Published: Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Same-sex marriage
Shin seeks respect? Well, so do others
State Sen. Paull Shin, in his Friday letter to his constituents, asks us for respect over his vote against same-sex marriage.
Where is his respect for the rights of the people in his district? He claims his reasoning is based in his "strong Christian values" given him by his adopted family after being a child in the streets of Korea during the war.
Clearly, this "strong" Christian upbringing failed to teach him the American values of equality before the law in America.
His "explanation" sounds more like cowardice than compassion. He based his decision, affecting the basic human rights of thousands, on his "deeply personal" religious feelings. We've seen all this before: He'll go down with George Wallace, Lestor Maddox, Bull Connor and the rest of his ilk -- on the wrong side of history -- morally, ethically and from the standpoint of simple humanity.
The article "Shin discusses vote against same-sex marriage" says that it is expected that this is his last term in office. If he's not retiring, I'll be among the first offering money to a real progressive to run against him in a primary.
Sen. Shin's vote did not effect the outcome, but he should be ashamed of it. Religion is supposed to make a person bigger than that. Whatever legacy he leaves the state of Washington, Shin's vote against same-sex marriage is a stain on all of us. Shame on him.
Christopher Bingham
Snohomish
Where is his respect for the rights of the people in his district? He claims his reasoning is based in his "strong Christian values" given him by his adopted family after being a child in the streets of Korea during the war.
Clearly, this "strong" Christian upbringing failed to teach him the American values of equality before the law in America.
His "explanation" sounds more like cowardice than compassion. He based his decision, affecting the basic human rights of thousands, on his "deeply personal" religious feelings. We've seen all this before: He'll go down with George Wallace, Lestor Maddox, Bull Connor and the rest of his ilk -- on the wrong side of history -- morally, ethically and from the standpoint of simple humanity.
The article "Shin discusses vote against same-sex marriage" says that it is expected that this is his last term in office. If he's not retiring, I'll be among the first offering money to a real progressive to run against him in a primary.
Sen. Shin's vote did not effect the outcome, but he should be ashamed of it. Religion is supposed to make a person bigger than that. Whatever legacy he leaves the state of Washington, Shin's vote against same-sex marriage is a stain on all of us. Shame on him.
Christopher Bingham
Snohomish
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