No Matter Where It Comes From, Hate Is Hate
Galveston Daily News,
March 6, 1999
Box 628, Galveston, TX 77553
Fax 409-744-6268
Email: heber.taylor@galvnews.com
By David Bowers, Special to The Daily News
The outrageous attacks by the fanatical right have now targeted home-needy children
that may be adopted by gays or lesbians.
The legislation that is titled and under consideration in Austin would force children
into state orphanages rather than be adopted by qualified gays or lesbians. This litmus
test issue by the fringe groups is intended to be a wedge issue to test how
"conservative" a politician is going to be, and thus eligible for their support.
This is a hate-driven attitude.
There is now a concern about the ownership of a hotel on the seawall. Are we now going
to have a litmus test as to who can or cannot own property?
If the establishment is legally operated, the fringe need to see if they can focus
their energy on more substantive issues that would have a positive effect on society.
As to the hate crime victim's vigil, many people exercised their right of free speech,
and I was among them. I was saddened as to a religious group's protest of Matthew
Shepard's sexual orientation at his funeral. This was a man beaten and left for dead on a
barbed wire fence because of his sexual orientation.
When hate rears its head, it should be identified as such. My comment was "When
hate wears a religious collar, it is still hate."
Other religious disciplines do not share hate as a value to publicly denounce qualified
parents that adopt children or to say who is to own and legally operate property or
condemn someone at their own funeral.
It is unacceptable that property ownership and adoption issues should be dictated by
ill-informed notions driven by a religious hatred. Or is it a hateful religion?
David Bowers is a Galveston City Council member.
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