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Letter: Nellie Witcher
People do as they want
Sunday, July 15, 2012
I am 67-year-old African-American woman, and I have seen a lot of changes made to the constitution — to the way people see the world and each other specifically right here in our own backyards.
• In the 1960s, led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and with the support of President Lyndon Johnson, African-Americans won passage of civil rights and voting rights legislation.
• In the 1960s-70s, led by writer Betty Friedan and journalist Gloria Steinem, a movement was organized that helped change laws and traditions to give women the chance to compete equally with men in business and education.
• In 1992, a new generation of Native American leaders organized to defend the rights the government had promised in various treaties with tribal groups. They used the court system to regain control of tribal lands and water rights. They used the legislative process to get the assistance they needed to house and educate their people. The first Native American to be elected to the Senate was Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
These are just a few examples of the changes the people of this country have made when they join together to make a difference. They didn’t fight for these freedoms because they were told not to or vice versa; they did it because it was right, because all humans are exactly that — human beings —and they should be treated as such.
Moving on to my point, there have been a lot of people who have blamed the president’s views on gay people for why so many are coming out of the closet. Truth is, whether we like it or not, the world continues to evolve and as people, we must do the same. I’m not saying that being gay is right or wrong, that they are going to heaven or hell. Here in the United States, where freedoms are supposedly guaranteed, they have a right to love who they want to. In the end, they answer for the things they have done, just like each one of us has to.
Belittling, mocking, beating or just plain ignoring people because they do not adhere to your beliefs will not change how they feel if they are truly committed. Whether the president sided with them or not, gay is still gay. Just as black is black, white is white, red is red and so on. Let’s not forget how people used to be vocal about mixing the races, blacks and whites, Hispanic and whites, etc. Now mixed races are too numerous to count, right? Why? Because people are going to do what they choose to do. Their freedom of choice allows this to happen. For those narrow-minded individuals still against mixing races, I challenge you to bring forth a single individual who is not mixed, be it of origin or color.
I would like to say live and let live because ultimately it’s up to the Lord to judge each and every one of us.
Nellie Witcher
Martinsville
