Alabama (III) Congressman Jo Bonner

Today I continue through Alabama's congressional delegation with Congressman Jo Bonner, (422 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515, 202-225-4931), Republican, representative of Alabama's 1st Congressional District (NOTE: Congressman Bonner does not accept emails from non-constituents, out-of-state correspondents will have to contact him by regular post):

Dear Congressman Bonner,

I write to you as a concerned citizen to urge you to change your stance on the issue of same-sex marriage. Your record in the House of Representatives, such as your sponsorship of House Resolution 1946 of the 110th Congress extending recognition to the Mowa Band of the Choctaw Indians or your co-sponsorship of House Concurrent Resolution 273 of the 109th Congress commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott, demonstrates a concern for the protection and promotion of civil rights. Yet you voted in favor of the so-called "Federal Marriage Amendment" that would have stripped same-sex couples of their right to marry the partner of their choice. Indeed, your record on the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens is abysmal. The Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard gives you a score of "eleven (out of 100)" for the 108th Congress and a score of "zero(!)" for the 109th and 110th.

Why, Congressman, are you so responsive to the rights of African and Native Americans and so unconcerned for the plight of millions of Americans being denied their right to marry? I find it bewildering that you would sympathize with Rosa Parks' righteous desire to ride a bus with her fellow citizens but are unmoved by the basic and natural desire of millions of Americans to marry the persons whom they love and cherish. Just as you joined your colleagues in honoring the dignity and courage of Rosa Parks in defying the once unjust and discriminatory laws of your home state of Alabama, Americans in ever-increasing numbers honor the dignity and courage of same-sex couples in building and maintaining families in defiance of the unjust and discriminatory state of our current laws.

If your deed was as good as your word, Congressman, you would join in the struggle to redress the assault upon civil liberties that stems from marriage inequality. Civil rights will only be guaranteed to all Americans when our Constitution is amended to read, "The right to marry shall not be abridged or denied by the United States or any state on account of sex or sexual orientation." You may disagree with the principles that underly such a change to our basic law, but please know that millions of Americans take these rights to be inalienable and inviolable, and will not rest until they are guaranteed to all citizens of our Republic. I urge you to reconsider your stance on this issue, and trust in any case that you shall act conscientiously.

Thank you for your attention, I hope this message finds you well.

Sincerely,

Andrew Meyer