Indiana Democratic Party 1-16-16 Weekly Radio Address

Chairman John Zody and the 1-16-16 Indiana Democratic Party weekly radio address podcast:  “After more than 174 days of “studying” the issue of LGBT rights for the state of Indiana and after throwing Indiana into a $250 million economic panic last year, Mike Pence doubled down this week in his State of the State Address and chose to continue his willingness for open discrimination against LGBT Hoosiers to exist in our state.”

TRANSCRIPT:

This is Chairman John Zody, bringing you the weekly podcast for the Indiana Democratic Party.

After more than 174 days of “studying” the issue of LGBT rights for the state of Indiana and after throwing Indiana into a $250 million economic panic last year, Mike Pence doubled down this week in his State of the State Address and chose to continue his willingness for open discrimination against LGBT Hoosiers to exist in our state.

Honestly, it’s baffling how delusional Mike Pence is on ‘The Golden Rule’ and the commonsense idea to protect all Hoosiers from discrimination.

Further, it’s simply not true that Mike Pence claims there’s no direct correlation between LGBT rights and the Hoosier economy.

That remark is one from an ideologue – not a governor.

Gov. Pence doesn’t ‘abhor discrimination’ – he actively promotes it, and that is why Indiana’s “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation is in jeopardy.

Hoosiers deserve a governor who won’t put their ideology ahead of the state’s overall well-being.

That person is John Gregg – who believes adding “sexual orientation and gender identity” can finally end legalized discrimination for LGBT Hoosiers. 

Also this week, Congressman Marlin Stutzman’s campaign released a new ad in which he tried to tout his background in agriculture as a bona fide to fix Washington, DC.

However, Marlin Stutzman’s ideology is really telling Hoosiers otherwise.

Stutzman and the Republican Party are really the problem for the complete gridlock we see in Washington.

From advocating for a government shutdown to voting to cut health care from millions of Americans, including many Hoosiers, Congressman Stutzman has proven time and again that he’s willing to put his out of touch ideology ahead of the well-being of the everyday, hardworking Hoosier.

Hoosiers deserve someone better than the conservative, out of touch – Marlin Stutzman.

Hoosiers, we can do better than the out-of-touch Republicans – who have only shown that they make Indiana fall behind the rest of the nation.

We must elect Democrats who will bring forth commonsense ideas that would help lead Indiana and our country into the future.

We deserve better than Mike Pence as our governor, Marlin Stutzman as our US Senator, and the other Republicans leading our state.

We must come together and make sure we elect John Gregg Governor, that we elect a Democratic US Senator – people who will unite and improve the lives of all Hoosiers across Indiana – and we must return Glenda Ritz to the Superintendent’s office in 2016.

Until that time comes, Democrats in Indiana will continue to talk about ways in which we can do better for Indiana’s economy, our education system, and for the overall well-being of Hoosiers.

Finally, this Monday marks a holiday dedicated to one of our nation’s true leaders in civil rights and a fighter for full equality for all, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Each January, we observe the life of Dr. King as someone who did so much for the common ideal of basic rights for all Americans.

From leading the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and the Marches in Selma, Alabama to heading the March of Washington in 1963 – where he famously delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to millions of Americans – Dr. King fought for the elimination of segregation in our schools, a higher minimum wage and better rights for workers, and the end of racial discrimination across the United States.

But what was truly the most admirable part about Dr. King was his passion to do all of this in a human and nonviolent way – for he believed change could happen by raising your voice, instead of your fist.

While Dr. King was taken from us way too soon – his legacy lives on to this day. Our country has made great strides in equal rights for all. Through electing Barack Obama as our first African-American President and for equality for other communities, Americans fight for the principles of fairness, the “Golden Rule,” and equal opportunity – the principles Dr. King tirelessly advocated for during his life.

For that, Hoosiers should pause and remember the sacrifices Dr. King and so many others made in their fight for freedom for our nation. If it weren’t for strong leaders like Dr. King, America’s fabric may not be as rich as it is today.

Thank you for listening.