After great thought, contemplation, and soul-searching, I am announcing that I cannot vote for ANY candidate, Democrat or Republican, for the national races in November. I live in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia (part of the WV-01), and I cannot, in good conscience, support either incumbents Rep. Alan B. Mollohan or Sen. Robert C. Byrd for re-election. Below, I will provide my explanation.
I have been a WV resident my entire life and retained my residency even though it cost me a significant amount of money in out-of-state tuition. I pride myself on being a child of the hills and coal mines, and I believe that my soul is wrought from the mountains. Additionally, I revel in West Virginia's history as being the only state to stand up for the Union and against the Confederacy during the Civil War. My fellow mountaineers have always been ardent defenders of the US Constitution --- until now.
I personally don't care how my state voted in 2000 and 2004 for the presidential races. To me, it was simply a fluke created by political in-fighting among the various labor unions and the lies of the Fundamentalists. But, to see my Democrats in Congress cower and waver to this political pressure is, in my mind, inexcusable and unforgivable.
Let's start with Congressman Alan B. Mollohan. Congressman Mollohan has been my Congressman for nearly all of my life upon winning a special election to succeed his father, Robert Mollohan. I have always found Congressman Mollohan to be diligent in his work and careful with his wording and phrasing as to not mislead. But, now, it has been found that Congressman Mollohan MAY have been funneling appropriation monies to his own personal interests. While that possible scandal has had no effect on my vote, it has certainly caused me to lose faith in him. I did, however, make my final decision about his re-election following the Terri Schiavo Legislation. On March 21, 2005, Congressman Mollohan voted YES to violating the separation of powers and furthering a religious motivation. That alone was enough for me to withhold my vote.
Now to Senator Byrd. Senator Byrd is a mainstay in West Virginia. There is a building, a bridge, a highway, or a parking garage named for the man in nearly every county in West Virginia. I grew up considering him to be a constitutional scholar and a personal mentor. I served on his Safe Schools Commission in 2000, and I took my representation with great pride. But now, I realize that Senator Byrd places a greater affinity on the Bible than he does the US Constitution he claims to revere so highly. His office just informed me (after I expressed my outrage as a constituent) that Senator Byrd supports the Federal Marriage Amendment. Constitutionally, I know that the Defense of Marriage Act is within the acceptable scope of powers of Congress, and I believe that it is sufficient in its purpose. The Federal Marriage Amendment, however, is personally insulting, and most of its supporters fail to realize the legal ramifications of ratifying such an amendment. Senator Byrd belongs to this class of ignorance. While the dote stands up pontificating about the valued separation of powers and role of Congress, he places his personal religious values above the Fourteenth Amendment. His hypocrisy on this issue completely negates any platitudes or lofty ideals he claims to have in support of the US Constitution. So, I must do what any constituent must --- vote against him. I certainly will not be supporting John Raese, but I don't have to vote for Senator Byrd either.
I have made my intent clear to both Congressman Mollohan's office and Senator Byrd's office. In fact, my Democratic State Delegate, Tim Ennis, was also a co-sponsor of a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. He and I had a personal and volatile discussion on the telephone about a month ago when I announced I wouldn't support his re-election either. So, I ask you fellow Kossacks... WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS??? How am I supposed to vote for these candidates when securing a majority in the Houses of Congress no longer seems like a fruitful goal? You can call me a defeatist, and you could say that I am being as bull-headed as the Fundamentalists for only focusing on these two issues; but to see my representatives vote against myself and my citizenship is intolerable. They might as well be the same vile characters who degraded and constantly harassed me as "the faggot" in high school. No wonder why 1 in 5 gay/lesbian adolescents commits suicide! Who will stand up for them? Obviously, Senator Byrd and Congressman Mollohan will not.