(Andy Brown is the Democratic Party Chair of Travis County. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Our country is supposed to be a place where people of many faiths and beliefs can freely come together as a community, put aside differences and solve problems. Now more than ever, Texas and our nation need true leadership, not political rhetoric.
All eyes will be on Texas when Gov. Rick Perry announces his bid for president. As governor of Texas, he has the capacity to bring together people of all backgrounds, faiths and beliefs. But instead of taking the high road in addressing our state's problems (whether he chooses to actually speak or not), Perry has chosen to align himself with the American Family Association for his upcoming event "The Response." This organization claims to be Christian, yet in my opinion it is anti-gay, anti-Semitic, anti- Muslim and filled with hate, none of which are in line with Christian values. Perry's association with this group is an embarrassment, and hosting this event to grab headlines for his run for president is disgraceful.
That is why, on Saturday, the Travis County Democratic Party is organizing a march and rally in Austin to shine a light on the damage Perry has done to our state. We will have religious leaders of many faiths (including those rejected by the AFA), elected officials, political groups and everyday people whose lives have been adversely affected by Perry's policies.
Yes, the Austin rally - Rick Perry: Bad for Texas, Worse for Our Nation - will take place on the same day as Perry's gathering in Houston. But we are not rallying to oppose prayer, as I'm sure Perry will accuse us of doing. We are coming together as a community to protest Perry and his fellow Republicans' unprecedented cuts to public education, the Draconian cuts to human services, disastrous environmental record, attack on women's reproductive rights, smoke-and-mirrors accounting of the state budget that will doom us for years, and, most glaringly, his hypocritical use of prayer and religion to exclude and divide.
Prayer and religious freedom are held dear by Americans and are a vital part of our lives, no matter what political beliefs we have. It is offensive that Perry would align himself with the American Family Association to host this exclusionary prayer vigil. It is important that we include all faiths as we solve the problems facing Texas and move our country forward.
Those of us who believe in good government, religious tolerance and a just society feel compelled to speak up. Instead of addressing the tragic effects of his extremist policies on working Texans, such as cutting billions of dollars from our state's already under-funded education budget, Perry is positioning himself to run for president. As he considers his run for president, crisscrossing the nation and teasing the media about his plans, he panders to the radical right and uses wedge issues to further his political ambition.
According to the Texas State Historical Association's Texas Almanac, Texas was first among states in the number of Evangelical Protestants in the year 2000. It was also third in the number of Catholics and Buddhists, fifth in the number of Muslims and Hindu congregations, sixth for Mormons and tenth for Jews. Growing up in Austin, I was raised to be tolerant of others and believe that together as a nation we will move forward. While Texans still have faith in this belief, it is clear, as a result of his failed record and most recent actions, working Texans have lost faith in Rick Perry. As we hope the Austin rally proves, Texas is bigger than Rick Perry.
From: www.statesman.com
http://www.statesman.com/opini... |
