Bill:  Thanks very much for sharing this... it's an awesome letter!  Please keep us updated on whether or not Brad "Republicans are from" Marrs ever responds to you. 

I communicated the following to Brad Marrs in response to his recent Times Dispatch letter to the editor:

Dear Mr. Marrs,

In your recent letter to the editor of the Richmond Times Dispatch you state, “Conservatives understand that the practice of homosexuality is not a genetically driven compulsion, but rather, an immoral course of conduct.”  I am writing to ask you to defend that statement in light of the fact that it is in direct opposition to almost every recognized expert on the subject and is in opposition to formal positions of the American Psychiatric Association, The American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization.

And to imply that marriage cannot change because of its tradition is to ignore that we live in change.  And to imply that marriage is a union only for protection of children is to ignore that marriage is an outcome of a committed love between two mutually attracted adults.  My aunt remarried in her 70’s and certainly not for children – it was for the committed caring and companionship and the legal protections and rights afforded. 

In our own community the CJW Medical Center website dose not support your point of view.  And I’m aware that there is a vigorous debate in theological circles over the relatively few biblical verses previously thought to speak to the subject.  And the historical critical model looks to put in context the time and society in which those verses were written and finds them more an exhortation against prostitution and pedophilia and promiscuity.  The general concept of a homosexual love and relationship analogous to a heterosexual model was not even known then and was hardly recognized until the mid 19th century and the work of German Karl Heinrich Ulrichs.  Certainly the countries more aligned with our values are moving towards full equality for homosexuals: The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Canada give full and equal rights and many others give equivalent rights through civil union legislation.  In contrast the world’s most conservative countries, including Saudi Arabia where I recently lived, have medieval approaches to homosexuals.

Spain is a Catholic country and on the occasion of his country’s inclusion of homosexual couples in his country's marital laws Spanish Prime Minister Luis Zapatero, said,”

We are not legislating, honorable members, for people far away and not known by us. We are enlarging the opportunity for happiness to our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends and, our families: at the same time we are making a more decent society, because a decent society is one that does not humiliate its members... Today, the Spanish society answers to a group of people who, during many years have, been humiliated, whose rights have been ignored, whose dignity has been offended, their identity denied, and their liberty oppressed. Today the Spanish society grants them the respect they deserve, recognizes their rights, restores their dignity, affirms their identity, and restores their liberty. It is true that they are only a minority, but their triumph is everyone's triumph. It is also the triumph of those who oppose this law, even though they do not know this yet: because it is the triumph of Liberty. Their victory makes all of us (even those who oppose the law) better people, it makes our society better. Honorable members, There is no damage to marriage or to the concept of family in allowing two people of the same sex to get married. To the contrary, what happens is this class of Spanish citizens get the potential to organize their lives with the rights and privileges of marriage and family. There is no danger to the institution of marriage, but precisely the opposite: this law enhances and respects marriage."

During your recent campaign I asked to meet with you and you deflected my requests.  Now with your legislative time freed up, perhaps you would agree to meet with me and discuss this subject.  I mention that I was a middle level manager at DuPont corporate offices for 22 years after putting myself through the University of Richmond and the MBA program at Purdue, I started and ran my own small manufacturing business, and as mentioned spent six years in Saudi Arabia, as a consultant to the Saudi Military. 

And I am gay, something I did not choose nor could imagine choosing and which has been both a context and a burden in my life.  Growing up gay is no easy matter and it seems anathema that my state would add to the atmosphere of bias, prejudice, and discrimination rather than recognize our equal rights.  Your insistence to preclude what are the values of a younger, educated, enlightened electorate that is marching towards us, is to deny the real will of the people who will live in this state long after close minded obstructionists are forgotten. 

Sincerely,

Bill Garnett

With leaders, and I use this term very loosely, like Brad Marrs, I'm embarrassed to live in Chesterfield County.  Come on folks, let's vote this narrow minded bigot out of office in November.  Ms. Waddell appears to understand that all people should be treated with dignity and respect.

for the record, mac pence is out!
http://www.styleweekly.com/back.asp

I'm fully aware incendiary fundraising letters are not a new tactic, but the fact that Marrs feels it neccesary to indicate that Waddell has a homosexual contributor (and I'm not the smartest guy, but I can sense the connontations Marrs is trying to imply) is extremely troubling.

Virginia Republicans are crazy.

Cause it?s like this. Disagree with Marrs, but we know what he is trying to do (win his election).

But the people that work for these Republicans  must really believe this stuff. Why else would they work for these guys? Right?

So can we all agree that people like Dave Marsden who worked to get these people into office, now have to have some accountability?

I hereby declare that a vote for Dave Marsden is a vote for Brad Marrs as Speaker.