Colorado (VIII) Congressman Mike Coffman

Today I continue with Congressman Mike Coffman, Republican, representative of Colorado's 6th Congressional District:

Dear Congressman Coffman,

I write seeking your support for a Marriage Equality Amendment that would recognize the right of same-sex couples to marry throughout the nation. Such an amendment would 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." As a newly elected Republican representative you will no doubt be under pressure from your party to support policies diametrically opposed to such a reform. Moreover, your campaign website records your promise to "promote pro-life and pro-family values," which is rhetoric that has typically been associated with the fight against marriage equality. You portrayed yourself as a Republican "maverick" who cherishes independence of thought, however. I thus appeal to that professed independence in urging you to cross party lines in defense of your fellow citizens' rights.

As a Marine Major, you led soldiers in combat in both the first Gulf War and Iraq. You thus know firsthand the nature of individual sacrifice in support of our common values. What value is more fundamental to the American spirit than the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?" And what is more essential to those blessings than the freedom to form families with those we love and cherish? Marriage equality is at the heart of the creed for which you risked your life. As long as millions of Americans are arbitrarily and unjustly denied the 1,138 benefits and protections that flow to married couples under federal law, a state of apartheid will persist in our country that violates the founding spirit of our Republic for which you fought.

I hope that you may be persuaded of the justness and urgency of this campaign. In any case I thank you for your attention on this matter and your service to our country, and extend my best wishes for success in your new office.

Sincerely,

Andrew Meyer