by Dawn Wolfe
MT. PLEASANT – An energetic, emphatic group of young people protested outside of U.S. Rep. Dave Camp's (R-Midland) office on Sept. 30 from about 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to encourage Camp to vote against the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Nicholas Linindoll, the Political Chair of Central Michigan University's Gay/Straight Alliance, told BTL that Camp's office had proven unresponsive to constituents' phone calls about the issue.
"We want to make sure that Dave Camp knows that his constituents will not allow him to support discrimination in our Constitution," Linindoll said by phone on the morning of the protest. As of 9 a.m., he said, about a dozen people from the Alliance had joined the protest.
The numbers stayed consistent at about 15 throughout the day, reported Jennifer Suidan, the co-President the Alliance.
The protesters went in to speak to staff members, who gave them a direct answer about Camp's vote, which they had been unable to get by phone.
"It wasn't the answer we wanted to hear, but at least it was a direct answer," said Suidan. Camp voted in favor of the proposed amendment.
Camp's staff did not immediately respond to BTL's questions about the protest.
