Dan,

Anger and etc are apprecaited. But, really, I think you're getting righteous and angry - with good reason - at a small minority of people in this country.

Perhaps I'm unusual - most of the people I know don't have an issue with gays adopting kids. But then I'm choosy about my friends.

$600? Man, right now Michael Jackson is kicking himself for overpaying.

Brian: thanks for being awesome!

I checked your linked webpage to see where you are, and you seem to be in Bremerton.

The subject asshole, Debra Maggart, is from Kentucky. As someone who lived in Lexington for six years I can tell you: Ms. Maggart is not in the minority there. I'm also choosy, and was occasionally surprised to find that friends - even gay ones! - often defended opinions like Maggart's, frequently under the guise of "well it's better for any child to have a mom and a dad and why should adopted kids get shortchanged.." blah blah blah.

And Kentucky is just a little sliver on the map.

I think if someone were to gather the appropriate statistics they would show an incredible amount of damage done to children by nuclear(mom/dad) parents. Even in a spin free zone apparently 90% of fuked up kids have straight identifying parents. Though only 40% of them are still married to each other.

According to my paraphrased statistical analysis gay marriage and gay parenting are the only way to save the children of America.

Brian, I think the reason that he's getting angry at this "small minority" is that it's not that small, and it has been organizing intensively for the past decade to attack gay adoption, and it's having some success, and the battle has just begun.
It will never end, either; regardless of how often the Christianist kooks lose individual battles, they'll keep coming back, and keep getting elected. Even if the Republicans get slaughtered on all fronts in '06 and '08, it will be a real struggle to make the struggle for gay adoption two steps forward, one back instead of one step forward, two steps back.
These people think long term. And they're strong enough in their political activism to get results even if they're a minority.
That's why Dan's a little agitated.

Brian: thanks for being awesome!

Um, okay. Just saying how I feel.

I checked your linked webpage to see where you are, and you seem to be in Bremerton.

The company is in Bremerton. I live in Wisconsin. I was raised in Oklahoma, lived for a while in Texas. I've been here, I've been there.

As someone who lived in Lexington for six years I can tell you: Ms. Maggart is not in the minority there.

I wonder if the percentages of screwed up individuals in small places vs large urban areas are the same? It sure is easier to get noticed in small towns.

Brian, I think the reason that he's getting angry at this "small minority" is that it's not that small, and it has been organizing intensively for the past decade to attack gay adoption, and it's having some success, and the battle has just begun.

I don't say you're wrong. I do think that gay adoption (can we drop the 'gay' yet?) and aasorted gay civil rights (can we drop the 'gay' yet?) are here to stay.

Don't just stop fighting of course and call it a day. But it is hard to see how it can backslide, all things considered.

Oh no, I really meant like, "hey, thanks for liking us gays".

Okay, it still sounds like I'm being an asshole. I mean, "you sound like a nice person".

I'm with Dan on this one. Any time a gay person steps out of line- especially in regard to marriage, children, or any of the right wing's stranglehold issues- gay people as whole are held up as morally suspect.

It's B*S*. First of all, the vast majority of crimes against children, of spouse abuse, etc. etc. are comitted by straight people. And second, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with straight people either. It means there's something wrong with this foolhardy way of assigning blame to a class of people when clearly individuals are responible for their own morality or lack there-of.

By the way, Kyle Huff was a straight white guy. Damn him and his sick race.

Brian, go find the Urban Archipelago, and look at all the states shaded in red. Those would be the places you'd find people en masse rallying against gays adopting children. Perspective, living amongst a better educated, more liberal crowd, is what leads you to think it's a minority opinion, much like many people in Seattle.

It's a popular stance all over the South and midwest, even in parts of California. I even saw it in Las Vegas, which you'd think would be one of the more liberal cities in the country. My born-again Christian mother, back in Vegas, thinks gays are an instrument of Satan and will burn in hell. As you may have guessed, I strongly disagree, but I'm only one guy.

Gomez Brian, go find the Urban Archipelago, and look at all the states shaded in red. Those would be the places you'd find people en masse rallying against gays adopting children. Perspective, living amongst a better educated, more liberal crowd, is what leads you to think it's a minority opinion, much like many people in Seattle.

I live in Wisconsin. It's blue but only because of Madison and Milwaukee. I live in the deep red bit south of Green Bay. I've lived in East Texas. I don't see it as bad as you paint it. Maybe it is and I don't get out enough, or I'm foolishly optimistic.

Gumke Okay, it still sounds like I'm being an asshole. I mean, "you sound like a nice person".

I, of course, think I am a nice person, but thanks. Do note it's not 'liking gays' per se - I like a lot of people, race, gender, what you do, how you do it, how many you do it with are irrelevant. Whatever.

I don't suffer fools gladly. This does lead people to the wrong conclusion, sometimes.

Debra Maggart is a Rep in Tennessee, not KY. As far as narrow-minds, about the same.