From: atropos@netlab.cis.brown.edu (David O'Donnell)
Subject: Re: Colorado Replies
Summary: Focus on the Family screws up
Organization: Enhanced Cybernetic Logic Operating Systems Group
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 22:01:10 GMT

In article <1ice41INNhvo@transfer.stratus.com> pfieland@citron.sw.stratus.com (Peggy Fieland) writes:

>I, too, wrote about 14 letters.  I got a phone call from Coors pretty
>much right away.
>
>I got ONE letter so far, from the Colorado Tourism Board.  It
>arrived in the mail yesterday.
>
>Let's hope that they're all way behind because they're inundated with
>letters.

I too sent out over a dozen letters. The only reply I havc received to date has
been a form letter from Focus on the Family thanking me for my support and
asking me for money.
	I'm sure you can imagine my outrage at having those 'people' completely
misconstrue my letter. In reply, I wrote the following text (italics have been
lost; character \222 represents a publishers' close-apostrophe, which I some-
how managed to miss in my ASCII-isation).

--Dave O'Donnell
  atropos@netlab.cis.brown.edu

----------8< Cut Here 8<----------
31 December 1992


James C. Dobson, Ph.D.
President
Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs CO 80995-0001

Dr. Dobson:

I must take issue with a letter (enclosed) which "Focus on the Family"
sent me. That your organization would seek to reply to my original
letter was not unexpected; but the nature of the reply demonstrates
that either your organization has a complete lack of directed
intelligence or you possess an amazing amount of gall.

After your organization helped legalize discrimination and hatred in
Colorado with the passing of the odious Amendment Two, I wrote a
letter expressing my disgust and dismay and expressing the hope that
Coloradans would soon come to their senses and repeal this travesty of
a law. Considering the agenda of your organization I expected a
typically hypochristian reply. Instead it seems that whoever read my
original letter apparently lacked the sense to make note of its
message and I received a formletter thanking me for supporting your
cause and asking me for a donation!

Let me make myself perfectly clear, Dr. Dobson. I do not support the
goals of any organization which seeks to deliberately strip
individuals of their civil rights. I will not under any circumstances
encourage others to support this type of organization, and it will be
the day after the destruction of the universe before I would stoop so
low as to actually donate money to such an organization.

Considering that your group ostensibly considers itself to practice
Christian values, I find it amazing that you are able to blind
yourselves to the hypocrisy that Amendment Two has forced upon the
people of Colorado.  You and your ilk support your hate-mongering
opinions with ill-conceived, poorly supported interpretations of words
allegedly uttered by someone over two thousand years dead. In your
formletter you write of "Gods compassionate love and a message of
hope and encouragement." Passing Amendment Two shows no compassion to
the thousands of gay men, lesbians and bisexuals who are now in the
position of being legally unprotected from discrimination, while
heterosexuals are specifically protected. What sort of message of hope
does this vile amendment send to youth who may be unsure of their
sexuality, or who are not heterosexual and have to face life
surrounded by bigots who taunt them, threaten them and even assault
them? Each year thousands of young people kill themselves because they
are told that being gay is a sin-people with political agendas like
that of you and your organization.

As 1993 dawns and America at long last has a President who cares for
more than just white middle-class Christians, I hope you and your
organization will take the time to assess the damage you have
inflicted on others. In Colorado you have succeeded in sending a
message that it is okay to gay bash; in promoting so- called "family
values" you have sent a message to millions of Americans that you
really dont care about minorities, the poor or anyone else who
doesnt fit your narrow-minded definition of a "family". And by
proclaiming your lies about homosexuality and bisexuality, you are
helping send thousands of young people to their death every year.

Happy New Year, Dr. Dobson.


Sincerely




David B. ODonnell




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