Concerned Women for America of North Dakota objects strongly to the recent “vigil” outside a State Senator’s home in Bismarck and suggests that a public apology is in order.
North Dakota SB2252, a bill aimed at elevating sexual behaviors to a protected class under Human Rights laws, failed to pass in the North Dakota Senate last week in Bismarck. Now it seems the proponents of this bill have overstepped boundaries and decent behavior once again by targeting a lawmaker’s private residence for protest. The LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) organizer of the protest cites it was a “vigil” outside Sen. Margaret Sitte’s home Friday night to “mourn the death” of the bill. We call it thuggery and fear tactics so often seen by proponents of such legislation nationwide. North Dakota enjoys an open legislative process with easy access to our lawmakers and state wide office holders. It is truly the People’s Legislature, and we would like to keep it that way. Targeting the homes or families of lawmakers and/or opponents of this legislation is out of bounds and will surely end the open government we treasure here in North Dakota. Sen. Sitte is a duly elected official, who takes her work on behalf of District 35 very seriously. Her record and conduct show someone who studies the issues very diligently and weighs the legislation that comes before her with conviction and great integrity. We commend her for her service to District 35 and to our state. It would be refreshing to see all elected officials as committed to their work.
CWA of North Dakota would strongly suggest a public apology be made by the LGBTQ community to Sen. Sitte for the outrageous behavior of targeting her private residence. It is certainly not uncommon that constituents disagree with a lawmakers votes or views, but to target their private homes is simply wrong! We are aware that free speech is important to preserve our Founding Principles, but this was NOT intended to be free speech as much as it was intended to intimidate and threaten a lawmaker and her family. If the LGBTQ community wanted to protest, then do so at the Capitol building where the vote took place. That would be free speech and would have been at the vote itself not an individual.
During the testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the proponents of SB2252 cited numerous hearsay allegations of discrimination, but it seems they must now look at themselves in the mirror and ask who is discriminating against whom now?
Allow me to state that it should be the personal duty of all citizens to behave in such respectful manner towards fellow citizens, so as to afford all the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We should all strive to behave in such a way. It seems, however, that the LGBTQ community has adopted the kind of intimidation tactics we see in California and other places, attempting to make morality into some form of bigotry and trying to thwart the due process by scaring people into “political correctness”. Reality as it relates to this issue is that we are all equal under the law regardless of sexual preference. The lawmakers weighed all that was heard and voted to correctly deny this bill further passage. All the testimony given during the process is easily available to the public, again due to the open process we so cherish in North Dakota. Let’s keep it that way and not give in to the intimidation of these “community organizers”.