Friday, June 18, 2010

Day 169- A dangerous letter

Dear Mr. President,

Maybe it's a silly thing to feel personally connected to, but, as some one who bothers your office with daily letters, I was especially horrified to learn about the New York woman's letter to you, which resulted in her husband's arrest. I think it's a frightening precedent to set, allowing the people who write to you asking for help to be tracked down and arrested based on their letters. I hope that her husband is allowed to stay in this country, though I recognize that the enforcement of immigration laws isn't something you handle personally.

On the topic of immigration, I was pleased to learn of the Justice Department's lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law. I think, even if the suit is unsuccessful, it send the right message to say that the federal government does not approve of the draconian measures being taken. I think it also shows that your administration has the courage of its convictions, are are willing to take politically unpopular positions when its the right thing to do.

I recently read a New York Times column about marriage equality that cited an interesting fact. Apparently, a full year after it was legalized by the courts, one 20% of American approved of interracial marriage. This seemed shocking to me, both that the approval of what is now a commonplace activity was so low, and also that the issue was taken up in the face of overwhelming public opinion. That kind of courage seems to be lacking from politics these days, when 47% of the population approves of marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples, to no end. To me, this only confirms a long-held belief that the opinion of the majority is not a sacred thing when it calls for the oppression of others. It seems like polling dictates what is possible for politicians these days, which undermines our elected officials as leaders. I think the administration's action against Arizona's law, which may have popular support, especially among conservatives, demonstrates that you haven't completely put opinion polls before defending civil liberties. So thank you, for that.

Respectfully yours,

Kelsey

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