Another excellent and moving Maine video
Mainer, Catholic, and Vietnam vet Paul Redicker spoke in favor of marriage equality at the Maine marriage hearings in August. (If you can't see the embedded video below, then follow that link to view it at YouTube.)
Meant to post this days ago, but forgot, and then couldn't find it this morning when I was posting my previous entry. Thanks to Louise of Pam's House Blend for posting the video.
The video doesn't appear to be getting a lot of traffic, so I'm gonna post a partial transcript of it here in hopes of raising its profile a little:
[...] I'm terrified to be here at this microphone, but I'm sure glad to see [so] many people interested in an issue that's so important.
[...]
I'm just a normal Maine citizen. I may've served a couple tours in Vietnam fighting for things I thought were right, I might feel that freedom and rights are more important to us than anything in the world. [...] I guess there's nothing special in that, because I think everybody else does too. [...]
I thought that those of us that shared all these rights that people fought and died for wanted everybody to share them. [...]
[...W]hen I was in Vietnam fighting, I had brothers and sisters over there fighting at my shoulder that would be considered second-class citizens today because of the Don't Tell Don't Ask policy. That's a different story, it's a different fight. But yet I feel that if you think that everybody should have equal rights, then they should have equal rights. [...]
I'm sorta like a bear up here, kinda protecting my cubs. See, I have two daughters, one straight, one gay. One is gonna fulfill her lifelong dream this summer to be married on my lawn. The other one, unfortunately, because of her nature, she can't, in this state, yet. But I'm sure she will one day, because Maine's moving along in the right direction, I believe.
My gay child has a partner that she loves and is committed to. We love her. Anybody who met this lady would love her.
[...]
Some feel that same-sex marriage is like a prize, you know, you take it away, or give it. [...] It's not. It's a right. It's not a privilege, it's a right.
Rights belong to everybody. [...]