Vote 'NO' on IL-SB1716 Civil Unions Bill

Sent to: Pat Quinn (D-IL), James F. Clayborne Jr. (D-IL 57th), Thomas Holbrook (D-IL 113th)

I urge you to vote "NO" on the 'Civil Unions' bill (SB1716). Please inform me of your position on this bill before casting a vote.

Section 10 of this bill states that any partner in a civil union shall be legally considered a "spouse" and "family." Proponents of this bill are trying to redefine the very meaning of marriage and family

Voters in 31 states have rejected the redefinition of marriage and family at the ballot box. The people in Illinois are no different.

Cardinal Francis George and the Catholic Conference of Illinois issued a strong statement in a press release last week saying that "the public understanding of marriage will be negatively affected by passage of a bill that ignores the natural fact that sexual complementarity is at the core of marriage."

Civil union legislation would force employers to grant registered same-sex cohabiters the benefits currently provided for spouses of married employees.

Such legislation undermines the unique position which marriage holds in our society as the foundation of the family.

It also will cost taxpayers to add unrelated persons to health insurance coverage for public employees and as dependents under workers compensation benefits.

And it will force employee benefit costs to rise in the private sector.

Additionally, based on experience with the impact of such legislation in other states, this corruption of Illinois's official treatment of marriage will likely lead to mandates on schools to teach quasi-spousal relationships as equivalent to marriage.

This legislation will also open the floodgates to discrimination and civil rights lawsuits. Religious liberty and freedom of conscience will diminish for Illinois residents.

SB-1716 is a jobs killer and an added burden for taxpayers. It will negatively affect our state's moral climate and our children's understanding of the family.

OPPOSE efforts to repeal DADT

In response to news that the lame duck session of congress are planning a vote on DADT after Thanksgiving.


I urge you to OPPOSE any efforts to repeal the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy in the military.

The existing policy rightly limits behavior in the interest of maintaining good order and discipline.

It is NOT a "civil rights" issue, but an effort to use our military to further political agendas.

Individuals from all persuasions, preferences, and backgrounds are already able to serve honorably in the military. This policy applies equally to all members and is supported by the vast majority of our all volunteer force as well as veterans.

Please take a stand for what is right and OPPOSE any legislation that would weaken or repeal the current military policy on sexual behavior.

Amazon.com selling pedophilia

Last week outrage spread across America at the news your company was selling a book promoting pedophilia. Now I learn that MSNBC has reported that Amazon is selling sexualized, nude images of girls as young as 11 years old in books and videos depicting pre-pubescent Eastern European and Asian girls.

I, and millions of others, find the sale of such materials reprehensible and abhorrent!

No responsible corporate citizen would sell such disgusting material or condone the sexual abuse of children. And while Amazon may claim to not support or promote criminal acts, by providing this material that is exactly what your company is doing!

I understand that this is not the first time Amazon has offered materials promoting illegal activity. Until you cease offering material that condones criminal sexual conduct and retract your statement rationalizing the sale of such, I in good conscience will not do business with Amazon and I’ll encourage others to join me. I urge you to recognize the harm such material can do to individual lives and ask that you put the welfare of vulnerable children ahead of profit or policy. Please do what is right and remove such materials from your site. I look forward to your response.

Your Advertisement On Glee

As a consumer, I desire to support companies that are not actively working to oppose my value system. The television program a company chooses to advertise on speaks volumes as to whether or not I choose to buy that product or patronize that business.

And so, as a potential customer, I am contacting you to let you know how troubled I am by your sponsorship of the show Glee on FOX Broadcasting. A quick survey of just one episode will confirm that the values expressed in this program are diametrically opposed to the values held by the majority of your customers.

Instead of offering positive role models for its millions of young viewers, Glee teaches teens a course in illicit sexuality. From the Britney Spears episode filled with explicit erotica to the most recent sex-themed episode, young people are given the message that casual sex is meaningless and consequence free. Our youth are paying the physical and emotional price of these lies – lies your company is sponsoring.

Glee creator Ryan Murphy has made it clear of his agenda to push illicit sexuality on our youth as he stated:

It is tough to get that sexual point of view across on television. Hopefully I have made it possible for somebody on broadcast television to do a rear-entry scene in three years. Maybe that will be my legacy.

I urge you to pull support from this concerning program and use your corporate influence in ways that build up, not tear down, our society, exercising greater care in the ideas and content you promote. I look forward to your response.