LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Letters to LETTERS |
Dear Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non- addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all...and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 1999, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, choice of DTH/DBS satellite system, or sexual orientation of the wishee. (By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.) All silliness aside, best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year, Alan and Dagmar Henney Dear Editor: We write to voice our strong support for the decision by prosecutors in Wyoming to seek the strongest punishment possiblethe death penaltyfor the vicious murderers of Matthew Shepard. Log Cabin Republicans issued a statement immediately after the facts of Matthew Shepards killing were known, calling for the state of Wyoming to seek the death penalty against the killers. In addition to the hateful components of the killers motives, it was the most brutal crime committed in the state of Wyoming in recent memory. Seeking anything less than the strongest possible punishment allowed under state law would send a message to the world that Matthew Shepards life was somehow less valuable than the law demands, and would send a further chill through the gay and lesbian community across the nation. Regardless of the sexual orientation of the victim, such a heinous crime demands the highest punishment. Furthermore, judges letting gay bashers and killers off or giving them lenient sentences because the victims were gay is a serious problem in our judicial system. In 1991, Judge Terry McDonald (D) gave probation to a U.S. Marine in San Antonio convicted of beating a gay man to death. Referring to the victim, McDonald said, "the son-of-a-bitch got what was coming to him." To offer a reduced punishment to the perpetrators of the most heinous murder in recent Wyoming history not only profanes the memory of Matthew Shepard, it sets a frightening precedent which devalues the life of every gay person in America. We were disheartened to read of growing sentiment among gay activists calling for prosecutors to seek a reduced punishment for Matthew Shepards killers. They are forgetting the crucial importance of insuring that gay Americans receive full justice under the laws of this country, without exception. It is important to note that these same people who attacked Congress late last year for failing to pass a federal hate crimes law in the days after Matthew Shepards death are now advocating incomplete justice under existing laws. A federal hate crimes law, while a helpful and important tool, would not have saved Matthew Shepards life. But punishing his killers to the fullest extent of the law will send an unmistakable message to every gay basher in America that they had better think twice before trying it, or they will face the hammer of justice. Nothing could speak louder to the purveyors of hate. These depraved murderers, if convicted, must receive the maximum punishment, and in Wyoming that is the death penalty. Anything less would be a disgrace to justice and a dangerous legal and moral precedent. Signed, The Board of Directors of Log Cabin Republicans Dear CAMP Rehoboth, Although we are located in Delaware County, PA, we are an organization that serves the tri-state area (NJ, PA and DE) and you may want to include us in your list of resources. Lesbian Community of Delaware Valley (LCDV) is a social and support organization for lesbian and bisexual women in the Delaware Valley area. We meet each month at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Media, PA for potlucks and have several dances during the year. Our events are open to all women18 and over and are chemical and smoke free. Our web site, http://www.geocities.com/wellesley/6913, contains address and contact information. Sincerely, Laurie Pollack Webmistress, LCDV |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 9, No. 1, February 5, 1999 |