Ak Together...Volunteer your time, please!!!!

[electrolass]

Hello Fellow Members of MCC,

I volunteered Wednesday night to make phone calls for the Alaskan's Together campaign.  It is not as painful as one might imagine, and it produces immediate results.  For instance, nine out of ten people that I phoned, did not know about the Advisory Vote to be held on April 3rd, the remainder knew only a little bit.  Once I told them about the Advisory Vote, the assumption was often made that the proposed amendment to the constitution would be directed soley at gay partners.  They did not realize the language of the vote excluded ANY couple, heterosexual or homosexual, that was not "a man and a woman" joined in state sponsored matrimony.  Once this was explained, I most often got a promise from the callers to vote "NO."  Our power to win against the advisory vote lies in exposing the breadth of exclusion provided by this proposed constitutional amendment.

Two hours of your time volunteered for Alaskans Together is enough time to call four pages of potential voters.  Four pages equates to roughly twenty-four people.  If five volunteers made twenty-four calls each night that would add up to 120 registered voters contacted every night.  That's potentially 600 people enlightened in one week.  I'll be a witness and say that when you get a person who makes the realization that a NO vote will prevent benefits being taken away from state employees who already receive them in addition to saying no to further discrimination against gay people and that person pledges to vote NO...  ITS A RUSH!!!

Jesse, the campaign manager, wants to keep five phones calling from Sunday through Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  If each member of our church would volunteer two hours of their time each week until the elections, Jesse could likely reach his/our goal.  If I am not mistaken, we have at least thirty members.  We need five people each night for five nights.   We only need 25 people each week.  WE CAN DO THIS!!!!

This is SO importatn.  These days it seems the cause of GLBT right is making little forward progress.  Voter turn out is expected to be low for the April 3rd elections, therefore every NO vote couuld make a world of difference as we attempt to send a message to the Alaska Congress that our rights should not be curtailed in any way.  If we can't advance forward, at least let us not be forced to take a step back, especially when the language of the proposed amendment to our Constitution might entice poeple into the discussion who might not otherwise have been on our side.

Please call me if you have questions , I am officially the Anchorage coordinator for Alaskan's Together.  If people need rides, directions to the main office or anything else, do not hesitate to call me.  My number is 632-0023.  In addition, you can visit the website at www.alaskanstogeter.com for more information on the campaign.  You will also find a direct link to the the exact language to be proposed in the Advisory Vote.  Remember, a NO vote is what we need.  Spread the word. 

Peace,
Jeanette Aileen