Senator Al DeKruif, bigot and hypocrite

Below is a letter I sent to my Minnesota state senator on May 12, 2011 when I was first extremely riled up at the proposal to place a constitutional ban to outlaw gay marriage on the ballot for the 2012 election. I've never been one to be happy with politics but to see a question regarding the rights of a minority taken up by the increasingly backwards thinking Minnesota GOP makes me nothing short of angry.

Dear Senator DeKruif,

I am taking time to write to you today regarding your recent vote on the bill that places a constitutional question on the 2012 ballot banning same-sex marriage.

I find it appalling that the Minnesota Senate, yourself included, feel it to be necessary to propose a constitutional amendment for an act -- same-sex marriage, civil unions, etc. -- which itself is already not legally recognized in the state of Minnesota. It boggles my mind that a fellow citizen of outstate Minnesota would feel that such an amendment is necessary in a state which seems to pride itself on being forward thinking and accepting of our neighbors. Even voting to allow such a proposal to move forward seems to be both backward thinking and borderline bigoted in nature.

In a time when our state is facing a fiscal crisis, high unemployment, drastic cuts to education and the continuing extinction of the middle class, I am forced to wonder what the logic is behind such a divisive bill being introduced -- much less allowed to proceed forward and land in the hands of voters. Where are the priorities? Is this act simply pandering to the hard core conservative base? Is it about protecting the sanctity of marriage -- so sacred that approximately 50% of "traditional" marriages end in divorce? This sort of rubbish is what gives elected officials like yourself a bad name and makes me wonder what the priorities of government truly are. Shouldn't we be protecting the rights of individuals instead of ensuring that the future rights of a minority of Minnesotans are never allowed to see the light of day?

I hope that further issues such as this one are swiftly shot down in favor of actually fixing our state's shortcomings in education, transit and infrastructure. Again, a potential constitutional amendment prohibiting an act which is already not recognized is redundant and sets our state -- a culturally progressive shining star of the country -- back a number of decades.

Thank you for your time,

[Contact Information redacted]

Even more disgusting to me is that nine days has passed without so much as an automated reply acknowledging the receipt of my letter by a man whose wages my taxes pay. I guess that's what happens when a liar who ran on a platform of job creation votes to allow a question on the ballot which only further strips the rights of a few. Maybe Minnesota State Senator Al DeKruif can add hypocrite to his platform as well.