Letters to the Editor
Assistance Sought
I am a lifelong Vermonter, now a Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut, who is working on research for a doctoral dissertation on the passage of civil unions. I would like to ask for the assistance of OITM and its readers in my research.
I am interested in interviewing anyone willing to talk about their experiences during the legislative debates on the Civil Union law. I am hoping to be able to put together a clear picture of the methods used by activists in lobbying and testifying. I am also interested in the reactions of legislators to the activists. No matter what your level of involvement was, I am interested in your viewpoint.
Finally, I want to determine how the activists themselves viewed the process and what the future might hold for Vermont activists. This project is primarily intended to dispel the myth (quickly becoming a common misconception in political science) that the passage of the Civil Union law was an aberration brought about by an overzealous Supreme Court. Anonymity is assured for those who prefer it.
If you are willing to be interviewed, e-mail me at paul.cook@uconn.edu. I will contact you to arrange a time and location convenient to you.
Thank you for your assistance.
Paul Cook
Department of Political Science
University of Connecticut
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Response
I had to write in after reading Karen Kerin’s article in the August issue. Miss Kerin claims the reason people accused the Bush/Cheney ticket of stealing the election was because the Gore/Lieberman ticket won more popular but not electoral votes. I can only assume Miss Kerin believes this misassessment. We are enraged because the electoral votes in Florida were given to Bush by the Supreme Court in a partisan decision without each vote being counted. Most of the justices who voted to give Bush the election were appointed by Nixon (in whose administration Cheney previously served), Reagan, or Bush Sr. Everyone I know has not gotten over these underhanded tactics. We do not approve of the faux-President and his flunkies taking steps to destroy our environmental and antiballistic treaties.
As for Senator Jeffords, only the most conservative Republicans could be upset by his defection. For years he has supported gay rights, a woman’s right to choose, and environmental concerns. He was never a shill of the Vermont Republican Party and his switch made him a hero in the eyes of most Vermonters. Jeffords stood up for what was right against an administration that was selected, not elected. That seems to be what you, Miss Kerin, refuse to understand.
Steve Stowell
St. Johnsbury, Vt.