Kerry's

[Feanorcurufinwe]

34. Which words are you referring to? Link?

:shrug:

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