Letter -- Ray Shelton

Recently, two local students were honored for organizing a high school

“tolerance” assembly at Crescenta Valley for what, in fact, was an abject

failure. It was a failure because the organizers chose to ignore the

single group still facing official, sanctioned, governmental

discrimination.

Which group of American citizens is legally forbidden from employment

in the Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force and Army? Which group of Americans is

legally forbidden from marrying? Which group of American citizens is

legally forbidden from adopting children? Which group of American

citizens’ private life remains a felony in many states? Which group of

American citizens is attacked by all the major churches? Which American

citizens will receive no Red Cross assistance funds even though their

loved ones also died in the Sept. 11 attack? Which group of students

faces harassment on every school campus?

The answer, of course, is gay Americans.

Perhaps I am being too harsh on the student organizers. Perhaps it was

the school administrators who refused to include gay Americans in

“tolerance” day. I only say this because, which group of American

citizens is the only group not protected from discrimination in local

school contracts? You guessed it.

RAY SHELTON

Glendale