Arora's career - do or die?

This last week or so has been pretty disappointing in politics. There have been two bright spots, though – marriage equality in Maryland and the fact that Sam Arora, backstabber to the gays, is FINALLY getting some larger press. And that the national press is pretty much calling him a complete and total lying ASSHOLE. And is calling for his resignation.

I’ve known Sam Arora for a very long time. We both attended the Barrie School in Silver Spring, which was a very small school with a very strong focus on community and civic-mindedness. Our graduating classes were around 25 people per class, and we all knew each other intimately. In this regard, I was there when Sam was active in the student government. I watched him care about issues, and I listened to him debate. I attended the funeral of his sister, Reshma, even after I graduated and moved out of Silver Spring.

That is what makes this personal for me.

Last spring I attended the wedding of two friends in Baltimore, Maryland. We bore witness to their absolute joy on that day and left feeling as though we could only be so fortunate as to find the love and acceptance that they share. We also felt ashamed - they were unable to be legally married in the state of Maryland, and that is, in part, Sam's fault. Ultimately, they had to have the legal ceremony in DC.

I believed that the Sam I knew would have made a good legislator. Our community preached tolerance, and so did Sam himself, at one time. This would be his first lie.  

The thing is that in spite of all of this – the fact that I have known him and his family for over a decade, I didn’t receive a response when I sent him a letter last year. In fact, no one did. He posted one small paragraph on his website and has refused to address the issue publicly since. Not even now, when every mainstream newspaper has asked him for a response. There is none. And a good legislator listens to their constituents.

The only response I got from him was to be unfriended on his facebook page and banned from posting on his wall. Thanks, Delegate. So much for listening to the concerns of your public. I - like everyone else - only requested an answer.

I’m going to post the same thing I emailed to him a year ago, the first time he lied to people:

Knowing you then, you were incredibly thoughtful and compassionate, and we were fairly certain you would run for President one day. When you ran for Delegate, I had wished I still lived in your district, so I could have voted for you - instead, I encouraged my family and my friends, who are your constituents, to do so. Because of the kind of person that you were, and had been. Because of the judgment you had shown in the past.

Seeing these news articles was an enormous disappointment to me, and a slap in the face to those that were counting on you. To see you - YOU of all people - go back on your word on a fundamental civil rights issue - was completely astounding. If your faith is causing you to betray your word, resign. To stay on at the expense of those that trusted you to represent them would be shameful, dishonest, and cowardly. Your constituents do not deserve to be lied to.

And I’m going to say it again today. Delegate, please address your constituents and resign. At least say something – a public official should not be hiding.

And also? Would someone please give Joshua Lapidus a job? My applause, sir.