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Norwalk: Bruce Morris An Embarassment Part II


by turfgrrl


March 26th, 2007 · 28 Comments

I really shouldn’t tune into CT-N during the workday. I might stumble on hearings in Hartford. Hearings that State Rep Bruce Morris is attending. I check the clock, school is still in session. Anyone keeping track of this. So on goes the volume. Bruce is speaking. He is speaking about God. The info graphic scrolls on the screen, Live It’s Saturday Night … no, it says live 3/26/07 and the public hearing is on the HB And Act Concerning Marriage Equality, which translated into English means the Gay Marriage Act.

Ahh… well than God may be appropriate here. But what’s this, State Rep Morris, the eyes of liberals are watching you in more ways than you ever know, because, I go over MyLeftNutmeg where blogger Maura, is providing a rough live blogging transcript. I provide these excerpts for the Democrats who read this blog, so that they can read what what State Rep bruce Morris said.

Please note the comments within the grey area quoted are not mine, they are Maura’s.

How would failure to pass this bill prohibit same-sex couples from sharing a life with one another?
Sen. Edith Prague (D): Why shouldn’t same-sex couples have the same respect as everyone else

Rep Morris: So this is not an issue of sharing lives together, it’s an issue of respect?

Prague: A relationship that is so important needs that recognition. YOu’re part of a society, you shouldn’t have to feel any less important. Your marriage shouldn’t be any less important. Each of us as human beings is entitled to that kind of relationship. I strongly feel that marriage between two people of the same sex is equally important as marriage between two people of the opposite sex….

Rep Morris: What I’m trying to get clarity on here as we go forward is trying to get clarity here on the religious nature of giving all the rights…what I’m looking for is there some civil benefit that we failed to do in civil unions that we need to rectify? Other than that, I’m hearing the respect side and the label and whether having this label makes you a better couple or not.

Prague: I don’t think people should just be tolerated. People deserve that word that’s so important to all of us. That’s respect. I don’t think we should single people out and give them second class status.

Rep Morris to Savoski
MORRIS: Help me understand how this bill helps provide more security or permanence

ZAVOSKI: Marriage matters in areas such as health insurance…if we happened to be a same-sex couple, my partner could not give consent for my daughter’s treatment. Second possibility, only one parent of same-sex parents is recognized as the legal parent, if that parent dies, the child could end up in the foster care system. Unfortunately, the word matters…the current law has broken down some of those barriers, but the barriers would exist

MORRIS: But our current law provides every benefit that a person who’s married yets…somehow by calling this now a “marriage”, how would we be providing greater security or permanence. If your argument is from a benefits standpoint, the legislature has already provided the benefits.

ZAVOSKI: In law that is so, but in practice it is not.

MORRIS: So if we have covered it in law, then your argument is not a reasonable argument or one for our consideration

ZAVOSKI: It’s more the practice.

MORRIS: Thank you.

Rep Morris to Rev. Clifton
MORRIS: This is not so much the issue of sexual orientation…let me go into a different direction, since you’re a pastor, what does your congregation think about marriage?
[What the hell?]

CLIFTON: The woman who testified at length earlier expressed our feelings well…

MORRIS: Do you have any arguments that are in a faith context?

{??????!!????!}

CLIFTON: We all have a sense of right and wrong…some get theirs from Oprah…mine is from Judeo-Christian tradition of what is right and wrong…

MORRIS: In any context, do you as a pastor take ownership to marriage as an institution?

CLIFTON: …most of what I said didn’t make any reference to religion at all…yes, there are deeper levels to this if we were sitting at home around a table that we could get into that would involve scripture

[Dude. This pastor seems to know better than Morris that arguments about faith and scripture are not really relevant here.]

Rep Morris to Stefanowicz - rough rough
[picking up a few minutes in]
MORRIS: Did you ever feel comfortable calling one of your father’s partners “Daddy?”

What??@?!? Would he ask that about a heterosexual parent who dated a lot of different people??? Why is this relevant to the issue of marriage? So her father was promiscuous…so are a lot of heterosexual parents. What does this have to do with marriage equality?

Sorry, I got distracted with annoyance…

STEFANOWICZ: …in Canada, we do not have the same freedoms you have here…

MORRIS: Do most Canadian gays and lesbians want same-sex marriage?

STEFANOWICZ: It’s a small clique within the subcultures who want this…problem with that is majority of gay and lesbian people do not want to have any restrictions on their sexuality…it is a minority that pursue same sex marriage.

MORRIS: Any statistics on this?

STEFANOWICZ: I don’t know if our gov’t is properly keeping records about how many are citizens and how many are not

MORRIS: That would be helpful

STEFANOWICZ: 1% of the population identifying as gay and lesbian, a tiny percentage of that wanting to be married.

STANBACK: Marriage is more than just a bundle of rights…everyone understands what marriage is

MORRIS: …there are two separate issue, one side is the benefits argument, the other side is the label of marriage…as a follow up to Rep. Walker, are we putting the cart before the horse

STANBACK: Are there any additional benefits that would be conferred with this? Not immediately, no

MORRIS: …so it’s really a respect issue

STANBACK: It’s the harm that’s done socially and emotionally as well…the legal rights are surely important, but there are harms other than the legal ones…harms for not being treated equally under the constitution?

MORRIS: What inequality under the constitution?

STANBACK: Not having access to the vocabulary of marriage

MORRIS: Inequality is the use of the vocabulary of language? …I try to advocate for you …I’m trying to help you out here if I can

STANBACK: It’s the first step to gaining access to federal rights, but it’s about being able to call our relationship a marriage, which is what it is…it sends a message to the thousands of gay youth in our state who are really looking to this state legislature…

MORRIS: …so it’s not a treatment issue…you’re looking for validation

STANBACK: Language is important…look at this in terms of gender equality…if you said okay, we’ll let women be judges but not get to use the word “judge”, we’ll call them “deciders of fact”…. this was a GREAT analogy

MORRIS: …this issue has nothing to do with benefits but is strictly about validation due to the name…

STANBACK: It IS about benefits. It’s true that in the immediate short term we would not have access to those benefits to DOMA, but if we can’t get married, we won’t be able to challenge that law or have those benefits when that law is overturned

MORRIS: …what is it that we’re really trying to accomplish for the gay community…and if the situation right now is that we’ll not be able to get one additional federal benefit for you…and I think that is wrong, if I could get you those benefits I would, but since you can not have that…it seems like the discussion we’re having today is about validation through the name of an institution that has already been definied socially or through faith communities…

STANBACK: you cannot underestimate the power of words…our children understand marriage…other couples have been asked by their children “When did you get married?” “Married” is the word they understand.

Rep. Morris to Brown
MORRIS: Is there anything as a Christian about the term marriage that you own spiritually that gives you heartburn for other people to use the term?
Man, that question give me heartburn.

BROWN: [something about sanctity meaning cleanliness] On the church side there is a sense of spiritual purity in marriage and homosexuality is a defilement of that purity…certain things are good or evil, clean or unclean…in our culture today all we want to be sure of is that no one judges anyone, no one is wrong or rigtht…in the Biblical concept which was involved in the Founding Fathers, you are accountable to God…this is not a purely secular state, the Soviet Union was a secular state

Please check over to MyLeftNutmeg for the full coverage of the issue, however I will post on the blogger reaction to State Rep Bruce Morris.

Update: It continues …

AAAUUUUUGHHHH Would someone PLEASE step in and make the point that Connecticut law does NOT follow Catholic Church teaching on marriage???For instance, Catholic teaching does NOT recognize divorce or allow remarriage after divorce.Our state does.

It’s PREPOSTEROUS for Rev. Morris to waste time asking whether he feels the state is overreaching by “redefining” marriage differently than the Catholic Church does. The State ALREADY does that.

This is not the State of Catholicism. This is the state of Connecticut.

OMG>>>>>>>>>Rev. Morris sat through the whole Plan B hearings and he STILL calls Plan B “chemical abortion”????????
by: Maura @ Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 18:52:50 PM EST Reply

Tags: Local · Norwalk

28 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Bruce Morris An Embarassment Part II”



  • 1 dem4life // Mar 26, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    Ok turfgrrl, you are focusing on Bruce Morris because he’s a Democrat, who is against some core issues that liberals tend to support. The Democratic party is a big tent, and we all don’t have to agree on the issues. I suppose next you are going to say that we should have the same attitude about our dems on the council. Touché.

    Should we be discussing what’s different in these cases? I suppose so. I’d like to think we are better than this.

  • 2 Anonymous // Mar 26, 2007 at 6:40 pm

    Dem for Pro Life.

    Why do you support Morris who is attacking women and gay rights. Is Morris more right wing then Cafero? Yes, since he is your buddy- you claim that the Norwalk democrats are a big tent party. Earlier today you attack members of your own party. Shameful

  • 3 Mr Greenpeace // Mar 26, 2007 at 7:26 pm

    hello everyone I am writing as a Democrat, grew up with Democrats and work with Democrats.The two democrats who were elected to work at the state house that are from Norwalk I simply called but they never called back concerning any of my issues I had inquired about.It was a Republican administration office at the federal level who did respond to issues in Norwalk and started the ball rolling. A side note I enjoy hijacking threads its a wonder how I ever became a Democrat.

    The issues are about the environment one claims he is on a environmental committee and the other just received some PR in the papers on the environment. Well Mr. O’brien from Mr Duffs office told me they it isn’t a issue in fact my questions were dead issues. Mr Morris was way to busy to even call me back.

    point is maybe we should all focus on what is happening with our elected officials and what issues they are grasping,,or lets focus on the ones they are not addressing.

    While we spend all of our energy on issues of thier performance for the very people they serve we all should ask is the quality of our environment we wake up to , go out in and go home to sleep in, is it getting any better?

    I’m talking safety in our housing complexes while crime still occurs, while our own city hosts parking lots of broken, stolen, or damaged vehicles leaking antifreeze,oil and gas into our own storm drains that go into our rivers, while schools are going through renovations opening up possible new radon leaking sources so we can go and test them again (middle school elavators this week),I’m talking keeping trash barrells emptied of debris at the overpass on MLK highway where the Southeast corridor goes through( by the way the other day I saw one of the suspected workers waiting for work pick one up and pretend to throw it over the fence on a oncoming train bet Amtrak would love to know we can’t afford a chain and lock,,thats sloppy DPW) Wonder why my kids can’t throw away stuff at veterns park becuase of limited barrels,,hey I know where there are 4 .If my kid litters in the park they can get a fine, if they litter on the overpass we can hire new officers to question their legal status and maybe keep my kids safer.

    I wonder when it comes time to empty the storm drains we treat it as hazardous waste and pay for disposal and not truck it to a park for find it as fill somewhere, then again So Norwalk will take anything. I wonder when the Brownfield reports come out they are on land not tied in with Democratic real estate agents.

    Now thats enough I’ll be accused of being a Republican for asking this all tonight?

    Then again I could just go and put up a tent and call it a circus for all to come read and enjoy, I do enjoy this site I wouldn’t show disrespect by calling it a circus but when the clowns do show up on ocaison it is funny but sad knowing we keep burying children and letting our elderly down by not showing them its about them not us.

    I feel thankful I am not picking apart campaign promises or issues written above just be thankful we may be able to find another Democrat who cares. I am in no way diminishing the subject above it all needs to be addressed, simply let me know when some of the other issues can be dealt with thats all.

    One quick question,,the overpass for the trains on MLK where the four barrels are, has anyone ever seen so many used coffee cups on a daily basis..

    Mr Greenpeace

  • 4 dem4life // Mar 26, 2007 at 7:26 pm

    I think you have me confused with someone else number 2.

  • 5 curious // Mar 26, 2007 at 7:45 pm

    This to Mr. Greepeace: I enjoy your comments no matter what affiliation you are. I want to ask what you think of the cap on the budget. I think you’ve covered just about every other subject but seem to keep away from this one. There is so much negativity about this isssue and yet I haven’t seen any discussion from you. For many years the citizens of Norwalk have asked elected officials to keep the taxes down and spend responsibly. Now when they finally do everyone is up in arms. its been said that letters of threats of cutting programs have been sent home with kids and they are being told that all sports programs will be cut next year if the BOE request is not funded to the fullest. Does this sound like the council is being backed into a corner with lies and threats or do you think the BOE requests are legitimate? Do you think Norwalk’s infrastructure should be ignored in order to add layers to the administration or do you think any of this money will actually got to the kids? Teachers must buy their own supplies, so where is the money going to? Just curious.

  • 6 Anonymous // Mar 26, 2007 at 7:55 pm

    You are right dem 4 life. The attack came from Dem in the Know. Shameful hit on party members he/she must be the Knopp/Wells spokesperson.

    Sorry

  • 7 anonymous // Mar 26, 2007 at 9:00 pm

    This is only the beginning of what wrong Mr. Morris will do in office. He has no clue.

  • 8 recall morris // Mar 26, 2007 at 9:29 pm

    He lied about his education. He lied about his residence. He lied about his job experience. He lied about his political leanings. What more do you need?

  • 9 anonymous // Mar 26, 2007 at 9:39 pm

    maybe the voters should take a closer look before being hoodwinked into believing who is the right person for the job. McQuaid would have made an honest straight forward representative but the wheels on the sono machine were working overtime and no one had time to listen to the facts.

  • 10 anon // Mar 27, 2007 at 5:42 am

    Morris had the strong support of the Wells’, the Briggs’, Knopp, the Burgess’, Slapin, Thor, Kimmel. Now they can deal with him. Try to explain why he is such a great representative of Norwalk.

  • 11 Mr Greenpeace // Mar 27, 2007 at 8:24 am

    to curious posting number #5,,

    Your right I have stayed away from it it not an easy one to comment on,,but on the other hand start looking at the componets,,

    A roof that was put on in 1967 needs replacing, a city that is inviting more housing and building and even more ways to add to the population. Schools can’t plan like the dpw, streets get plowed no matter how many peope live on it, same with the fire and police its there you need to protect it no matter how big it gets with or without help. Librarys open no matter if they are full or empty same with city hall line only gets longer.

    Now when a family of 5 move in after school starts , thier not told come back next year with your kids, or we didn’t plan on you moving to Norwalk they simply get a chair desk and a teacher and its a done deal.Need a aonther bus no problem get one, need another study hall or an additional program to accomodate a another language to handle students and the parents they just do it. Schools are socail adjusters they deal with all the ills and have no say in what they can or can’t do for a student.You see where there is an alternative for everything from special ed to talented programs there is o end.

    Need a flood program drawn up while water is coming in he door ,,yes wait for a meeting , we will get back to you with plans need an ambulance or a police officer as soon as we can , just hold on we will be there eventually,,but with the school we need to feed the children now no matter how many show up for breakfast lunch ect.

    No I’m not saying there are not other areas on other depts that fit this bill but the city geographics ,streets, buildings and cost to keep them up are in budgets but what happens when you do need a new $200,000 dollar fire truck, or a new highway truck or cruiser asap do they always have to cut programs lay off someone who would be driving these vehicles ,,and then read millions for a park with oyster shells and a Disney land of sorts building programs and tell the school you didn’t plan.

    Go back to the less fortunate, children in homeless shelters, poor without heat and no food for the children here in Norwak and ask the schools to help and pitch in they do, while we keep the budgets on an even keel lets keep planning on multi million dollar projects that will only tax the system in the end so someone can say look what we built,,the house of jack is what some street terms can coin it.

    We won’t touch upon renting a fire station the most absurd thing I have ever heard of thats the price of a fire truck in the east part of town( I think I read that is whats going on) I’m not familiar with all the workings of the good old boy politics , but I am learning thier is that forgotten half of Norwalk that will be here for a long time to come while the other half live real good.

    Plan for an emergency where do you put the people, at the schools correct? No I’m not for any one department but I would like to see what we need for equipment for the fire dept, station 5 has two bays one truck and plenty of calls that take trucks from the city and send them there is it time for two trucks or a rescue or a ambulance , something tells me with all the new building there will be a change soon , talk about in now and maybe like the roof it will be addressed in a couple of years.

    Where is long term planning, where is every depts wish list , the news doesn’t have those to write about do they exist?

    There is talk now these multi apartment homes housing twice the amount of children than in the past,are we planning on another population expolsion?

    I think I found my answer to the coffee cups on the bridge, Homeland Security is looking for about 600,000 people accross the country that are illegal, there may be at least 1 over there at the bridge drinking all that coffee.I do think the infrasturcture in this city has been ignored to date I have not seen the condition reported of every vehicle, building or personal in the city A good start before one can pick apart waste and insight,,

    after all the figures are given and all the red herrings are planted what are the additional facts and stats,,there is always another angle on all of this ,,I trust the council knows this.

    This may not answer your thoughts but never ask a democrat what he thinks…he may never tell you

  • 12 Anonymous // Mar 30, 2007 at 8:14 pm

    turfgurl I think your deliberately bashing Norwalk and the Democrats to get more hits on your blog, which will in return get you more paid advertising?? Like the ones we see on the upper right. Are you lieing and scamming people to fatten your pockets??? Looks like your fleecing us.

    Your qoute in the paper “Traffic increased dramatically, Lightfield said, when she added a blog on state and Norwalk news in December, writing under the handle “turfgrrl.”

    Link to article

    http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-nor.blogger6mar20,0,4434844.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

  • 13 anonymous // Mar 30, 2007 at 8:29 pm

    #12-I find it somewhat disturbing that you are dumping on Turfgirl. Turf places the articles on this site with her interpretation and then allows all of us to make whatever comments we wish in the sake of free speach and now you make these dumb accusations? Haven’t you noticed that most blogs and websites depend on advertisers to keep them going? Perhaps you think turfgirl is independantly wealthy and doesn’t have to work or can afford this site all on her own and you might take into condieration that she goes to all of these meetings on her time in order to bring you a different view than the half a__ed ones in our local paper. Evere go away from one of those meetings and then pick up the paper next day and wonder what meeting that reporter was at? At least turf sits there and reports live. So get over it. If you can do better why not start a site of your own and see what happens!

  • 14 turfgrrl // Mar 30, 2007 at 8:41 pm

    Anonymous 12: I don’t think Norwalk thinks its being bashed, and as for an exclusive focus on Democrats, you apparently don’t read carefully. There are of course the fake, hypocritical, incompetent politicians that will never be spared the spotlight of their actions. But guess what, I don’t look to see what party they fall under. Its equal opportunity exposure for what they are.

    So yes, this site has taken advertising since 1998. It will continue to do so. Do I want to drive up traffic? Sure. And what is wrong with that? That’s how media works. But hey, your logic sort of sounds like someone who specializes in fleecing. Sounds like someone we know.

  • 15 anonymous // Mar 30, 2007 at 8:48 pm

    Turfgirl

    You go girl.

    You do a great job.

    This sound like the Knopp-Wells-Morris troika in action.

    Please keep spreading sunshine on the people in politics in this city.

    They do not seem to like the sun. Let it come.

    Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

    Go turfgirl!!!!!

  • 16 Anonymous // Mar 31, 2007 at 11:27 am

    Dear All:

    Does Mr. Morris have a degree or not? The press should check this out.

    Some say Mr. Morris lied about his education. The reason he has conflicting infomation on the state dems and Norwalk Democrats sites.

    As a taxpayer he should produce proof he attended and graduated from UCONN.

    One his state rep bio it says he “attended” University of Connecticut. However, on the Norwalk Democrats web site it claims he graduated.

  • 17 anon parent // Mar 31, 2007 at 11:51 am

    Excellent question #16, perhaps we should get turfgirl to investigate that one as well. But, looking at the central office and especially his dept. doesn’t seem to me that he needs a diploma nor does he need to be there full time since he has such a large staff he can dictate and never be there. Who was there before him, what were their credentials, what is the job description and proof of qualification are what is needed at this point. I just have one question, how many kids are benefitting from his expertise on the weekends and at night time when they are not even in school? As a side comment, what is his expertise anyway? If you are at all interested in his performance at the state level, ask his fellow reps, he has made the state capital his pulpit and his arrogance has followed him to Hartford.(watch you cable tv to see it live and up close channel 84 I think) He has never had the kids in this town as his first priority, his lazidasical attitude toward parents and students is appalling, Human Relations encompasses students of all ethnic, color and racial backgrounds its not one group. Bullying, discrimination, intollerance are a universal problem, they affect each and every student not just one group. Perhaps he should take a look at the kids and their problems first and then he will understand the concept of his position. If he can’t be in our schools when school is in session he needs to step aside and look at his priorities and let someone who doesn’t have a political agenda at hand.

  • 18 anonymous // Mar 31, 2007 at 5:13 pm

    Bruce Morris is fleecing us.

  • 19 anonymous // Mar 31, 2007 at 9:52 pm

    Anon Parent- You are right in every thing you stated. Morris did not help all equally. Just like he works against a victum in Hartford when voting against Plan B and the statements he has made about the same sex unions are just ignorant.

  • 20 anonymous // Mar 31, 2007 at 11:35 pm

    Bruce Morris is fleecing us.

    And the weeks go by and the BOE does nothing.

    Surprised ????

  • 21 anonymous // Apr 1, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    #20. No I’m not surprised at all. Disgusted is the word.

  • 22 Anonymous // Apr 5, 2007 at 10:16 pm

    Bruce Morris is kind and conciderate of all peoples of all persuations. He is a good man, and sexy too.

  • 23 anon // Apr 5, 2007 at 10:24 pm

    #22 - Oh, mannnnnn. Bruce, is that YOU?

  • 24 anonymous // Apr 6, 2007 at 4:54 am

    bruce morris is fleecing us

  • 25 just1guysopinion // Apr 6, 2007 at 7:45 am

    anonymous: Are you an early morning riser or just can’t sleep? Get another tag line for Mr. Morris, it’s losing its punch.

    Any comment about today’s Norwalk Hour headline re courtroom procedures?

  • 26 Anonymous // Apr 6, 2007 at 8:56 am

    Morris and Rev. Curtis are deal makers. These two judges should have been reassigned. Anything less then that is a failure-with Bruce Morris that is all you are going to get.

  • 27 anonymous // Apr 6, 2007 at 11:46 am

    #22. You mayhave been the only one helped by Morris. He has insulted some really excellent teachers by pointing his all-knowing finger at them. He sides with his friends, even if the friends are wrong. He is not a good choice for representing any woman in Norwalk. And as far as him being sexy…pearl vision baby, pearl vision…you need to go and get checked.

  • 28 AL // Apr 8, 2007 at 9:52 pm

    I heard over the weekend the Norwalk DTC will be voting up or down on a Resolution in support of H.B. 7395.