Here we go again - The Texas Republican Party just declared "America is a Christian nation" in their 2006 party platform. (warning: PDF; cite is to page 15)
But these old tricks don't have to work -- we'll tell you below about how you can fight back.
This rhetoric is shameful - it is the worst sort of cynical gamesmanship our politicians can employ. It is divisive rhetoric that turns our nation's greatest strength - diversity - into a weakness.
The Texas Republican Party - the party of many Bushes (George W, Laura, George HW), recent congressional powerhouses (DeLay, Armey, Hutchinson, Cornyn), and even henchman par excellence Karl Rove - should be ASHAMED of itself.
America is currently at war -- we are trying to stitch together a country, Iraq, where religious differences have led it to the brink of civil war.
How can Texas Republicans urge Iraqis to overcome centuries of animus between Shiites and Sunnis while demeaning the many millions of loyal Americans who are not Christian?
Jews, Hindus, Muslims, atheists, etc... -- there are patriotic Americans from each of these groups who are sacrificing themselves over in Iraq in the name of a unity and tolerance that Texas Republicans would deny them back in the United States.
That is why NJDC urges all Texas Republicans to disavow this disgraceful platform - we want to get as many key Texas Republicans as possible on the record acknowledging that non-Christians are fully Americans.
How can you help?
We want Americans of goodwill - be they Texan or not, Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist or Christian - to call as many Texas Republican offices as possible (a list of federal and statewide Republican officerholder is at the bottom of this message -- don't only call the most famous!), and then to REPORT BACK to us on your conversations.
We then ask that you send an e-mail to [email protected] recounting your experiences.
* Did the staffer answer your question directly? What
did they say?
* Did the staffer offer any "interesting"
arguments?
* Did anything funny happen?
* Did the office
get back to you as promised?
* Did the staffer seemed
embarrassed by their party's platform?
We expect that conversations will vary - elements of each will be amusing, frightening, and potentially even refreshing, should we get an officeholder on the record rejecting their party's bigotry.
We hope to collect the most interesting e-mails and publish them to our blog and e-mail list. UNLESS YOU TELL us otherwise, we will assume that we are free to publish the contents of your e-mail and your first name, but of course we will keep your e-mail address anonymous.
SOME SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS, QUESTIONS (but be creative!):
* The Texas Republican Party's platform calls America a "Christian nation." As a Texas republican, does your boss agree or disagree with his or her party?
* "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
Does your boss support this principle? (hint: it's the beginning of the 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights)
* If America is a Christian nation, and I'm not a Christian, am I really an American?
A REMINDER: please be polite and keep your language clean, even if you are (justifiably) outraged.
PROMINENT ELECTED TEXAS REPUBLICANS
President: George W Bush (202) 456-1111 http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Governor: Rick Perry (512) 463-2000 http://www.governor.state.tx.us/
Senate: John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 http://cornyn.senate.gov/
Kay
Bailey Hutchison (202) 224-5922 http://hutchison.senate.gov/
House: all numbers for Washington offices; you can look at the website for local office information
1 Louie Gohmert (202) 225-3035 http://gohmert.house.gov/
2 Ted
Poe (202) 225-6565 http://www.house.gov/poe/
3 Sam
Johnson (202) 225-4201 http://samjohnson.house.gov/
4 Ralph
Hall (202) 225-6673 http://www.house.gov/ralphhall/
5 Jeb
Hensarling (202) 225-3484 http://www.house.gov/hensarling/
6 Joe
Barton (202) 225-2002 http://joebarton.house.gov/
7 John
Culberson (202) 225-2571 http://culberson.house.gov/
8 Kevin
Brady (202) 225-4901 http://www.house.gov/brady/
10 Michael
T McCaul (202) 225-2401 http://www.house.gov/mccaul/
11 Mike
Conaway (202) 225-3605 http://conaway.house.gov/
12 Kay
Granger (202) 225-5071 http://kaygranger.house.gov/
13 Mac
Thornberry (202) 225-3706 http://www.house.gov/thornberry/
14 Ron
Paul (202) 225-2831 http://www.house.gov/paul/
19 Randy
Neugebauer (202) 225-4005 http://randy.house.gov/
21 Lamar
Smith (202) 225-4236 http://lamarsmith.house.gov/
23 Henry
Bonilla (202) 225-4511 http://bonilla.house.gov/
24 Kenny
Marchant (202) 225-6605 http://merchant.house.gov/
26 Michael
Burgess (202) 225-7772 http://burgess.house.gov/
31 John
Carter (202) 225-3864 http://carter.house.gov/
32 Pete
Sessions (202) 225-2231 http://sessions.house.gov/
OTHER TEXAS STATEWIDE OFFICIALS
Lt Gov: David Dewhurst (512) 463-0001 http://www.ltgov.state.tx.us/
Railroad Commissioner: Victor G Carrillo (512) 463-7131 http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/commissioners/carrillo/
Attorney General: Greg Abbott (512) 463-2100 http://www.oag.state.tx.us/
Comptroller of Public Accounts: Carole Keeton Strayhorn (888) 334-4112 http://www.window.state.tx.us/
Commissioner of the General Land Office: Jerry Patterson (512) 463-5001 http://www.glo.state.tx.us/about/commissioner.html
Commissioner of Agriculture: Susan Combs (512) 463-7476 http://www.agr.state.tx.us/
The world doesn't revolve around the close-mindedness of the Bush administration. The majority of the world's population follows no religion at all.
Posted by: Gail | July 04, 2006 at 08:45 AM