HJR 6 is a measure to amend the Texas constitution by banning gay marriages. It also bans civil unions and any other "marriage-like" state. Houston rep Senfronia Thompson gave an awesome speech on the house floor. ------------------------------------------------- HJR 6 Speech -- Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) I have been a member of this august body for three decades, and today is one of the all-time low points. We are going in the wrong direction, in the direction of hate and fear and discrimination. Members, we all know what this is about, this is the politics of divisiveness at its worst, a wedge issue that is meant to divide. Members, this issue is a distraction from the real things we need to be working on. At the end of this session, this Legislature, this Leadership will not be able to deliver the people of Texas, fundamental and fair answers to the pressing issues of our day. Let's look at what this amendment does not do: It does not give one Texas citizen meaningful tax relief. It does not reform or fully fund our education system. It does not restore one child to CHIP, who was cut from health insurance last session. It does not put one dime into raising Texas' Third World access to health care. It does not do one thing to care for or protect one elderly person or one child in this state. In fact, it does not even do anything to protect one marriage. Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. I know something about hate and fear and discrimination. When I was a small girl, white folks used to talk about "protecting the institution of marriage" as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to marry people of Mr. Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my color hanging from a tree. That's what the white folks did back then to "protect marriage." Fifty years ago, white folks thought inter-racial marriages were a "threat to the institution of marriage." Members, I'm a Christian and a proud Christian. I read the good book, and do my best to live by it. I have never read the verse where it says, "gay people can't marry." I have never read the verse where it says, "though shalt discriminate against those not like me." I have never read the verse where it says, "let's base our public policy on hate and fear and discrimination." Christianity to me is love and hope and faith and forgiveness-not hate and discrimination. I have served in this body a lot of years-and I have seen a lot of promises broken. I should be up here demanding my 40 acres and a mule because that's another promise you broke. You used a wealthy white minister cloaked in the cloth to ease the stench of that form of discrimination. So, now that blacks and women can vote, and now that blacks and women have equal rights-you turn your hatred to homosexuals- and you still use your misguided reading of the Bible to justify your hatred. You want to pass this ridiculous amendment so you can go home and brag…brag about what? Declare that you saved the people of Texas from what? Persons of the same sex cannot get married in this State now. Texas does not now recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, religious unions, domestic partnerships, contractual arrangements or Christian blessings entered into in this State- or anywhere else on this planet Earth. If you want to make your hateful political statements then that is one thing- the Chisum amendment does real harm. It repeals the contracts that many single people have paid thousands of dollars to purchase to obtain medical powers of attorney, powers of attorney, hospital visitation, joint ownership and support agreements. You have lost your way- this is obscene. Today, you are playing to the lowest common denominator- you are putting aside the real issues of substance that we need to address so that you can instead play on the public's fears and prejudices to deceive and manipulate voters into thinking that we have done something important. I realize that gay rights are not the same as civil rights-but I can guarantee you we are going in the wrong direction. I can not hide my skin color. In fact, in most of the South, people as pink as Rep. Wayne Smith were still Black by law if they had a great grandparent who was African. I was unable to attend an integrated and equally funded school until I got my Master of Laws degree. There were separate and unequal facilities for nearly everything. I got second-hand textbooks even worse than the kind you're trying to pass off on every public school student next year. I had to ride to school on the back of the bus. I had to quench my thirst from filthy coloreds-only drinking fountains. I had to enter restaurants from the kitchen door. I was banned from entering most public accommodations, even from serving on a jury. I had to live with the fear that getting too uppity could get you killed --- or worse. I know what third-class citizenship feels like. In my first term, one of my colleagues walked up and down this aisle muttering about how Nigras should be back in the field picking cotton instead of picking out committees. So, I have to wonder about Rep. Chisum's 3/5 of a person amendment. Some of you folks hid behind your Bible then, too, to justify your cultural prejudices, your denial of liberty, and your gunpoint robbery of human dignity. We have worked hard at putting our prejudices against homosexuals in law. We have denied them basic job protections. We have denied them and their children freedom from bullying and harassment at school. We have tried to criminalize their very existence. But, we have also absolved them of all family duties and responsibilities: to care for and support their spouses and children, to count their family's assets in determining public assistance, to obtain health insurance for dependents, to make end-of-life or necessary medical decisions for their life partners---sometimes even to visit in the hospital, even to defend our own country. And then, we can stand on our two hind legs and proclaim, "See, I told you homosexual families are unstable." And nearly every one of you on this Floor has a homosexual in their extended families. Some of you have shunned and isolated these family members. Some of you, even some of the joint coauthors, have embraced them within your own family for the essence of Christianity is love. Yet,you are now poised to constitutionalize discrimination against a particular class of people. I thought we would be debating real issues: education, health care for kids, teacher's health insurance, health care for the elderly, protecting survivors of sexual assault, protecting the pensions of seniors in nursing homes. I thought we would be debating economic development, property tax relief, protecting seniors pensions and stem cell research, to save lives of Texans who are waiting for a more abundant life. Instead we are wasting this body's time with this political stunt that is nothing more than constitutionalizing discrimination. The prejudices exhibited by members of this body disgust me. Last week, Republicans used a political wedge issue to pull kids-sweet little vulnerable kids- out of the homes of loving parents and put them back in a state orphanage just because those parents are gay. That's disgusting. Today, we are telling homosexuals that just like people of my ilk, when I was a small child, they too are second class citizens. I have listened to all the arguments. I have listened to all of the crap. Mr. Chisum, is a person who I consider my good friend and revere. But, I want you to know that this amendment are blowing smoke to fuel the hell-fire flames of bigotry. You are trying to protect your constituents from danger. This amendment is a CYB amendment for you to go home and talk about. -------------------------------- As if the Lege doesn't have enough real problems to worry about...
Awesome speech. I wish she represented my district. Instead, we have this pathetically spineless individual.
Could you toss out the race card a few more times, Senfronia? The people of Texas do not agree with your stance on this. Sorry.
There aren't any amendments against murder. it's not legal either. Maybe we need an amendment against that or childmolesting. or an amendment against casinos or dogs being able to marry?
They want to get it into the constitution before the tide of 'judicial activism' hits Texas and some judges find that barring gays from marriage is uncostitutional, as judges have in other states.
People in Texas were for segregation and "seperate but eaqual" once upon a time, too. The parallel to the treatment of blacks is an accurate and meaningful one. This is about bigotry, this is about suppressing and discriminating against innocent people and using the law to make them second-class citizens.
Not to change the subject, but a serious question for you people: How many intelligent people do you know whose name is "Senfronia"? Thankfully she does not represent my district.
Not to change the subject, but a serious question for you people:the Rockets are in the playoffs now. How many people are arguing about "sefronia" when the Rox are in the playoffs??? C'mon!
Not to change the subject, but a serious question for you people: How many intelligent people do you know whose name is "Senfronia"? TJ TJ, the Republican tool, demonsrates one of the key constituencies in the GOP of the old Confederacy.
Yum -- race baiting (again)... and to follow up an inspiring, morally-centered speech from a dignified public servant. What a BBS! Huzzah!
Oh please, I have no clue what this woman(?)'s race is. Nor do I care. Judging by her speech, she's a fool.
So you read her speech close enough to come to the conclusion that she's a fool, but you didn't pick up on the fact that she's black. Rice must have really gone downhill since my sister graduated.
Let’s see one poster said she over played the race card. Another said he had no idea what race she is. ????? humm? She must be a fool however because she doesn't support an amendment that does nothing but promotes hate and fear. People are more scared of two people of the same sex getting married than the fact that republicans have sold out the environment, (by the way every hunting organization in America also opposed bush because he sold out hunters to the logging industry by taking away lands that hunters could hunt on so they could be logged), brought big brother to heights that would make a ruthless dictator proud, has gas prices twice as high as when bush took office (of course everyone knows bush and a lot the top republican is this administration came for the Oil business), and has the economy in the toilet. Now they fight for an esAmendments that do nothing but pray on peoples fears, and accomplishs nothing, and you love them for it.
Please back up your ridiculous claims. This partisan rhetoric might go over great on the moveon.org or the craigslist politics board, but the rest of us grounded in reality recognize them as lies and exaggerations. The economy is in the toilet? Wrong. Every hunting organization opposed Bush? Prove it. The republicans have sold out the environment? Laughable rhetoric. Your credibility is on the line. Back up your claims.
Do other laws that define marriage promote hate and fear of those excluded by said laws, i.e. does a minimum age for marriage promote hate for those who are under marrying age?
I don't think you'll actually read this stuff because I don't feel you are receptive to views other than your own. You will just mock a sight or a paper so you can right it off and believe what you want. http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-01-27-jans_x.htm Dale Bosworth, chief of the Forest Service, received a petition from the Northern Sportsmen Network of Juneau, Alaska. It was signed by 470 gun clubs from across the USA, 40 of them based in President Bush's home state of Texas. There are many more just learn about that google thing. This quote is not showing your good side. GW is the worst environmental president ever. Reagan had always been the whipping boy but bush makes him to look like a green peace activist. Here is one where even republicans blast bush. http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/4981686.html Several Republican conservationists criticized the Bush administration Tuesday for weak enforcement of air pollution laws, rollbacks in wetland protection, broken promises on global climate change and a misguided approach to energy. Russell Train, head of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Nixon and Ford administrations, called President Bush's environmental policies an "abomination." "As a lifelong Republican, I find the Bush administration's attack on the environment profoundly disturbing," Train said. "It has tarnished the environmental legacies of Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and this president's father, George H.W. Bush." Train, who served as chairman of Conservationists for Bush in the senior Bush's 1988 campaign for president, said that his party has become radical, not conservative, in terms of environmental protection. "Sadly, the Bush administration decided to promote the interests of its polluting campaign contributors from the energy, mining and timber industries over the interests of common citizens," he said. Evan Rice, Minnesota coordinator for REP America, a national grass-roots organization of Republicans for Environmental Protection, said that air and water quality are too important to swing on a pendulum every four years, attached to a political party or to a liberal or conservative label. Referring to the red states that vote Republican and blue states that go Democratic, Rice said that "our 'red' and 'blue' Americas drink from the same well and breathe the same fall air." For the whole dirty story, go here for every year of his presidency. http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2001.asp http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2002.asp http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2003.asp http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2004.asp http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/2005.asp Economy. So many indicators. We I guess I don't have to prove gas prices do I? The Market? Well here is just a sight that backs up that the market has fallen roughly 800 points in less than two months. http://www.thespotlite.net/dow30btm.htm By the way, that's bad. Interest rates are the highest in they have been in a couple of years. You can look that one up yourself. Here is an honest assessment of the us economy. http://www.axcessnews.com/business_042805a.shtml
