"The Truth Is Eloquent..."

New York Governor, David Paterson

From a letter to the editor...

Remember your history

It was a sad day in New York when our dysfunctional state legislature voted against gay marriage. A very sad day, indeed, especially when you consider that some of the senators who voted against the bill were African American, Hispanic, Catholic or female.

To all the African Americans who voted against it: Have you forgotten the days when blacks had to drink from separate water fountains and sit in the back of the bus, or got arbitrarily pulled over by police? Did you skip school the day they taught about the life of Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life preaching about equality for all? Now, suddenly, those rules don't apply to the gay community.

To the Hispanics: Aren't you tired of hearing about all the hate crimes against your citizens? Voting against tolerance seems hypocritical.

To the Catholics: God loves us all. The sanctity of marriage argument is absurd. When two people love each other, they should be afforded the same rights as everyone else. Whether you approve of our lifestyle makes no difference.

Gay people are people. We drink from the same water fountain as everyone else.

To quote a famous African-American man who was savagely beaten by white Los Angeles police officers, "Can't we all just get along?"

So before any of you turn your backs on the rest of us, take a hard look at yourselves and your own heritage. Re-visit who you are, where you came from and, more important, how far you've come to take your place as an equal member in society. All we ask for is the same right.

We shouldn't have to ask.

Ron Maestri
New York