Houston Democrats

Governor Perry signed two bills, one restricting abortions by requiring parental consent, and the other to set a vote on the definition of marriage constitutional amendment.

As if the disregard for the separation of church and state wasn't enough, Perry laid the icing on the cake with his highly controversial quote about what gays and lesbians should do:

Texans have made a decision about marriage and if there is some other state that has a more lenient view than Texas then maybe that's a better place for them to live.

First off, this extreme statement comes after he said the following to reporters on Thursday before the Sunday signing:

I hope all Texans will feel welcome Sunday at Calvary Cathedral.

Apparently, if all Texans are to be welcome, then there are some of us who aren't "good" Texans. Otherwise it's just blatant hyprocrisy, but actually I bet it's a combination of the two.

The other thing, Perry says Texans have made a decision. I wasn't aware of that one. I know the "conservatives" (really right wing extremists is more appropriate) of the legislature and Perry have made a decision. If I'm correct Texans don't get to officially make their decision until November. Unfortunately, I doubt the measure will be voted down.

Perry's homophobic statement is an excellent example of why constitutions should only be for protecting a person's rights and not for limiting them. What happened to the idea of freedom of religion and freedom from persecution. The Founding Fathers and the early colonists came to America to escape religious persecution in Europe. In fact, many immigrants still come to America today to escape intolerant governments and discrimination. However, our government is now doing the same thing to certain "undesirable" groups within our society. What does freedom mean if our government infringes upon it at home?

Additionally Perry said:

A nurturing home with a loving mother and loving father is the best way to guide our children down the proper path.

The "proper" path? I'm glad to know that Perry and the Lege are continuing to legislate the "proper" way to live. I always thought Republicans were for limited government, but maybe they meant limited intelligence, limited respect, or limited rights.

I would like to know what "problem" Republicans cite for the growing number of divorces in society. There are plenty of religious conservatives who have gotten divorces. Maybe the Lege should take up a measure to just ban divorces altogether, since clearly having a mother and father is the "best" situation. Obviously, this would logically overlook situations in which children would grow up in a tense and potentially dangerous environment when the parents simply do not wish to stay together any longer, or in more extreme cases when a parent might be abusing children, or have other issues that pose a serious threat to other family members. I fail to see how gays and lesbians are contributing to the divorce rate. Basically one's personal life should be a personal choice.

I would rather see a children have a loving parent(s) or guardian who seeks to provide the best care he/she can for the children. Someone who seeks to educate children in the various views and customs of society, not just ones own. One that says everyone is different, that you may be different from others, but that doesn't make you or them 'wrong.' What happened to tolerance and acceptance?

I am appalled with the implication of Perry's statement. It borders on social cleansing. I may not be gay, but I feel much more threatened by such a discriminatory statement than any gay or lesbian couple could ever pose to me.

If anything, Perry's statement makes me want to leave Texas, if there's going to be this kind of discrimination. If Texas is going to discriminate against homosexuals, what is there to stop the Lege legislating discriminating against other groups? There's already plenty of discrimination based on economic standing.

Write governor Perry and tell him not to promote what amounts to "social cleansing." (In addition to the e-mail form, the page also has phone numbers and a mailing address for Perry.)

Apparently John C. came across Perry's version of the Bible. Here's one of the prayers.

So Kay Bailey Hutchison would you like to run against Perry now? I sure would like to see a Hutchison v. Perry contest in the Republican primary. Perry is giving you lots of ammo to use against him.