From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU
To: ACLU Action Network Members
Date: February 11, 2004
1) Stop the Radical Religious Right from Amending the U.S. Constitution
2) Urge Congress to Oppose Overreaching and Punitive Crime Laws
Spurred by the recent Massachusetts State Supreme Court decision against
discrimination, the Bush Administration and some members of the radical
religious right are aggressively campaigning to amend the U.S. Constitution to
deny the right to marry to same-sex couples in committed relationships. Just
today, the Bush Administration signaled that the President will endorse this
mean-spirited measure.
The Massachusetts ruling recognized that gay and lesbian Americans serve in our
military, keep our communities safe as firefighters and police officers, staff
our hospitals, build our cities and pay taxes. The Massachusetts court ruled
that the state cannot deny to gay couples the same marital legal rights in
pensions, health insurance, hospital visitations and inheritance that other
committed couples enjoy.
The radical religious right wants to write intolerance into the U.S.
Constitution and forbid equality to these citizens. As a nation we have
periodically struggled with the question of marriage -- the last law prohibiting
people from different races from marrying was overturned only 35 years ago --
but we have never taken the step of amending the Constitution to define
marriage. Revising the Constitution to incorporate discrimination is wrong and
should be rejected.
Take Action! Urge your Members of Congress to reject efforts to write
discrimination into the Constitution!
Click here for more information and to send free faxes to your Members of
Congress:
http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=9977&c=101
2) Urge Congress to Oppose Overreaching and Punitive Crime Laws
Less than 18 months after the Senate passed rational and balanced federal
juvenile justice legislation, two Senators have introduced a new punitive bill
that would expand the use of the death penalty and create new ill-defined
crimes.
Under this proposed legislation, people could be convicted and sentenced to
death for ill-defined illegal [base "]participation[per thou] in a [base "]gang,[per thou] which could be as few
as three people. The law[base ']s loose definitions and expansion of the death penalty
would increase the probability that people are wrongly convicted and possibly
even convicted.
This legislation would interfere with the right to a fair trial. Astounding as
it sounds, this measure could also allow people to be given felony convictions
for hanging out with people who later go out and commit a crime.
Take Action! Tell your Senators to oppose this punitive and irrational
legislation.
Click here for more information and to send a free fax to your Senators:
http://www.aclu.org/CriminalJustice/CriminalJustice.cfm?ID=14925&c=15
3:55:15 PM 
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