Letters to the Editor US Statesmen Thu, 22 Mar 2007 The article “Live Free, or Die” in your last issue begins by saying the US Constitution was “written by the rebellious and officially unrecognized statesmen of an unborn nation.” I beg to differ: The Constitution was written in 1787. Some say the nation was born with the July, 1776 Declaration of Independence. Those of us born in the Great State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (motto: we may be the smallest, but we have the biggest name) know the nation was born even earlier, when visionary revolutionaries (or, as some call them, notorious smugglers) lured the British revenue cutter HMS Gaspee aground on the shores of Narragansett Bay and burnt it to the waterline. That was in June, 1772, just down the street from my brother’s house in Warwick. Also note: France signed the Treaty of Amity with the United States of America in February, 1778. They, the British, the Spanish, and the Dutch all signed the Treaty of Paris in September 1783, which officially recognized the US (among other things). That was pretty much everybody whose recognition mattered to us then. Matt Reckard Thanks for Your Vote “It's hard to characterize [the advisory vote] as a mandate.” April 11, 2007 It’s nice to have the governor say it for us. This letter is a thank-you to all the many people who voted against discrimination last Tuesday. While many straight people were disappointed at getting 47% of the vote, I was quite pleased that gays could muster up that much support. I guess it’s a commentary on the state of things when you are genuinely pleased that only 53% of voters want to take your family's health care benefits. In any case, Mike Kelly hasn't been slowed down a bit by his district rejecting his letter of advice by voting ‘No.’ Nor of course has Coghill, whose district voted 3 to 1 for discrimination. There will be a committee hearing on April 17th, for those who would like to testify or send comments. Otherwise, if you want to reinforce your ‘No’ vote, I suggest sending a letter or e-mail to as many legislators as you can. Thanks again, Crystal Clear April 12, 2007 In case anyone was still unsure as to why the state held the recent advisory vote regarding benefits for same-sex partners, the following quote from State Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, makes it all clear. Speaking to AP reporter Anne Sutton in an article which appeared in the April 10 SunStar, Dyson said that “I think government has the right to decide which relationships are forbidden and which are approved.” Nothing else needs to be said, does it? David A. James
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