People of Faith CT

Protect Our Constitution
By David Samuels
October 11, 2008

When Connecticut citizens vote for a new president on Election Day, November 4, they will also be asked if the state should hold a Constitutional Convention. This question appears on the ballot every 20 years & if approved by residents, would allow for the possible revision of the state constitution. The conservative Family Institute of Connecticut is utilizing a nefarious strategy to entice people of color to vote yes. This organization wants the constitution to be revised so that a ballot initiative system can be implemented. Under this process, issues such as same sex marriage, a Three Strikes law, affirmative action, government assistance for single mothers & funding for public schools could be voted on by the public.

A system of “direct democracy” or “power sharing” sounds good, right? Advocates on both the right & left want for you to think so. FIC has kicked off a media campaign in which they claim their desire is to “empower the people” by giving them the right to vote on issues directly. The problem is that this is not what this group has in mind. FIC wishes to use the ballot initiative process to impose their vision of community on the rest of us. September 29, FIC staged a rally at the State Capitol to “defend marriage”. The FIC website states that they oppose the alteration of the definition of marriage beyond the one man, one woman model. FIC warns about “special interest groups” who wish to shut residents out of the democratic process by opposing a Constitutional Convention. Yet it is organizations such as FIC who hope to use the ballot initiative process to oppress the more vulnerable populations in Connecticut, such as people of color, who are currently afforded protection by the state constitution. As anyone can see by visiting their website, this group has a specific agenda & an organized base ready to mobilize in order to achieve their objectives.

This perversion of the democratic process is being masked under the guise of “giving a voice to the people”. FIC is actually planning to gang up on minority groups of all races & socioeconomic status who they believe are not compatible with their antiquated view of community. Their “defense of marriage” crusade is being used to manipulate, divide & conquer blacks & Latinos. They state that their group “encourages public policies which support the two parent family”. That type of language should be disturbing to single mothers across the state, as it clearly contradicts FIC’s claim to possess “compassion for all families, especially single-parent & needy families”. People of color should note that the Three Strikes law that was defeated during the 2008 Legislative Session is based on the Washington State model. According to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission in Washington, although the law was intended to lock up the state’s worst criminals, results show that blacks are given life sentences at a much higher rate than whites. The report shows that blacks make up 3 % of the state’s population, but 37 % of the state’s Three Strike lifers. As a result of Constitutional Conventions, affirmative action has been eliminated in three states & repeal campaigns have been launched in five others. Blacks & Latinos who support FIC’s agenda should keep in mind that whites comprise about 80% of Connecticut’s total population.

The October 10 Connecticut Supreme Court decision legalizing same sex marriages has been a hot topic of debate. Comedian Bill Maher has been quoted as saying that he supports gay marriage because “Gays have the right to be as miserable as everybody else”. Whether or not you agree with Maher, an important question to ponder is why FIC states that their organization’s mission is to “promote sound ethical & moral values in our culture & government”, yet they publicly vilify those who oppose a Constitutional Convention. I would submit that defending this state’s constitution, which was revised in 1965 to protect minority groups, falls under the category of ethical & moral behavior in the eyes of reasonable individuals. The constitution does not state that a Constitutional Convention should be conducted every 20 years. It provides an opportunity for state residents to express their opinion as to whether or not a Constitutional Convention should take place. People should ask themselves why the FIC, an organization which up to now has had no presence on the streets of urban communities, is attempting to smear those who have chosen to defend Connecticut’s blueprint of democracy. Don’t fall for the con job. Vote NO on the Constitutional Convention question November 4.

For more info on the Constitutional Convention issue, call People of Faith CT at (860) 841-5006 or the Clean Slate Committee at (860) 570 0782.

The position of CSC is that the rehabilitation of inmates through education, vocational training and mandatory counseling, in addition to fair employment and housing opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals, is a piece of the public safety solution currently being ignored by our state and city officials.

Learn more about CSC by visiting A Better Way Foundation’s website: www.abwf-ct.org .