My new state senator, Shawn Mitchell
In a few months I will be moving into a new district. If my reading of the map is correct, my new state senator will be Republican Shawn Mitchell.
Now, I have been tough on Mitchell before. I was surprised when I saw him on the morning news, appearing to speak out in favor of gay rights.
As you may suspect, the truth isn't quite so simple. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Mitchell is backing a Focus On The Family-supported bill to grant domestic partners some legal rights. Like property sharing, decision-making powers over funerals and organ donations, and joint healthcare insurance.
These are all good things. But the bill doesn't address some key issues. "Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, the House sponsor of the domestic partnership bill, said Mitchell's bill does not address legal concerns of same-sex couples, such as child support, workers compensation benefits and the ability to sue for wrongful death of a partner."
"'It's ironic that a legislator who has worked his whole career to prevent legal recognition of same-sex relationships now supports them,' said Michael Brewer, public policy director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Colorado."
Too bad. For a second there, it looked like I might have found common ground with my state senator-to-be.
Now, I have been tough on Mitchell before. I was surprised when I saw him on the morning news, appearing to speak out in favor of gay rights.
As you may suspect, the truth isn't quite so simple. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Mitchell is backing a Focus On The Family-supported bill to grant domestic partners some legal rights. Like property sharing, decision-making powers over funerals and organ donations, and joint healthcare insurance.
These are all good things. But the bill doesn't address some key issues. "Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, the House sponsor of the domestic partnership bill, said Mitchell's bill does not address legal concerns of same-sex couples, such as child support, workers compensation benefits and the ability to sue for wrongful death of a partner."
"'It's ironic that a legislator who has worked his whole career to prevent legal recognition of same-sex relationships now supports them,' said Michael Brewer, public policy director of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Colorado."
Too bad. For a second there, it looked like I might have found common ground with my state senator-to-be.
2 Comments:
The only common ground between you and shawn is...difficult to think of any. I don't think there is any commonality, of any type.
You say that Michael Brewer speaks out against Sen. Mitchell because he has changed part of his approach to homosexual rights. Well isn't that what learning and growing is all about? Isn't that what persuasion and the gay rights activists are all about doing? So it has taken Sen. Mitchell time to change his views, but it isn't really about him. As a politician and a legislater, only a part of any decision are his own true feelings. Sen. Mitchell had and continues to have to consider and apply what his constituents believe. So if the majority of his district, in polls or however he gathers information, tells him that they are anti-homosexual rights, well as much as he may or may not agree with it, he has to think of what they want. He is a representative of the people and speaks for his district of people in the government. So don't lay all this hate on him. He can learn and more to the point the people he can represent can grow and change. He is human. I have met him on numerous occasions and he is a decent person who truely cares about this country and the people of Colorado.
So grow up an give him some slack.
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