Betsy Markey for Congress: Letter from Donor
Betsy Markey is running for Congress to defeat Marilyn Musgrave, the chief architect of the anti gay strategy. Read the letter in support of Betsy Markey from a donor and activist... | By William D. McColl, Esq. Contact  William D. McColl, Esq., has been an advocate for criminal justice reform, alcohol and other drug treatment and the HIV/AIDS community for over 10 years. Mr. McColl, who currently works on HIV/AIDS issues for a national HIV organization has previously worked to shape national and state policies on alcohol and drug treatment, syringe exchange, and treatment instead of incarceration at Drug Policy Alliance and earlier as both Director of Government Relations and Executive Director of NAADAC: The Association for Addiction Professionals. He served as a Missile Combat Crew Member on active duty and advanced to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. His law degree is from the University of Maryland School of Law where he wrote the first major law review article on drug courts and he holds degrees in Political Science and Internatinoal Relations from the University of Michigan and Troy State University.
| | | | | I am honored to support Betsy Markey for the U.S. Representative for the fourth District of Colorado. Betsy Markey has been a small business owner, worked for the State Department, and was an aide to a Member of Congress in the 1970's at a time when civility and bipartisanship were valued over cheap political tactics. She is a candidate with deep respect for common human decency. Her ability to empathize with others may be a result of growing up as one of seven children in a large family or perhaps it's from raising a family in her own right. Whatever it is, she truly has set her priorities right.
Among those priorities, Betsy respects the privacy of her neighbors and constituents and prefers to to tackle the most important issues of the nation rather than pander to fear and the politics of division. Sadly, and in great contrast, her opponent is a living and breathing example of a class of politicians that look to divide people in every possible way. They believe that if they can pit people against each other and slice up the electorate into wedge groups that are encouraged to actively dislike each other, and in some cases fear each other, they can win elections.
Betsy's opponent, Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, has made a career out of encouraging and creating divisions in her own electorate. Betsy's opponent is the author and chief architect of the Gay Marriage Amendment. Unbelievably, in a time of skyrocketing deficits, an out-of-control War in Iraq and a nation of people without access to quality, affordable healthcare, Betsy's opponent proclaimed that there was no more important issue than to amend the Constitution to discriminate against millions of people. Few American politicians have practiced wedge politics more aggressively to eek out slim margins of victory over the last six years than Betsy's opponent. Fortunately, this has made made Musgrave deeply unpopular with her own constituents ... And with an electorate ready for change, Betsy is perfectly positioned to capture an this Colorado seat.
Finally, the most important reason to support Betsy is that she's a great candidate who would much rather get a handle on the big issues facing our country like real immigration reform, healthcare, education, Iraq than spend time on a loco anti-gay witch hunt or dreaming up issues to divide us as a nation. She will not do what her opponent has done by actively work to discriminate against the gay community. She will support passage of ENDA. I know this because I have spoken to her at length about it. I have told her about my own struggles to be with my partner who lives half a world away. Betsy has taken the time to understand these issues and once she arrives in Congress she will work to bring us together rather than actively trying to find ways to tear us all apart.
For those reasons and more I am proud to support Betsy Markey in her race for Colorado's 4th Congressional district seat. I hope those who are reading this will be inspired to do the same.
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