From: lazarus@wixer.cactus.org (Michael Lax)
Subject: Re: Are Republicans Evil?
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 16:38:26 GMT


In response to post & email - I reference the email as it is what I saw
first:


     I personally  do not care what your sexual orientation is and, to me,
     it has no bearing to the topic at hand.  I find it very offensive for
     anyone to send hate messages, it is evil period.  If you have
     recieved such, I am deeply sorry.  As the saying goes: "I will fight
     to the death for your right to  disagree with me..."

Again, my point here is we are _not_ talking about my opinion on some issue. 
We are talking about _ME_.  How do you "disagree" with a person's very being? 
Thus, my being gay has a very direct bearing on this issue.  


     I would like to point out that if Bush was a Hitler and wanted all
     homosexuals removed or destroyed, he would not have made aids the
     number one disease to be treated and cured.  What he seems to be
     against is the granting of rights (such as homosexual marriages) to
     protect a certain lifestyle.  This is what I have called "lifestyle
     rights" and I think it is a label that fits very well.

A _large_ number of people would disagree with you concerning Bush's stance on
AIDS.  He was railed on for saying that AIDS is unlike other diseases in that
lifestyle choices can stop it; he, of course, ignored the fact that cancer,
heart disease, etc., _also_ can be reduced by making 'lifestyle choices.'  This
from a president who complains about eating his vegetables.

I am still curious how the US recognizing same-sex marriages will "protect a
certain lifestyle."  If a man and woman can do it, why is it that I cannot? 
Many ancient religions (even Christianity) recognize such unions.  Sorry, I
cannot see how having the same rights as a straight person is granting me an
special privileges.

     Even you pointed out that to use the label "Hitler" is hyperbole. 
     All it does is to emotionalize, fragmentize, and to try to attempt to
     smear someone who is your political enemy.  It is far better to keep
     any political discussion on an respectable level ON BOTH SIDES!  I
     have not liked the tenor of both major candidates campaign, on this
     issue and others.

I have been active in politics for over ten years.  In that period I have met a
great many people I have strongly disagreed with on numerous points.  I have
never felt like comparing them to Hitler.  With Bush - or, more accurately, all
those in the religious right - I do.  Were I not to mention this I would be
censoring myself for fear of offending someone.  That's _not_ what freedom of
expression is about.  If we ignore the similarities between the Bush
administration and other fascist regimes, we are doomed to repeat their
mistakes.  Fascism is _very_ easy to ignore.  About 10+ years ago a social
studies teacher wanted to show his high school class how easy it was to become
fascist, as they could not believe that Americans could ever fall into the same
trap as the Germans did with Hitler.  He scarily succeeded so well, even _he_
got wrapped in the charade.

     As I stated before, I do not care what your viewpoint on
     homosexuality is nor do I wish to change it.  This is not to insult
     you in any way but to show that I do not view this message and my
     previous messages as a debate on the rights or wrongs of the
     homosexual lifestyle.  It is a debate on the proper way of addressing
     the important issues of today.  Name calling and mud-slinging make me
     mad.  Your calling Bush a Hitler falls into that area.  If I see mail
     on the newsgroup that calls you as equally offensive, I will post a
     complaint.

I do not have an "opinion" on being gay - I am gay.  You're not talking about
what I think about the economy, or abortion, or crime, etc.  You're talking
about my _LIFE_.  When you have a leader who supports laws which criminalize
people for the way they love (or the way they pray, or their national
origin...), he promotes hatred of that group of people.  While we remember
Hitler for the concentration camps, many people forget that he was in power in
Germany from the _late_20's_ - long before WWII ever even started.  Jews did
not start out getting exterminated.  First they lost their rights and were
belittled by those near, but outside, the government.  People like Mr. Palmrose
have good intentions, but they fail to realize the danger of ignoring people
like Bush - and especially the people he surrounds himself with.

If I understand what you say, you don't consider my civil rights to be at issue
here.  You, of course, are not the person being discriminated against.  You
don't have the Republicans claiming your families are not families, that you
are unacceptable and perverted.  You are told, simply because of the person you
love, you can't have certain jobs, can't even be sure you be able to keep _any_
job.  Let me give you a more concrete example:  change out "Jew" for "gay" and
"religious freedom" for "lifestyle rights" in much of your argument.  According
to your logic, it would be okay for the government to make Jewish marriages
illegal.  It would have the right to make the practice of Judaism illegal; it
could claim that making the practice of Judaism _legal_ would be tantamount to
making it preferable to be Jewish.  And, last time anyone checked, religion is
*absolutely* a choice.


======================================================================
"For I can see that in the midst of death, Life persists; in the
midst of untruth, Truth persists; in the midst of darkness, Light
persists."

"An eye for an eye will blind the world."
                                      Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

"I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it."
                                                             ME!

lazarus@wixer.cactus.org
Michael Lax, 12514 Esplanade St., #B, Austin, TX  78727-4409
512.837.1596 (h), 512.836.9715 (fax)