A Very Good Letter

My last post was my own response to Rep Sally Kern. My friend Brett forwarded a letter to me that was written by a High School Senior named Tucker. I found the letter to be well written and very powerful. I wanted to share it with you:

*NOTE- He uses the word tolerance a few times. Take a moment and see if you can understand my issues with that word in the letter. My last post explains the "tolerance" issue.


Rep. Kern,

On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not had the chicken pox that day, the body count would've likely have included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.

That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He held his beliefs and made those who didn't live up to them pay with their lives.

As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you'll find one of them that will agree with you.

I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful, wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my mother's killer was a better person than a group of people that are seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.

As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you very clearly you are absolutely wrong.

You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they've been through. Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?

I've spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay students beat up and there's never a day in school that has went by when I haven't heard the word **** slung at someone. I've been called gay slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the suffering of some of your students?

Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for protection. They looked scared. They've already experienced enough hate and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at them and call them names. After all, you are a teacher and a lawmaker, many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and bloody because of what you said.

I wish you could've met my mom. Maybe she could've guided you in how a real Christian should be acting and speaking.

I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me graduate from high school this spring. Now she won't be there. So I'll be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more bombs and kill more people again. I don't want to be here for that. I just can't go through that again.

You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the memory of my mom. Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.

Sincerely,
Tucker

Sally Kern

Okay people- Here is the clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRGau30jl3E&feature=related

Maybe at some point I will get smart enough to just put the actual video in the blog. Until then it is cut and paste. Watch it if you want more reference to what I am talking about.


Basically, republican (and christian) representative Sally Kern made some pretty extreme statements towards gay people. She has refused to apologize for it, and in my mind I don't give a rats ass if she ever does because it wouldn't be sincere anyway. She asked the question "what is so wrong with me as an American using my right to free speech?"


That is actually a VERY good question. We do live in a country where you are allowed free speech, unless of course you are in the media or military (the beginning of the end tisk tisk), and that freedom is something worth protecting. I think you should be able to say whatever the hell you want. I also think that we as a people need to start making sure that speech like this comes with consequences.


She has a right to have her religious views about this. She has her right to feel that way even without her religion (Which I will get to in a minute). What everyone needs to understand is that if you do not feel the way Sally Kern does and you think it is CRAZY and HATE FULL you need to start speaking up. I have said it time and time again that allowing public figures and people in power positions to hold these types of views is not just hateful but it also lethal.


It makes me so mad! Some people tell me to just let it go and understand that these people exist. Why should I let it go? I know what it does....... The sad part to me is that the gay population is too small and "injured", if you ask me, to beat it.


I am confused on a daily basis why people are so threatened by this. How did we get here? Why is this a nation obsessed with homosexuality? I think it's largely Christians. Lo Siento all my fellow christian friends but you get the majority of the blame if you ask me. I know the christian people that are friends with me are going to write me and say that "those" people are not really Christians. And yes, I know you guys don't feel that way and that there are many Christians that also don't feel that way. But guess what? That doesn't make people like Sally Kern not a christian.


But it goes beyond the Christianity because you see all these posts out there that say "Well the bible also says throw a stone at a women if she eats pig or if you cut your lawn on Tuesday you go to hell". I ovioulsy don't know the real examples that people take from the bible to contradict the whole "gay is evil" thing and I'm too tired to look them up so hopefully you have heard them. I am also tired of people using that as a come back because it doesn't do anything. These Christians don't care about those parts of the bible. They are just obsessed with thinking that it says homosexuality is the end all of end all. Why is that? I really really really want to know.


But you can't know. They don't even know. And there, my friends, is the problem. If you can't know then you can't solve. How do we go about solving the problem that a good majority of homophobia and hate comes from crazy Christians that don't even know why they feel that way? They have a right to their religion, speech and opinions and unfortunately they feel it is necessary to loudly express them. And they also like to breed....alot.


Do we decide to have a society where we just tolerate them and they tolerate us? No thanks. If you live in a state of tolerance you live in a state of hate. Tolerance is for a bad hair day and everyone hates a bad hair day. I can't believe there is a museum in LA about the Holocaust called the "Museum of Tolerance" Such a poor choice of words. It's okay to hate the Jews but just try and up that tolerance a bit so ya don't feel the need to kill em....


I guess it all goes back to influence. To the individual. To education and relations. To projecting what you want the society you live in to look like. That may sound a bit corny and new age but it's all I can come up with....



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http://www.matthewshepard.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Take_Action_Team_eRace_Hate_Lobby

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Cheers,
bdc