My initial reaction was mostly expletives. It passed, despite you, which is really the kindest thing I can say about it. No one expected much support from the neanderthals on the right. They have planted their flag as the party of inequity, inequality, racism, sexism, hate, and fear. I don't think anyone here expected different from them.
But we do expect better from you.
I know infighting and purity tests are precisely what is destroying the Republican Party right now, and we certainly don't want to follow them down that rabbit hole. This is about accountability.
I'm not calling for primary challenges, just for you to explain why.
Were you voting your district? You needn't explicitly state you were afraid of reelection prospects, just tell us you were voting your district and we'll know. Were you voting your conscience? Because if your conscience tells you that discriminating against gays and lesbians is okay; that it is acceptable to kick out dedicated armed forces personnel just because they are gay? Do you truly believe it is right to turn away those who are willing to do what a plenty of straights are not willing to do - die for their country, risk life and limb and give their all in defense of this country - just because some people find their private choices objectionable? We deserve to know. Your constituents deserve to know.
Now is a time for leadership. In a crisis, this country looks to you, who we have elected to high office, to lead us through this dark time; we look to you to tell us which way to go, how to survive, how to climb out of the hole, how to weather the storm. We are looking to you. You are our leaders.
Leadership must be decisive and clear. Even if you are being decisive in stating clearly that you don't know what the right answer is, or decisively choosing to take more time to think about it. But you must tell us what you are doing, what you are thinking and what you believe will be best for this country. You owe it to us to tell us where you're taking us. Even if that means you risk us deciding that's not where we want to go and choosing a new leader.
Those are the risks. That's democracy. An uninformed electorate is one which will get burned every time, we've learned that lesson over the last decade or two. We're starting to get in your faces and demand answers. We're taking the power that was granted solely to the people by the Constitution.
My district is represented by a Republican, unfortunately, but one of my good friends is running against him this year, so maybe this will be our year to get rid of him. And even if my friend gets elected, I will demand accountability from him too. Probably more, since I know him personally.
We are holding you accountable. So here's your chance to tell us why you voted against equality, against basic fairness, against military readiness, against an end to the waste in human and cash capital that the country currently throws away in these anti-gay military witch hunts. Explain to us why you think the waste should continue another day.
Then we'll decide if we want you to lead us any longer. That's how democracy works.