Senator Kavanagh, you don’t know me but I am a reluctant activist. I had never marched or protested prior to this year. I let everyone else do that important job for me. I was foolish and assumed that they were doing everything needed and that politically, it would all work out.

Well, now I see the true cost of that foolish assumption and I have to act. I have to march. I have to protest. I do so willingly and without any compensation other than the knowledge that I am doing everything I can to protect the rights of my children, friends and family.

Your words in The Arizona Capital Times represent the thoughts of someone not at risk. Someone that does not have to march or protest for what they believe in. We are not ideologues. We are not anarchists. We are women, men and children. We are gay, straight and transgendered. We are white, brown, black and everything in between. We are humans and we are afraid.

Persons in your political party love to spout references to the US Constitution when they apply to keeping your status quo. When those same sacred words are used to protect the freedoms of those that do not look like or think like you, you deny their significance. The First Amendment allows all Americans freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble. How dare you attempt to desecrate those words with SB1142.

These freedoms do not apply only when it is convenient for you. In fact, they specifically apply when it is inconvenient for you! I intend to continue to make my grievances apparent and clear by marching, protesting and, most importantly, by voting.