The Grand-Duchy of Brandonshire - First of a few updates today (I think)

01:14 pm July 6th, 2004




			The Grand-Duchy of Brandonshire - First of a few updates today (I think) Ruminations of a Post-Apocalyptic Nobleman

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droct


	First of a few updates today (I think)
	So my friend Megs (reabhecc) already knows all of this, but I just got a letter from Senator Allen. I had written a few days back to my Senators about the Marriage Amendment (the vote is coming up soon!). My particular political leanings and such led me to encourage them not to vote for this Amendment to take away peoples rights. I was a bit annoyed today when I got this back as a Dear Ms. Brandon: Thank you for contacting me regarding the issue of marriage and a Federal Marriage Amendment. I appreciate your concerns and want my position to be very clear. As a United States Senator, I will support and protect the traditional, common sense definition of marriage in law as only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. While it was my hope that the existing Defense of Marriage Act could accomplish this goal, I believe that recent events and future court decisions indicate that a constitutional amendment is needed to protect the rights of the people in the States to define the institution of marriage. To that end, I will vote for a Marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution when the Senate considers one in July. Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. If you would like to receive an e-mail newsletter about my initiatives to improve America, please sign up on my website (http://allen.senate.gov). It is an honor to serve you in the United States Senate, and I look forward to working with you to make Virginia and America a better place to live, learn, work and raise a family. With warm regards, I remain Sincerely, Senator George Allen . So I decided to write back. I understand that Senators offices are pretty busy, but I was a bit annoyed with the fact that the Senator's office had simply sent back a form letter, obviously without having looked at all at what I had written. Here is what I wrote back: Dear Senator Allen, Thank you for ignoring my concerns completely. I cannot believe you plan to vote for an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to take away peoples rights, and limit States rights, simply because you have an irrational fear of anyone who is in any way different from yourself. In the future I will never, ever, vote for you, and I will encourage everyone that I know to do the same. Sincerely, Your constituent, Stephen Brandon I realize some of you may not agree with my political leanings on this issue, and thats fine, diversity of opinion is a good thing. But I do feel pretty strongly about it, and really won't vote for Senator Allen again if he does in fact vote for this amendment. If you are so inclined I would encourage all of you to write to your Senators about the issue. You can do so here pretty easily.

21 comments or Leave a comment


	Comments

From: amoenus	Date: July 6th, 2004 10:20 am (UTC)		(Link)

very nice.

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	From: davextreme	Date: July 6th, 2004 10:26 am (UTC)		(Link)

I got the same letter. My response:

Dear Senator Allen:

Thank you for responding to my letter. I appreciate your willingness
to maintain an open dialog with those you represent.

As your constituent, I feel it is my obligation to inform you of my
opinions on various matters. Your job in the United States Senate is
to represent the wishes of the Virginians who put you in office. I do
not support any bill or amendment that seeks to explicitly limit
marriage to a man and a woman. Marriage should be available to anyone
who wants one regardless of lifestyle choice. To limit it in any way
would be discrimination.

If you continue to support any "Defense of Marriage" act you will lose
my vote in all future elections.

Thank you,

David Ely

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	From: droct	Date: July 6th, 2004 10:39 am (UTC)		(Link)

Your responce was probably a bit more well thought out, and will probably be a bit more effective, so I'm glad you wrote it. I was really just annoyed, probably should have waited a bit and written back later.
Anyway I'll wait to hear back from Senator Warner, and would encourage all of you to write things a bit more like what Dave has written here.
(I did think mine was kind of funny though)

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	From: davextreme	Date: July 6th, 2004 10:45 am (UTC)		(Link)

I'm not sure that emotional appeals aren't good, too.

They key point is: hey, your job is to represent our beliefs — here's what they are.

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From: (Anonymous)	Date: July 6th, 2004 11:22 am (UTC)		(Link)
And my response to Senator Allen

I was also annoyed with his email response form...I chose to appeal with states rights

Dear Senator Allen,

Thank you for your reply stating your position. As your constituent,
I feel it important to understand the positions of those representing
me and my fellow Virginians. Due to your disregard of states' rights
on this issue, I will not be voting for you to continue representing
my interests in any future elections.

With warm regards,
Katherine H.
Arlington, VA

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	From: ediblemouse	Date: July 6th, 2004 10:27 am (UTC)		(Link)

wow stephen! thanks for doing this. of course I agree. I have not written yet but this encourages me to do so. The vote on the amendment is on July 15 so I hope some others will write too!

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	From: reabhecc	Date: July 6th, 2004 11:14 am (UTC)		(Link)

write back! write back! I want to flood his mailbox with angry responses!

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	From: ediblemouse	Date: July 6th, 2004 11:24 am (UTC)		(Link)

Do you think it does any good to email senators that aren't your senators. Should I just stick to Allen and Warner.

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	From: droct	Date: July 6th, 2004 12:03 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Hey, by the way I'm sorry didn't get over there to help with moving yesterday. I accidentily slept in pretty late, and was then informed by my parents of several tasks I was to complete that day around the house. I really need to be more careful with setting my alarm (I just switched it to 24 hour time, so I won't have to worry about the am/pm conversion).
As for writing senators... I'm not sure. I'm personally going to stick with mine I think, but encourage people I know in other states to write their senators.

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	From: ediblemouse	Date: July 6th, 2004 12:31 pm (UTC)		(Link)

That's ok that you couldn't make it over. I had a small army and it went relatively quick. ah sleep, how I could use some of that right now.

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From: spirallingtime	Date: July 6th, 2004 10:41 am (UTC)		(Link)

Yeah, that sucks. I'm getting really irritated with politicians in general. I wrote to Sen. Warner (two or three times...) about the renewal of the '94 AWB, and his letters back were pandering crap, especially as he went on to CO-SPONSOR a bill attempting to renew and strengthen it.

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	From: kelarskye	Date: July 6th, 2004 11:25 am (UTC)		(Link)
	Yay!

Haha! Looks like I am in good company. OK, I am now extra motivated to finish composing my reply e-mail to Mr. Allen and send it off.

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	From: 00101010	Date: July 6th, 2004 11:35 am (UTC)		(Link)

I got the same form letter. My reply simply restated that I opposed the amendment and that I would not be voting for him in the future.

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	From: allplainstapped	Date: July 6th, 2004 01:24 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Thanks for directing me to this site. I decided to skip waiting for the response and sent him this:

I've seen the form letter response from my friends. I will not be voting for you if I receive the same, nor will anyone whom I can persuade.

Good luck, you're going to need it.

Probably not effective, but screw him. He's a douche.

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	From: droct	Date: July 6th, 2004 01:37 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	Anyone else notice this sentence?

"I believe that recent events and future court decisions indicate that a constitutional amendment is needed to protect the rights of the people in the States to define the institution of marriage."
Does Allen have a time machine? Or maybe some sort of judicial prediction device? I think this warrants investigation.

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From: ninjacowboy37	Date: July 6th, 2004 02:14 pm (UTC)		(Link)

The only decent response I've ever gotten from a congressman was from John McCain...it was very sincere, and the delay it took makes me think he personally worte it, or at least approved it.

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	From: ediblemouse	Date: July 6th, 2004 02:23 pm (UTC)		(Link)

I got a nice letter from H. R. Clinton that was personal enough to make me think she wrote or approved it. Then again, I gave a good donation to her campaign. Congress members are bought, not pursuaded.

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	From: droct	Date: July 6th, 2004 02:43 pm (UTC)		(Link)

What did you write him about?

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From: ninjacowboy37	Date: July 6th, 2004 02:48 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Back in high school after I just got into the Naval Academy I wrote him a letter about joining the Navy and how my grandpa flew the same planes he did in Nam.

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	From: droct	Date: July 6th, 2004 04:33 pm (UTC)		(Link)

Oh wow, thats pretty cool.

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	From: crushed7	Date: July 6th, 2004 04:42 pm (UTC)		(Link)
	i just said what y'all said

THIS IS MY FIRST LETTER TO A MEMBER OF GOVERNMENT, AND I AM UPSET THAT IT WILL PRESUMABLY BE IGNORED, PROBABLY BE UNREAD, AND THAT I WILL MOST LIKELY RECEIVE A FORM LETTER IN RESPONSE. THAT IS A SHAME.

etc. it's not really my first letter but whatever, added punch, perhaps.

along with saying i am frightened, upset, and uncomfortable having him represent me

on an extraordinary light and probably inappropriate note, i had an american friend in china who told me her (american) boyfriend once wrote a letter to the chinese ambassador in the US. This was right after a US plane had gone down in China and it and the crew were being held by the Chinese. The boyfriend was 19. In some PAINT program on the computer he made a (3 year old's) sketchy drawing of an airplane and in big block childish letters wrote DEAR CHINA, PLEASE GIVE US BACK OUR PLANE. FROM, BOBBY.

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