Thursday, October 25, 2012

MARRIAGE EQUALITY: New "Vote For 6" Radio Ad with Obama // PLUS: Rockville Councilmember Attacked for Lawnsigns

JUICE #1: NEW RADIO AD FEATURES OBAMA: Today Marylanders for Marriage Equality has released a new radio ad featuring President Barack Obama's endorsement of marriage equality earlier this year. Listen to the new spot below:



JUICE #2: CRAZY ANTI-MARIAGE TRUCK AD: A Maryland Juice reader forwarded us the image below of a crazy anti-marriage equality truck ad. See the image below and accompanying explanation:
READER: Saw this on I-270 this morning. The side said "Shame on America."



JUICE #3: LIMITED SUPPLY OF FREE "VOTE FOR 6" LAWNSIGNS: Thanks to a generous donor, Marylanders for Marriage Equality is now offering free "Vote for Question 6" lawnsigns to the first 1,000 people who request them. You can pick up signs from Marylanders for Marriage Equality offices in Silver Spring, Baltimore, Cumberland and Frederick.




JUICE #4: ROCKVILLE COUNCILMEMBER TOM MOORE UNDER SEIGE FOR PRO-MARRIAGE EQUALITY LAWNSIGNS: Last week, Maryland Juice reported that Rockville City Councilmember Tom Moore decided to print city-specific lawnsigns urging a "vote for" Question 6. Note: You can pick-up signs at his house 11 Forest Ave in Rockville starting next Monday, October 29. In any case, Moore's effort is now under attack from the opponents. See the update below:
TOM MOORE: This is not particularly a news item, but I thought you might enjoy it.   I'm not concerned that it will amount to anything, but man -- no good deed goes unpunished. Debra Daniel, for your reference, is Rockville's City Attorney.

On Oct 24, 2012, at 11:07 AM, xxxxx <xxxx@verizon.net> wrote:


Dear Ms. Daniel,

Once again, I find it necessary to question the recent  action of Councilmember Tom Moore. During Monday’s Council meeting, Mr. Moore displayed the image shown below. He announced that yard signs are available, and can be picked up at his house. It is my opinion he conflated the Council’s position on Question 5 with his personal position on Question 6.

The sign Mr. Moore displayed, and will distribute, gives the impression that the City, through the Mayor and Council, has taken a position on this issue. Who does Mr. Moore think he is, that he can speak for all of Rockville? Mr. Moore doesn’t seem to understand that as an elected official, when he uses such language as “Rockville Votes For”, he is representing our City, and goes far beyond expressing his personal views.

I am hereby requesting that Mr. Moore be told he cannot distribute or display the sign. The City did not approve this, does not take a position on the issue and Mr. Moore is not entitled to speak for all of Rockville.

I would like a timely response to my request, and what action, will be taken. If you feel that, as the City Attorney, you cannot respond directly to me, then I ask you direct your answer through the City Manager or the Mayor. If it is the decision of the City Attorney, City Manager or City Council that there is nothing wrong with Mr. Moore’s language, I would like an explanation as to why.

Sincerely,

XXXXXX

http://r4em.moores.org/





From: Tom Moore <tmoore@rockvillemd.gov>
Subject: Re: Tom Moore and Question 6
Date: October 24, 2012 3:23:32 PM EDT
To: Debra Daniel <ddaniel@rockvillemd.gov>

Ms. Daniel,

Here is a transcript of exactly what I said during the meeting on Monday:

Something I've been working on in my personal capacity this past week is to get yard signs together on Question 6.  We as a group decided to take a position on Question 5, which is the redistricting plan; I personally have a strong position on marriage equality. [Fumbling with iPad...] Let's see... and... the signs are all ordered... let's see if this... works... the signs are all ordered... and they'll be at my house... there you go... next Monday morning, and if anybody wants to stop by and get a sign like this for their yard, they are more than welcome to do so. Thank you.

Though I could have expressed myself in far more eloquent and stirring terms -- and I wish I had -- I could hardly have been more clear that this was an initiative embarked upon in my personal capacity.  I did, however, neglect to mention my address, where signs can be picked up starting Monday morning, October 29, probably around 8 .am.   It is 11 Forest Avenue, Rockville, MD, 20850. Directions may be obtained here: http://tinyurl.com/t20850/

In previous Mayor and Council meetings, councilmembers have expressed their personal support for, among other things, the Rockville Science Cafe, the Rockville Express, and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer -- all very worthy endeavors, all perfectly appropriate to share with viewers of Mayor and Council meetings, and all analytically identical to my expressing my personal support for this ballot issue.

I'm touched by the sentiment that the word "Rockville" is thought to be synonymous with "The Mayor and Council of Rockville" or "The Rockville City Government," such that saying "Rockville Votes for Marriage Equality" is the same as saying "The Mayor and Council of Rockville Votes for Marriage Equality" or, for that matter, "The Rockville City Government Votes for Marriage Equality." 

While I believe this City's elected officials play a role in the lives of its residents, and our City government certainly plays a very important role, I take the term "Rockville" to mean far more -- to mean the people of our fair City as a whole. 

A sign that reads "Rockville Votes for Marriage Equality" is best understood, in the context of a yard sign planted by a resident in their yard, to be a statement by the person who planted the sign that they, as a proud resident of Rockville, support marriage equality, and that they believe their City is the kind of place that does so as well.*

That is the statement I will be making when I plant that sign in my yard, and I invite others to stop by my home starting Monday morning to do so as well.

Best regards,

Tom Moore
Councilmember
City of Rockville
tmoore@rockvillemd.gov
240-314-8292 (office)
240-753-0811 (cell)

* Beyond simple common sense, it is also best understood this way because, to get extremely literal here, neither the Rockville Mayor and Council nor the Rockville city government are capable of voting on this state ballot issue next month.

MORE ON THE BATTLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS EXPANSION SOON!

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