Chris Packer sure went ballistic when I dared compare anti-gay bigotry of today to anti-black bigotry of earlier times. I guess he things that because there are no "Heterosexual Only" signs posted, there is no discrimination against gays.
I assume he was not harassed and humiliated in school by obnoxious jocks, long on brawn and short on brains; called names like "fag," "fairy," and "fruit;"or condemned as a "sick pervert" or a sinner who will spend eternity in hell's fire.
He hasn't experienced being refused a job or promotion or a place to live, hasn't been told by the military that he's not good enough to defend his country and hasn't been bombarded with the never-ending drumbeat of messages trying to convince him he's a sick pervert or a soul lost to the devil.
Yes, Chris, everywhere I've looked for nearly 70 years I've seen "No Homosexuals Allowed" signs and felt the pain and humiliation they engendered.
Is it any wonder I would see the wisdom of teaching children not to humiliate and denigrate their classmates? If he thinks it's wrong for one group of people to treat another group with respect, I feel sorry for him.
Finally, he wants to make a deal - allow children to be taught to respect others who are different if I will allow American public schools to be turned into Christian indoctrination centers. Sorry, no deal.
The Bible is an integral part of western civilization and as such should be part of a well-rounded history curriculum. But if, as I suspect, he wants children to be taught that the Bible is the only true source of spirituality and philosophy and all other beliefs are either tragic errors or the works of the devil, sorry.
I'd rather go back in the closet than make any deal that would turn our schools from institutions meant to teach students to think into factories to turn out cookie-cut Christians with braces on their brains. Sorry, no deal.
Excerpted from a letter to The Derrick, 7/24/07.
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