Letters to the editor for Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Stable child raising ultimate goal

A recent letter equated sexual preference to one’s choice of favorite ice cream. Though I respect one’s choice of ice cream and I respect one’s sexual preference, as in I will not discriminate against them, these “choices” have different consequences. She stated that “we can’t help who we fall in love with, whether it be strawberry or mint chocolate chip.” We can (free will/intellect — another letter).

The church and state have a vested interest in the institution of marriage, as the stable family is the building block of society. The protection of and the opportunity for the stable raising of children is very important for society. The safest and most “efficient” method for raising children is through the stable relationship between a man and a woman, therefore “marriage.” Does that mean we do not encourage monogamous relationships between other consenting adults? No.

As a physician, I would strongly encourage a homosexual couple, especially males, to maintain monogamy. Their health risks are significant with each additional partner, just as heterosexual couples increase their own personal risks by increasing their number of sexual relations. Some states believe that legalizing gay marriage weakens traditional marriage, thereby weakening the framework for raising children. Society should pursue methods to protect those of us seen as “rebels” and with different sexual tendencies from harassment, provide for their inherent respect and dignity, but without threatening the stable child raising environment. Otherwise, there may not be any young folks around to serve us our favorite ice cream!

Keith Shonnard

Carson City

Removing symbol doesn’t remove hate from hearts

America’s history is being destroyed. I feel because of these current events of the Confederate flag being labeled as a “symbol of hate” along with other age old Confederate statues and monuments being removed is an injustice to American citizens, and our country’s history.

If we continue to support the liberalism movement to remove things and/or items that may have deemed offensive, our nation’s historic antiquities of the past will forever be destroyed. In the recent past, other governments have systematically bleached items deemed “unacceptable to their cause, justified by their goal to achieve dominating control of the population. As a famous quote states, “If we do not learn from the past mistakes, we are destined to repeat them.”

If this liberal way of thinking is deemed logical, shouldn’t we also remove and ban the American flag? After all, before the Confederate states existed, didn’t our forefathers also own slaves?

Personally I find any and all symbols are acceptable to be displayed. I may not agree on the meanings or statement behind these symbols, but I do agree that everyone has the right as an American citizen to express their beliefs; this is promised by the First Amendment’s freedom of speech sentence — “Freedom to Express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction.”

In closing, We can remove any and all symbols deemed hateful by a group, but this will not remove the hate from the hearts.

Donald Jackson

Carson City