But we also need our signs and protests. We need our fist shakers to draw the attention. We need to show that we aren’t going to take it or back down. Both are very, very important to the cause.

You have to keep in mind some people will never change their minds and being nice or being abrupt won’t make a difference. But we have to keep it up in an effort to make sure their hatred won’t spread downwards and into the future.

That is why it is so important for us to put a human face on the GLBT community. It’s a lot easier to deny rights to “one of them.” It takes a much stauncher bigot to deny rights to “one of us.”

Even if Sen. Fulcher remains a staunch bigot, surely most of his constituents are not.

It’s easy to get lured into strident speech when one is angry and disappointed. But the cure for ignorance is knowledge, not hatred. A stranger is no longer strange once he or she becomes a familiar and, perhaps, friendly face.

Rallies, protests, petitions, effigy burnings all have their place to draw attention to a cause. But they draw attention, they don’t change opinions. I’m convinced that many more opinions are swayed by lunchtime conversations and acknowledging ourselves to friends.

Maybe I’ve been huffing something, but I like it.

Is anyone else getting sick of our enemies being allowed to say things such as “I feel” and “I look at it this way”?

I don’t *care* what you feel. I don’t *care* how YOU look at it. Show me some research to back up your claims, darn it, or you’re just using legislation as a giant baby blanket for ignorant and insecure people.

Hello Russ,

It’s your favorite constituent again. There is a print hearing on Friday concerning the Idaho Human Rights Act Amendment and unless I am mistaken, you are on this committee. I would like to see you vote for a public hearing on this.
The amendment would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It will allow people who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender to have the basic security in their employment and other areas by making it illegal to fire someone simply because they are gay or to otherwise discriminate in areas of education, housing, and public accomodation.
This is NOT about “Special” rights. This is about equal rights and this should at the very least get a public hearing.

Here are two quotes from James Madison (the father of the constitution).
The Federalist No.51 February 6th 1788:

“Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure.”

“In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign, as in a state of nature where the weaker individual is not secured against the violence of the stronger.”

Come on Russ, at the very least, vote for a public hearing.
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You don’t listen to a damn thing anyone has to say.
Thanks for voting to kill the human rights bill. Guess your not much on human rights. How disappointing, “I got mine. screw everyone else”
Typical “Good Christian” attitude.
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I doubt he’s going to reply to me this time.