Rally planned outside Londonderry marriage hearing
On Monday night at 7pm February 1st, 2010, Londonderry, NH will be holding a hearing to decide whether or not to allow voters to vote on a non-binding resolution regarding marriage. This resolution would ask the NH Legislature to put a Constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman on a ballot. NH
Nishant Annu, Londonderry High School Senior creating posters for the Monday Rally at the Town Hall hearing on a non-binding resolution regarding marriage
Students for the Protection of Gay Marriage will be holding a rally outside of the Londonderry Town Hall that day from 5:30 pm to 7 pm when the hearing begins. Students and adults alike will be attending to voice their support of gay marriage.
Over the weekend students have gathered and have created signs and made plans for a protest rally before the meeting. According to School officials this will not disrupt the school day and they will not be gathering on school grounds for the protest. Thirty to fifty students are expected at the town hall gathering.
According to Scott Feinberg, “Londonderry State Representative Rep. Al Baldasaro is seeking to roll back equality in the Granite State through this vote. We are particularly disturbed by Representative Al Baldasaro spewing hate speech against gays and lesbians. His statements do not represent the feelings of Londonderry despite his claims. NH Students for the Protection of Gay Marriage is protecting the civil liberties of the NH Gay and Lesbian community and fighting to keep their right to marry. Londonderry and the state of the New Hampshire will not stand for any further intolerance.”
When contacted for a comment Representative Baldasaro indicated that he would not be at the meeting since he will be in Quantico, Virgina to present the promotion of Sergeant to his son. Regarding the event Representative Baldasaro said, “I want to thank the NH Students in taking up a cause that is near and dear to their hearts. Freedom is a beautiful thing and I compliment the young students in exercising their constitutional rights. It would have been nice to shake their hands for standing up for what they believe in, just like my constitutional right, to exercise my Freedom of Speech.”
Scott Feinberg also said, “NH Students for the Protection of Gay Marriage was founded to ensure that marriage would continue to be an option for all of New Hampshire’s gay and lesbian couples. This demonstration is the first action of our organization.”
The group was founded at the beginning of this month and has created a website NH Students for the Protection of Gay Marriage, as well as a facebook account. Much of the planning for this event can be seen at these sites.
Photo by Scott Feinberg, Scott will be going to college this fall to study Management with a Prelaw Track and a Social Justice Minor.
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…..” His statements do not represent the feelings of Londonderry despite his claims……”
There’s only one way to find out.
It’s a shame when a American has a difference of opinion where the Democrats disagree, they call it hate speech, Hmm, I call it exercising my Freedom of Speech and many should not hold back in speaking on what they believe in.
Because I support marriage between a man and a woman, I am called a bigot, a Homophobia person. I guess the over 31 states who voted to define marriage between a man and a woman, are all messed up.
I will never give up my Freedoms because someone disagrees!!!
Dear Al:
What I find very interesting is that when your party was in the majority in the Legislature, I believe you would have told us that as Legislators, your votes represented the will of the people. I believe you would have told us that the people of the state spoke through those votes, and that you were representing their interests. How ironic is it, now that the shoe is on the other foot, that the Legislature no longer represents the will of the people and we need to second guess it? In other words, since you guys got outvoted, you want a second bite at the apple. I am sorry, but you cannot have it both ways. When you get outvoted, you don’t get to come back to the voters and say that you want a do-over using a different legislative process. And I believe very strongly that you should not try to use the local ballot as a tool to conduct what amounts to nothing more than a political poll on this issue. If the Republicans want to know how the people of NH feel on this issue, pay a pollster to do it for you.
I am sure many people support your cause, but clearly, many do not. It is not the least bit persuasive to say that you’ve had “many” calls and emails from residents. What does that prove?
For the record, I think you are as wrong as you can be on this issue, but I know that there is no changing your mind. My beliefs are as strongly held as yours. We’ll just have to disagree.
Well said, Allison. Mr. Baldasaro, what are your thoughts in regard to Allison’s assertion that, were the shoe on the other foot, your response would be that the “voice of the people” is already represented in the legislature?
To Noname,
I feel bad for you that you have to hide your name and you can express your 1st amendment rights under a fictitious name.
For your information, I have received many calls and e-mails from Londonderry residents, who support my position. So even though I am not in line with your position, I am on the same sheet of music with many Londonderry Residents.
In case it was misunderstood, let me clarify my comment:
I quoted the part of the article saying the Rep does not represent the feelings of Londonderry. My comment was “There’s only one way to find out.”
That one way is to put it to a vote.
I say the people have the right to vote on the issue…then we will know for sure what the feelings of Londonderry are.
Hooray for the Students! Winds of change, can you feel it?
I’d sign a petition that no one over 35 be allowed in public office. Would that be excercising my right to vote or infrigining on peoples civil rights? Hmmmm. I think you know the answer.
Where we disagree is whether or not Marriage (gay or straight) is a civil right. I believe it is not.
Councilor O’Keefe was spot on when we said “I can think of a lot of things right now besides this issue”. With unemployment still high, and a state budget that was only balanced last year with duct tape and Krazy Glue, one would think that those who represent us in Concord who make addressing those matters highest priority. Instead, some think that the most important issues facing our state are repealing same sex marriage and allowing guns in the State House. Puzzling…
Agreed. So let’s stop all the back-and-forths, forcing more time spent on petitions and conversations, and just put it to the vote and be done with it.
You and Councilor O’Keefe are 100% correct. I would really much prefer my state reps to focus on the fundamentals and stop worrying so much about ancillary issues.
FYI, I am involved in many issues pertaining to our budget, courts, Elderly issues, Protecting our kids from the Pedophiles, Family Law, Veterans issues, Education, Protecting small business’s just to name a few. My record tells a story on what I do for my district. If you are a one person issue than I feel bad for you but I along with many people in or town have the right to express our Freedom of Speech. You probably did not vote for me anyways but I will still represent you on many other issues!!! It is sad when we are attacked because many of us have voiced our opinions on defining marriage or we disagree on what is a civil right and what is not, we get a personal attack. I can’t remember the gentleman’s name that was on FOX news a few weeks ago but when asked if Gay Marriage was the same Civil Rights issue the Black Americans had, he stated “I can’t change the color of my skin but homosexuals can change their sexual preferences.”
Although I support marriage between a man and a woman, the petition is about letting the people have an opportunity at the polls in March town elections to vote on a non-binding resolution, stating you want to vote on defining marriage through a constitutional amendment, which will be sent to the state legislators. Whether you support Gay marriage or not, it just states you want the right to vote.
For your information Gay marriage was defeated by one vote!!! Then the bill was brought up again later for reconsideration where it passed by 15 votes but keep in mind that many Democrats left their seat not to vote and came back and there was Legislators who left the hall to go to work where the Gay Marriage bill passed by 15 votes. I stand by the vote should of went to the people and not just one party that received over 135 thousand dollars of out of state money to push the Pelosi agenda into NH.
If you want to sign the petition today, go to http://www.baldasaro2010.com and print it, then e-mail me to meet with you to pick it up and if you can get many other Londonderry Registered Voters to sign the petition today would be a big help.
I am very happy that many Selectman/Councilors stood up for the people throughout the state and voted to put the non-binding petition on their ballot to see where the people stand on the issue, so we can move on. Let me assure you, whether I am a State Rep or not, the Constitutional Amendment will come up every year until the people get the right to vote.
See below links:
http://www.letnhvote.com or http://www.baldasaro2010.com