In a letter to the editor on Sept. 29, Ben McIntyre decided to take an important issue about the moral values of America to give us a letter, written without much care to common sense. The man’s written tome is so lacking of self-doubt that it was almost comical to see a person rant like some sort of bizarre rabid farm animal about something of which he clearly knew so very little about. While respecting the man’s right to uphold his religious preference, however grossly misdirected I feel that they may be, this man’s depiction of the majority of gay people is incredibly inaccurate. The vast majority of homosexual people are mentally same, productive, decent, hardworking, citizens who contribute in a positive way to their communities, places of worship, towns, cities and the nation as a whole.

Homosexual men and women come from all racial, ethnic, religious, family, political and economic backgrounds. Gay people’s ages, interests, tastes, habits, hobbies, and, yes, values are as varied and mainstream as most heterosexual people are.

McIntyre claims that gay people are destroying American families, yet homosexuals are a part of American families and more and more gay people are leaving the sexual libertine subculture and seeking long-term and committed relationships.

McIntyre also seems to feel that gay people simply want "special rights." Yet as a libertarian I can say that much of the so-called "gay agenda" is very much about some very basic unalienable rights such as equal protection under the law, and individual liberty.

As a 20-year-old young man I often hear the tale that my entire generation lacks good common sense. Yet when I see the struggle for individual liberty and equal justice under the law being bullied as "special rights" I wonder who lacks the common sense?

I have no beans to pick with the fact that McIntyre feels we need to have a discussion in our society over moral values. Yet, from reading his letter it seemed as if McIntyre simply wanted to use the legitimate debate over Americans’ morals and ethics as a backdoor to spreading a lot of sadly, rabid rubbish and nonsense.

Good copy at The Forum must be hard to come by.