Wiki Thanks
Germans were castigated for following orders, keeping silent and denying responsibility during the Nazi era and World War II. Julian Assange of Wikileaks and, apparently, a young soldier named Bradley Manning have broken the silence and borne witness as whistle blowers to the criminal and brutal actions of the United States in Afghanistan. Like Daniel Ellsberg, they have taken tremendous risks and are now in grave danger. I applaud Assange and Manning for their courage and integrity. What happens to them happens to all of us.
Moss Henry | Santa Rosa
Sorry, Haters
In the latest chapter of the battle over same-sex marriage in California, faced with Judge Vaughn Walker’s fact-based and eminently logical decision, opponents continue to froth at the mouth with the same tired catchphrases bandied about since the issue first ignited. These phrases—for example, “thwart the will of the people,” “preserve the sanctity of marriage,” “protect the children,” “will lead to polygamy and incest”—are carefully designed to sugar-coat or, by using fear or anger, to divert attention from what is truly at the heart of their objection: hate.
Defined by Merriam-Webster as “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury” and “extreme dislike or antipathy,” hate is clearly the reason behind the multimillion-dollar effort to prevent gay men and lesbians from marrying the one they love. Protest all they want about being labeled haters, their actions bespeak their true nature.
Although those of us who are the target of such hate are used to it, we are nevertheless sick and tired of it being enshrined in the laws of our country and state. Judge Walker’s annulment of Prop. 8 is a triumph for that most cherished of American values: freedom.
Dean Harpster | San Jose
