Who Am I?

I am Jim Osborn. I am a second class citizen. I am not equal - at least in the eyes of our President. Read this and then call your Senators and tell them to vote NO on the Federal Marriage Amendment!

I am an American. I am a son. I am a brother. I am an uncle. I am a gay man. I wish I had a President I could support, but I don't.

I am sad and disillusioned. The party to which Bush belongs has strayed from its core beliefs and has become a puppet of the extreme right and big money interest groups. Many Republicans believe in small government, small government spending, low taxes for all, privacy, and states rights. President Bush does not appear to believe in these.

I am thinking of my niece. I want her to grow up as a citizen of a great country that respects all of its citizens: One where not just the richest one percent get tax cuts; One where the government works for the people but doesn't invade their homes or their bedrooms; One where my President doesn't run up a record national debt that was non-existent 6 years ago; One where if my niece is gay or straight, she will have the same rights as her peers; One that is respected in the world community;

One where I am equal.

What people don't understand is that the current President of the United States made history when he called a press conference and announced that he was going to support an amendment that would make a minority group second class citizens and use the most sacred document in this country, the Constitution, to do so. No president has ever done this.

George Bush will try to do it again next week.

If he had done this for a racial minority group, he would have been impeached. This President said to the world that I am not equal.

I don't want to get married, yet. I do want the option. I also want my friends who are in loving and committed relationships to have the same rights as our straight counterparts. We are denied over 1,100 rights everyday. This also affects their children.

Your church doesn't have to support my relationship; I would never ask that. I do not consider myself a Christian, or Jewish, or Muslim, or any religion.

When we begin to deny rights to one segment of our population, where does it end? Have we not learned from history?

I know there are a lot of issues in this country: the war, our children being killed overseas for this war, poverty, health care, and many others that our President could use his influence to change, but instead he is trying to polarize the country over an issue that he thinks will keep his people in power.

My niece could live her entire life and her uncle will have never been equal.

I face living in a country where my love will never be equal.

I face living in a country where I will never be equal.

I am Jim Osborn.