In answer to Joe Gimse's frontal attack against Sen. Dean Johnson for his stalling on a referendum, I would like to rise to the senator's defense.
What he probably meant by our communities becoming "downtown Baghdads" is that if and when the majority have passed their repressive measures against gays, they in turn, in order to restore their own God-given rights to liberty and justice for all, may resort to -- I shudder to speak the word -- terrorism! After all, it's an old American tradition. Remember the Boston Tea Party and other rebellions of the early colonists that led eventually to the Declaration of Independence?
Since Gimse is so well known as one of the most outspoken for a referendum, area gays may in retaliation decide to fire-bomb his house, tear up his garden patch and demolish his car. After all, desperate times demand desperate measures.
I believe sincerely that Johnson by his words was just trying to prevent this from happening to such a fine Christian gentleman as Mr. Gimse and his ilk, who are only following the dictates of the one true church and the religious right to create in all honesty another segment of second-class citizens.
I think the senator realizes that the passing of such an amendment will not settle the problem, but only arouse a situation such as we see operating now in Iraq where repressive measures only foment more internal conflict. Perhaps we should all reflect on this before we jump on the bandwagon to further bash gays, who up until now have been relatively law-abiding in our local communities.
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I want personally to thank Johnson for his foresight on this matter since I have several good friends who are gay, and I would hate to see them suddenly become radicalized just to enjoy the same rights that the rest of us have as citizens of this land of the free and home of the brave.
Lee Paulson
Glenwood
