Unfettered Letters

Justice for all?

It is incredibly ironic that Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields refused to sign a courtesy resolution honoring the Heartland Men’s Chorus on the eve of the group’s “And Justice for All” concert (3/27, Local, “Resolution mentioning gay men denied”).

Shields is cowardly hiding behind claims that some senators might find the resolution too controversial. What I find controversial is Sen. Shields’ level of intolerance.

The Heartland Men’s Chorus is dedicated to inspiring and honoring the beauty and greatness that lies in each and every one of us, regardless of our backgrounds and beliefs. Our community is fortunate to have this talented, dedicated and courageous group of men perform shows that not only celebrate the human spirit but encourage us to open our hearts and minds.

Missouri is also fortunate to have state senators like Jolie Justus, who value the efforts of organizations that promote tolerance and understanding and wish to recognize their contributions.

Perhaps the person who would have most benefited from being in the audience of “And Justice for All” last weekend is Sen. Charlie Shields.

Patty S. Pasley
Prairie Village

Support for same-sex marriage

I can’t imagine that a simpler, more succinct and logical argument could be made for the absurdity of the opposition to gay and lesbian marriage than that of Tina Morrison’s (3/7, Opinion, “Here’s the real threat: Bigotry”).

She expressed thoughts I have always held and often wanted to put to paper but was never quite able to effectively express. The column should be required reading for every person who supports denying gays and lesbians this choice. In my opinion, the common-sense arguments she makes for her position are irrefutable.

For many years, my neighbors were a gay couple. I remain close friends with them. They are two of the nicest, most thoughtful people I have ever met. They’ve been together for nearly 30 years, far longer than virtually any of the heterosexual couples I know.

As Ms. Morrison so eloquently writes, how would their being able to marry, if they chose, possibly harm anyone?

Larry M. Brummet
Kansas City

Time to drop don’t ask-don’t tell

It is time to end this silly don’t ask-don’t tell policy for our troops. There are no problems with homosexual people in the military of other Western countries. This nonsense of making gay people hide who they are and then booting them out if they are accused or found out is just plain wrong.

If they are willing to live and die for all of us, we should give them the same respect and the same rights as all people in the armed services. These are good, loyal Americans. They are no different from anyone else except their senses tell them they are in love with people of the same gender as they are.

We are losing too many good enlisted people and officers due to this silly policy. It’s time we stop this and just accept that not everyone is exactly the same.

We are a mosaic of ideas, cultures and colors. Every piece is just as beautiful as another in this picture of Americans. Let’s not tear this painting apart but enjoy the differences and respect each other, even if we don’t always agree with those differences.

Cheryl Kenter
Blue Springs

Many gay couples are great parents

Christie Jessee (2/24, Letters, “Same-sex unions”) cites a lack of masculine or feminine parental influence for children of gay couples as justification for gay marriage bans. However, even if it were true that fatherless or motherless families are less than ideal, that is no reason to deny gay couples equal marriage rights.

If only those who would be ideal parents could marry, no one would be married. We don’t grant or deny heterosexual couples the right to marry based on their presumed level of fitness as parents. Why make an exception for gay couples?

Many gay couples already have children, and many make excellent parents despite whatever challenges such families must face. The welfare of these children is better served if their parents have the right to marry than if they do not. We are doing these children no favors by treating their parents as second-class citizens.

Chad Inman
Kansas City

Same-sex unions

I am grieved that partners Lisa Marie Pond and Janice Langbehn were not able to be together as Lisa died (2/17, Opinion, “Anti-gay policies simply cruelty, hatred wrapped up as morality”). I wish Lisa had brought a health-care directive with her on their trip so that there would have been no legal way to keep her from the one she loved.

I am glad Janice is suing the hospital, and I hope she wins. But in my compassion, I am not willing to embrace the illusion that same-sex unions are the same as heterosexual marriage.

Children raised by two women are missing the essential masculine influence only a father can provide (as so eloquently described by Barack Obama in his 2008 Father’s Day speech). Children raised by two men are deprived of the feminine nurture unique to mothers (which science has rather clinically identified as hormonally inspired).

While families take many forms in modern society, there can be no substitute for the ideal gender complementarity found in marriage. Laws seeking to preserve this ideal are founded not on hatred of homosexuals but concern for the children of our future.

Christie Jessee
Kansas City

It would be incomprehensible for a husband not to be admitted to his wife’s bedside at a hospital, and columnist Leonard Pitts sees right through the charade of Florida’s Marriage Protection Amendment.

Despite a slow integration of openly gay and lesbian citizens into our society, there is still much work to be done for everyone to be treated with equality and fairness as witnessed in the case in Florida. Glass ceilings, racism and homophobia are all wounds upon our nation, still waiting to be healed.

Heartland Men’s Chorus addresses these issues in our next concert, “And Justice for All,” featuring the songs of the civil rights movement, March 28-29 at the Folly Theater. As Kansas City’s gay men’s chorus, we take these issues seriously and address them through our music for those who want to hear it and, more important, for those who need to hear it.

Joseph P. Nadeau
Artistic director, Heartland Men’s Chorus
Kansas City

‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy discriminates

As members of the Human Rights Campaign in Kansas City, we have worked for years to remove workplace injustices such as the firing of Kansas Army National Guard specialist Amy Brian, (2/16, A-1, “.‘Don’t ask’ discord is telling”). But Amy is not alone.

More than 9,000 service members have been discharged under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy at a cost of more than a quarter billion dollars to U.S. taxpayers. Dozens of Arabic linguists and Korean linguists from the Army’s Defense Language Institute were discharged for being gay. Why would we discharge perfectly qualified individuals in a time of need?

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is a discriminatory policy and should be repealed. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver and Dennis Moore know this, but they need your support.

Michael Henry
(Former Human Rights Campaign governor)
Kansas City

Although I am not one who has faced discrimination, I recognize it when I see it. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is government-mandated discrimination. The policy should be dropped, gays and lesbians should be allowed to openly serve, and Amy Brian should be reinstated.

If a private company had this policy, the federal government would be all over them.

Steven Thomas
Kansas City

Military should drop ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’

I did not vote for President Obama. The only Democrat I have voted for as far back as I remember is Ike Skelton. But I do agree with Obama’s promise to get rid of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” It’s a ridiculous law.

I was one of millions of “Rosie the Riveters” back in World War II, and my husband served in the Navy. We’re American flag-wavers, so we’d never want to damage our armed forces. But our military needs every able person, so we should let qualified people serve without fear of being fired simply because of who they are.

People didn’t like President Truman’s 1948 order to end segregation in the military, but he knew the right thing to do was to treat everyone the same and make everyone toe the same line. Obama and Congress don’t need to study gays in the military. They need to look at what the president from the Show-Me state did and follow his example.

Betty LaBombard
Odessa, Mo.

Cheers for Shawnee Mission East

Three cheers and many more for the students, teachers, principal and parents at Shawnee Mission East High School for standing up to Fred Phelps and his disturbed, despicable, ragtag band of losers (2/6, Local, “A protest sparks a counterprotest”).

They will know better than to ever return to Shawnee Mission East. What a great example the school showed the rest of us.

Laura R. Hockaday
Kansas City

Why was lawmaker left off committee?

I am greatly concerned about the reason Missouri House Speaker Ron Richard gave for replacing Jeannette Mott Oxford with Michael Corcoran on the Special Standing Committee on Children and Families (2/6, Local, “Gay lawmaker questions being left off committee”). Oxford has many years of experience working with children and families and had served on committees concerning children and families since entering the legislature in 2005. Why would Oxford be rejected and her experience discarded?

And how is being “one of my favorite guys” (a quote from Richard) a qualification for appointment to any committee?

Shirley Godt
Wright City, Mo.

Counterprotest to Rev. Phelps

Dear Rev. Phelps,

Thank you for having your church members visit Shawnee Mission East (2/6, Local, “A protest sparks a counterprotest; Hundreds outside Shawnee Mission East High School rally against an anti-gay message”). I believe it was hugely successful in awakening the community’s need to support its own. It was wonderful to see students, parents and members of the community rally to support their views of tolerance for others.

While we live comfortably in our insulated slice of suburbia, we are reminded that the only requirement for evil to flourish is for good people to stand by and do nothing.

Watching the highlights, I was drawn to pictures of some of your supporters stepping on the American flag and signs to the effect that we should pray for the death of soldiers in Afghanistan. It’s rather ironic that you would call for the demise of the people who have fought, suffered and died to grant you the freedom to express your views.

Again, thank you for helping us realize that we need to be vigilant and vocal when others are being persecuted because they are different. Call me for lunch. My former Marine friends would love to join us.

Daniel S. Slosburg
Mission Hills