Human Rights Campaign Backs Berkowitz

Congressional candidate Ethan Berkowitz has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation's largest GLBT rights organizations. In recognition of their endorsement, Berkowitz made the following statement on his civil rights policy:

Civil Rights—Fighting for Freedom and Fairness for All Americans

 

In 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland, my mother's mother knew that it was time to leave Europe. The immediate family made it to the United States, but those who stayed behind perished.

 

I grew up listening to my family's history, and I know what it's like to suffer persecution. My grandparents came to America because this is a country where all things are possible, where you should be judged based on who you are, not what you are. The values that unite us — work, family, freedom — are far more powerful than the issues that divide us.

 

No American should ever feel fear because of what they are. When I represent our state in Washington, D.C., I will fight to ensure that all Americans are treated fairly by their government in their communities, schools, workplaces and homes.

 

That fairness is part of who we are as Americans. Our nation's creed holds that all people are created equal.

 

We all have the right to live free from discrimination, safe in our communities, with opportunity for all. Discrimination on the basis of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, income level, or status violates our founding principles. Schools in low-income neighborhoods should be as good as the schools in the next neighborhood. Every victim of crime should receive justice, no matter the location or the crime or the victim's personal circumstance.

 

I am proud of my record on civil rights. During my ten years in the Alaska State House, I fought to protect the personal liberties enshrined in the state constitution and to defend individual civil rights against the tyranny of the majority. Those positions might not always have been popular, but they are founded in the belief that the rule of law extends constitutional rights to all Americans, and protects minorities against institutional prejudices and bigotry like racism and sexism. That's why I stood for subsistence rights. That's why I spoke out for same-sex benefits, and against changes to the state constitution. That's why I know that a better future for this state and this country means living up to the values of "liberty and justice for all."

 

Alaska is the second most ethnically diverse state in the Union (Hawaii is number one). That diversity is a strength for us. I am proud that my daughter goes to elementary school in a Spanish immersion program, and that my wife served on the Tolerance Commission. I am honored to have the support of individuals and groups that represent the many communities that make Alaska and America diverse, strong and great. I'll work every day to honor that trust and to protect civil rights for all Alaskans.