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October 14, 2004 Dear All Things Considered, I was highly offended by the comments of your guest, Alan Schroeder, regarding the last presidential debate held on October 13, 2004. Robert Segal asked Mr. Schroeder if there were any gaffes during the third debate. Mr. Schroeder agreed with Mr. Segal that Bush committed a gaffe by denying his comment about not caring about Osama Bin Laden. I would call that more of a lie than a gaffe. But what really made my blood boil was when Mr. Schroeder said Kerry committed a gaffe by referring to Dick Cheney's gay daughter. I disagree vehemently. How could it be a gaffe to bring up the Vice President's lesbian daughter when the question was whether homosexuality is a choice and the President just answered the question by saying he supported a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage? Isn't it very important for the public to know that the president supports a constitutional amendment that would discriminate against his own VP's daughter? I think it was not only not a gaffe and not used in a political way as Mr. Schroeder claimed but rather that the reference was highly relevant and crucial to the question being asked. Furthermore, what was wrong with bringing it up? Are the Cheney's ashamed of their gay daughter? If so, why did she appear at the Republican National Convention with her girlfriend, who by the way she cannot marry anywhere in this country except Massachusetts? Are they afraid the public may find out about her sexuality and then not vote for Bush because he is associated with the relative of a gay person? Are they afraid that homosexuality is not only a choice (Bush claimed he didn't know even though there is scientific proof that homosexuality is inherited and they have practically isolated the gene that proves it) but that it is also contagious? Mr. Kerry's answer in its entirety to the question about whether homosexuality is a choice showed compassion that has been sorely missing from this so called "compassionate conservative" we have as a president, was heart felt, and showed a deep understanding of what it means to be a minority in this country and to face discrimination and hardship due to the fact that so many state and federal laws are tied into whether or not you are married. And finally Kerry answered the question while Bush could only say he didn't know. How sad that Bush supports an amendment to discriminate against people solely because they inherited a gene. Maybe it would behoove Mr. President to find out and maybe he should get to know Cheney's gay daughter and ask her if she chose to be gay. I saw no problem with Kerry bringing up Cheney's gay daughter. Mr. Schroeder doesn't know what he is talking about. Mr. Kerry's comments were not used in a political way as Schroeder said. That would be like saying Cheney should not refer to the fact that Edwards is a lawyer because they use it in a political way. The public needs to know that the president supports discrimination against his own VP's daughter. It was not inappropriate to bring it up; it was necessary. The public needs to know the unknown depths of this president's mean spiritedness.Thank you for your consideration of my comments. I could say much much more but I will stop here. I hope you will publish my comments because I think they are very important. Sincerely, |