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Nature and rights
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Jay Jarrell of Peters, in his Oct. 21 letter "Life Transmission," cites the Bible for his beliefs against same-sex unions. My response to that is found in nature -- not human nature, but the animal kingdom. There are more than 1,500 animal species that practice homosexuality. The most well-known is the dwarf chimpanzee, one of humanity's closest relatives. The entire species is bisexual. Lions also practice homosexuality as well as heterosexuality. Male lions band together with their brothers to lead the pride. To ensure loyalty, they strengthen the bonds by engaging in sex with each other. I could go on, but I am sure if someone wants to, they can research and find the information. The species does not die out. Both the homo- and heterosexual are accepted in these animals. Actually, a part of the natural world is hermaphroditic, truly bisexual. So, there goes the "unnatural" argument.
As for the religious argument, I can only look at the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as well as the Declaration of Independence, from which our country gets its principles and on which we base our laws. Our country was based on the principles that one particular religion would not be the basis of our laws. According to the Constitution, one's "rights" are not subject to popular vote, but freely given courtesy of the Constitution. Therefore to deny rights enjoyed by others based solely on even the majority's religious beliefs (and recent surveys say that most people agree that LGBT should have all of the rights that the rest of us enjoy) is un-American.
CHRISTINE KELLEY
Marianna
First Published October 28, 2012 12:00 am
