It’s important for us as a people to possess the ability to label ourselves and others. We do it in an attempt to describe who we are. Never have I heard introductions, however, by sexual orientation. No one has ever said to me, “Hello, my name is so and so and I’m gay.” I’ve never replied, “Nice to meet you, I’m straight.” Nevertheless, we strongly feel the need to put a label on those who are considered different, especially by their sexual preference. Never once has a gay person attempted to convert me. So what’s the fuss about gay marriage? I’ve never been hurt by someone with a different sexual preference. I have never been straight-bashed. So many of us pride ourselves on being more sensitive to the gay community and even pretend to understand. Yet, the moment we hear that another human being wants to share their lives with their same-sex partner through matrimony, we deny those rights. We picket, and some of us dare say gays will burn in hell. We play God on the steps of courthouses, disrespecting human rights. Who are we to judge who should be happy and who shouldn’t? Jewel sang it best “…do you hate him cuz he’s pieces of you?” We are naturally afraid of uncertainties in life. Nevertheless, we as a people eventually learn. Whites were once legally segregated from blacks, something my generation has a hard time understanding. Black people fought for civil rights and were granted them, albeit terrible times and consequences. The gay community is fighting a civil rights battle of its own; gay citizens deserve to have the same rights as everyone else. The pursuit of happiness should remain one of the strong American staples of our society; our declaration does not state life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as long as you’re straight. Marilyn Pratt Portales Most Americans are rightly disgusted with the recently revealed images of Iraqis being abused by American soldiers. We believe that the values of our country call us to higher standards. Our contrition is a good thing. Admitting mistakes can lead to correction. George Will, no bleeding-heart liberal, wrote that war was the ultimate evil/mistake of the last century. If we are to avoid that judgment a century from now, we must courageously connect the sick cruelty we see in the short run to the long-term realization that war itself is always and everywhere cruel on a vast scale. Whatever we may think of a particular conflict, history chronicles the monumental unnecessary devastation of war throughout recorded time. And we’re at it again. What part of “Stop this insanity” don’t we understand? Kirby Rowan Portales