Military, Politics, Society

Meet Rep. John Kriesel: A Profile of Courage

At a time of intense intolerance and homophobia in American politics, Minnesota GOP Rep. John Kriesel took the floor to beg his colleagues not to vote for a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage. Kriesel’s simple words and humanity offer a true profile of courage to politicians across the country.

This is his first term. He previously survived for ten years in the Minnesota National Guard and was deployed to Kosovo in 2004 as part of a NATO peacekeeping force and to Iraq where he was stationed at Camp Fallujah. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart Medal, and Bronze Star Medal. He lost his legs while serving in Iraq.

In the speech, he mentions Cpl. Andrew Wilfahrt, a gay servicemember from Minnesota who enlisted in January 2009 and was killed Sunday, Feb. 27, in Afghanistan when an IED exploded during an attack on his unit. He was 31. Below is a tribute to Cpl. Wilfahrt:

Some of his colleagues, however, showed a different view by inviting a homophobia and extremist pastor to give the opening prayer.
Jonathan Turley

26 thoughts on “Meet Rep. John Kriesel: A Profile of Courage”

  2. Follow the money. These days “gays” have money and they are very organized. I think both Democrats and Republicans say all sorts of things they don’t personally believe in. Also, both sides stereotype.

    I read something about Sarah Palin saying that pot wasn’t so bad.

    I stereotyped President Obama thinking that he would be pro constitutional rights.

    Years ago I had a Democrat Precinct meeting in my home and I got really interested in trying to figure out what the party platform should be.

    If you were a decision maker in the party today, what would you say the platform should be?

  3. Kay,

    I apologize for my comments to you since you did get this article out of the NYT, and as I’m sure we have all learned in the past dozen years or so the NYT would never print anything that’s not the truth..Having said that I will say that I don’t for a second believe it….Oh Im sure there are rich gays who are republican and I guessing a lot of them are in NY…but the article not withstanding most of the gays in this nation have little or no respect for gay gopers….Believe me if you want to insult most gays accuse them of being republican….I spend most of my time between St Louis, Kansas City and Chicago…IM sure there are some gop republicans here but they are far and few..Actually I don’t think Ive ever met one..

  4. To all the liberals here that mock the GOP’s stance on gay marriage:

    Maryland has an overwhelmingly liberal legislature. Gay marriage was shot down earlier this year.

    Please explain or finally admit that sh%t stinks on both sides of the aisle.

    As my friend so eloquently put it, “At least Republicans tell me to my face they are voting against me. Democrats stab me in the back after asking for my vote.”

  5. Swarthmore mom

    I don’t know what to make of that video. I will point out that most of the people here claim to be “progressive” but most act like it was just fine for me to be incarcerated without a warrant, without a criminal prosecution, and after being told I didn’t have a 6th amendment right to a lawyer or a 5th amendment right to an evidentiary hearing.

    I better leave here before people start making fun of me.

  7. P.S. My father isn’t gay. His roommate at college was gay and he said he used to tease him. My dad was pretty good looking and he is 6’5″. I think they exchanged Christmas cards for 20 years.

    I had a bi-sexual lover when I was 18. That I found very confusing and distressing. I had “great” sex with him at least 100 times and he said he loved me.

  8. I lived in Boston for 10 years, in Manhattan, in Boulder, CO, in Sonoma, CA, and now in Dane County WI. I grew up in Rockford IL. I can’t think of any time I’ve heard anyone anywhere in person saying rabidly anti gay statements even when I was a kid.

    These days you know everyone reads the same articles and watches the same television.

  10. Kay, I think that is true in New York but not out in the hinterlands.

  11. Dear MetroCowboy

    I like the New York Times and I think their reporters are pretty smart. I’m referring to their 5/13/2011 article

    Donors to G.O.P. Are Backing Gay Marriage Push

    As gay rights advocates intensify their campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, the bulk of their money is coming from an unexpected source: a group of conservative financiers and wealthy donors to the Republican Party, most of whom are known for bankrolling right-leaning candidates and causes.

    Their behind-the-scenes financial support — about $1 million in donations, delivered in recent weeks to a new coalition of gay rights organizations — could alter the political calculus of Albany lawmakers, especially the Republican state senators in whose hands the fate of gay marriage rests.

    The donors represent some of New York’s wealthiest and most politically active figures and include Paul E. Singer, a hedge fund manager and top-tier Republican donor, as well as two other financiers, Steven A. Cohen and Clifford S. Asness.

    At the same time, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist who has been a major contributor to Senate Republicans in New York, plans a significant push for same-sex marriage: giving at least $100,000 of his own money, hosting a fund-raiser at an Upper East Side town house, traveling to Albany to lobby lawmakers and giving a speech on the issue.

    The new donations represent roughly two-thirds of the same-sex marriage coalition’s fund-raising, making New York the rare state where a lobbying campaign in favor of legalizing gay unions is not being financed primarily by liberal donors and Democrats. The support is likely to jolt the traditional financial and political backers of gay rights causes, who now find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being outraised and outspent in New York.

    Swarthmore Mom

    We’ve been voting for Tammy Baldwin. She helped me some with my problems with illegal imprisonment by the USMS.

  12. Kay Sieverding

    “I read that 2/3rds of the funding going into gay rights these days is from Republicans. ”

    You really read this someplace? Please that is as stupid a statement as I have ever read in my 65 gay years..

  13. Actually there were four republicans that voted against it. The protestors as shown in the video above are becoming mobilized. They think they can not only defeat the amendment but turn the house back democratic.

  15. A class act. Too bad his party has no room for him. I wonder if some wingnut will primary him next time around.

  16. kay, Tammy Baldwin is a democrat and the Scott Walker republicans in Wisconsin will not be funding her campaign.

  19. Kiesel was one of two republicans that voted against the republican Bradley Dean anti-gay marriage amendment. The republicans took over the legislature there this year and are trying to enact Michele Bachmann’s agenda.

  20. I live in Wisconsin, which adjoins Minnesota and has a state program of allowing extending in state tuition to Wisconsin residents in Minnesota and Minnesota residents in Wisconsin. Tammy Baldwin is my congressional representative and she is openly lesbian. Her district includes blue collar Janesville. She is discussed as a serious potential senator to replace Senator Kohl.

    I read that 2/3rds of the funding going into gay rights these days is from Republicans. Mary Cheney is openly lesbian and she was the director of vice presidential operations for the Bush-Cheney 2004 presidential re-election campaign.

    What I think is actually happening is a breakdown and realignment of the traditional definitions of Republican and Democrat.

    I really think it all has to do with money.

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