An Open
Letter to FL Congressman David Jolly
Regarding the reversal of your position on
Homosexual Marriage
Dear
Congressman Jolly,
We
recently learned of the complete reversal of your position on homosexual
marriage from the Washington Post. Please know how profoundly disappointed we
are in this decision.
So many
of us worked, walked, called, gave money and voted to help you get elected and
defeat the liberal Democrat Alex Sink because you personally assured us that
you were a conservative Republican who believed that marriage was between one
man and one woman.
In
church after church, you publicly stated your support for the policy behind
Florida's law and Florida's constitution which clearly defines marriage as the
union of one man and one woman, as over 30 other states have done.
Just
months ago, you told us that you supported a "state's right" to
define marriage which is consistent with the holding of the 2013 U.S. Supreme
Court case of U.S. vs. Windsor -- yet
now you are completely failing to support your own state's law and the
constitutional mandate passed by five million Floridians.
You ran
for office in Florida's Congressional District 13, which is completely
contained within Pinellas County where 54.3% of the voters voted in favor of
marriage being between one man and one woman in 2008.
You ran
for Congress as a member of the Republican Party with a platform clearly
affirming that "marriage, the union
of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard" and
now you have turned your back on this standard.
By
agreeing with the judge's recent ruling in Monroe County, you promote the
fiction that Florida's marriage laws have been declared unconstitutional by
some legitimate authority. The Federal
Courts have clearly not given their final word on this matter and the ruling is
being appealed by Florida's Attorney General.
Even
worse, when you agree with this lower court's opinion, you also agree with his
irresponsible claim that citizens in your district who passed the marriage
amendment were motivated by "animus"
or hatred toward gay-identified persons.
Nothing could be further from the truth or more morally repugnant to us,
as we all affirm the inherent dignity and value of every human being.
We
reject your illusory and false dichotomy between your "personal
views" and "public views" as a legislator as you made no such
distinction during your campaign.
Liberals for years have made the same arguments to deceptively
triangulate on other moral issues.
You
make much of talking about the government having no place protecting the
"sanctity of marriage," which misses the point and is an argument no
one is making.
Your
statements in the Washington Post are
not those of a serious-minded and thoughtful legislator who understands the
state's compelling interest in the economic and social implications inherent
within the institutions of marriage and family.
We are
profoundly disappointed in this announcement and now we can only wonder what
other issues you might change your views on.
Please know that we consider your reversal on this critical issue to be
an act of cowardice and a betrayal to the very persons that worked extremely
hard to get you elected to office.
We call
upon you to publicly apologize for this mistake and hold fast to your original
position that states should define marriage as it has always been, the union of
one man and one woman only. We also
challenge you to not cower to the pressure, demands and intimidation of
homosexual activists. Finally, we exhort
you to be governed not by polls, politics and profits but instead to be
governed by principle and what is in the best interest of children, families
and the common good of society. Your
future as the Congressman representing us in Florida's District 13 is counting
on it.
Respectfully,
your campaign volunteers, financial supporters and constituents:
Regina Brown, Florida Family
Action
Rex Brown, Contractor, Largo
Mark Phillips, Florida Family
Action, Dunedin
John Burgess, Retired, St. Pete
Betsy Burgess, Retited, St.
Pete
Rev. Glenn Pav, Largo
Nancy Davis, Retired, Seminole
Pastor Randy Morris, Seminole
Tom Beckwith, Business Owner
Liddora Beckwith, Seminole
Pastor Anthony McDaniel
Kendra McDaniel, Clearwater
Pastor Duran Carder
Shannon Carder, Largo
Tina Neuhauser, Largo
Anthony Neuhauser, Largo
Rev. David Tristani, St. Pete
Pastor Kyle Mills, Largo
Pastor Garrett Mills,
Clearwater
Pastor Anel Avila
Emily Avila, St Pete
Emily Gibson Walker
Joel Walker, Largo
Laura Works, Largo
Darl Works, Largo
Joanne Neuhauser, Largo
Bruce Bacon
Delane Bacon, Largo
Bronson Oudshoff
Misty Oudshoff, Clearwater
Gery Cuprisin
Dyan Cuprisin, Largo
Mark Kober, Largo
Paula Dorzuk, Largo
James Free
Jackie Free, Largo
Candis Flores, Largo
Joe Cortese
Pam Cortese, Largo
Mike Delana
Jen Delana, Largo
Anthony Utegaard
Leah Utegaard, Largo
Kimberly Joly, Largo
Judith Goldsberry, Clearwater
Stephanie McCaffery, Largo
Randy Carter
Donna Carter, Largo
Markas Bell, Tampa
Douglas Hill
Jennifer Hill, Dunedin
Stew Bottorf
Jean Bottorf, Dunedin
Pastor Curtis Swan, Dunedin
Ronald Curvello
Kristin Curvello, Dunedin
Alexa McDaniel, Largo
Alivia McDaniel
Ann Kennedy, Dunedin
Irene Desouza, Dunedin
Jerod Powers, Duval
Frances Powers, Duval
The Tampa Bay Times coverage of this letter can be found HERE:
The Tampa Bay Times coverage of this letter can be found HERE:
