People,

Today, something a bit different.

Open Letter to Pat Robertson

Dear Pat:

I don't like you, but that's not what this is about. What this is about is something you believe in very strongly and are working very hard for but that you don't understand in the slightest. This is about the proposed amendment to the Constitution banning gay marriage.

Last night I was watching the ABC Family Channel and having a few laughs thanks to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" while waiting to have my ego stroked by our little commercial. Anyway, after "Whose Line" was over I still hadn't seen it and decided to stick around. That's when your show, "The 700 Club," came on.

Now, I have no problem with you having a show. I just think you should think a little more about what you're saying before you say it. Last night your show was about how much this amendment needs to pass. And while you and your extremist's bigotry and institutionalized hate is all well and good, you crossed the line in speaking of this law as if it were a) legal and b) fundamentally American.

You said "We need to pass this law because the liberal Supreme Court in this country has changed the meaning of the Constitution. People think the Constitution is now saying that homosexuals and their activities are OK. We need this amendment to restore American values back into the Constitution."

This is where you are very wrong. The entire purpose of our government is to NOT legislate individuals's behavior in so far as it is not harmful to other people. So, Pat, I'm sorry but the Constitution very clearly is saying that homosexuals and consensual homosexual acts between adults are OK. You might not like it, but that's how it is. I don't like you and your breed of money hungry hateful "Christians," but as far as I'm concerned you can spit out your bile until you're blue in the face. It's not my bag but I like that by the Constitution allowing you to do that it also allows me to tell you exactly what I think of you.

Apart from all this there is the FUNDAMENTAL issue you seem to be missing. Your values are not "American Values". They are the values of one segment of America. Don't forget that. You do not speak for us all. Additionally, you shouldn't be involving yourself in politics in the first place. The separation of church and state is not only an important American ideal, it is also one of the tenets that this country was founded on. And the point of putting that idea in the foundation was that it is supposed to prevent religious zealots from creating legislation based on their zealotry. The desire to escape societies who operated without this concept is, if you'll remember, why a good number of the original European settlers of this great land came here in the first place.

So, as far as I'm concerned, if you want to work 24 hours a day to make sure none of the scary homos get married in the Christian church, go knock yourself out. But do not presume to think that we ordinary Americans need you legislating what we can and can't do just because you don't like it.

Some guys love guys, some girls love girls. If you were living your life in as Christlike a way as possible (isn't that what you're supposed to do?) you would spend more time worrying about AIDS victims in Africa and starving children or stopping this horrible war (oh wait, you're a major war and Republican supporter. Dag).

Freedom is not yours to decide and hypocrisy is ugly,

Joe Welsh, a.k.a. Mr. Bumbles