They Write Letters

This was a letter to the editor printed by the Strib

Plenty to be scared of

Katherine Kersten asks, "Why are DFLers scared of voting on same-sex union?"

I don't represent the DFL; I can only answer for myself. But I am scared of living where we vote on whether members of a minority get privileges automatically granted the rest of us. I am scared of elections where winners are likely to be chosen by their commitment to discrimination. I am scared of politicians who speak of "tradition" just like those who once outlawed interracial marriages. I am scared of bigotry.

I am scared of being governed by the same superficial interpretations of scripture that once justified slavery. I am scared of polluting my religion with "principles" of hateful behavior. I am scared of a government that lets fanatics control its agenda. I am scared of theocracies.

I am scared of people who claim children are damaged because they disapprove of their family's makeup. I am scared of people who struggle to freeze society in some design they prefer, but accuse their opponents of social tinkering. I am scared of hypocrites.

I am scared of people who don't care who gets hurt as long as their side wins. I am scared of writers who bury our consciences in heaps of argument. I am scared of Katherine Kersten.

I am, and always have been, scared that when you've finished with the least (or least powerful) of these my brethren, you will do the same to me.