From the ACLU

From: Debbie Seagraves [mailto:dseagraves@acluga.org]
Sent: Monday, February 23, 2004 10:59 AM

Dear Freedom Train Participants,
We have an emergency developing in the legislature right now and we need your help. HR 595, the resolution that would define marriage as being between one man and one woman only, could be voted out of the rules committee today and be brought to the House floor for a vote as early as this afternoon. We talked about this proposed constitutional amendment at our Freedom Train meeting in your city. It is very important that this bill not come to the floor for a vote. We are asking each of you to call the Chairman of the Rules Committee, Calvin Smyre, and tell him that you oppose HR 595 and that it should stay in committee.
This bill would write discrimination into the Constitution. Regardless of how one feels about marriage for same-sex couples, we cannot justify using our constitution to discriminate against one minority group. This is especially true when we already have laws on the books prohibiting marriage between same-sex couples. We would like the Legislature to focus on more important issues-like the budget-rather than focusing on issues that discriminate against and divide us.
Please call Representative Calvin Smyre with this message,

“We are depending on you to stop HR 595 in the rules committee. It must not come to the floor of the House for a vote.”

and then call five friends and ask them to do the same.
Together, we can make a difference TODAY, but we must take action immediately.
Call Calvin Smyre’s office at 404.656.5024, then if you can, follow up with a fax with the same message to 404-657-8278. You can also forward this e-mail to as many friends as possible.
Thanks,
Debbie Seagraves
Executive Director
ACLU of Georgia

PS. If you have a moment, please let me know by return e-mail when you make the call.