Sheryl,

I do have gay relatives in my immediate family, not my children, but in my family I grew up with. More than one.

My point was, I find labeling and defining people in groups, categories, such as gay, Christian, left, right, liberal, conservative promotes hatred and could lead to violence. I could switch your statement around and say, 'if you had a conservative Christian for a son, maybe you would understand the feelings stirred up by the blatantly unsubstantiated cover of Newsweek.' point is - no one should be bashing anyone else on the cover of magazines with false headlines. It's blatantly provocative. or..

If the next cover of Newsweek says, 'gay marriage rights are dead' ....your reaction would likely be something like ....'says who?' How many Americans did they talk to to get that headline? Who was the authority to decide this is so?

It is assumed that if you are a certain "category" of person, or belong to a certain group, that it follows that you are a whole list of things. Chances are that list would include false assumptions, [lies] and it would be insulting. Life is one long high school. Gay marriage and stem cell research are two of the most prominent examples of what has caused serious division in our country.

I'm an individual, hatred does not motivate me, it's not my job to figure all of this out or to bash people who don't see it my way.. We'd all be better off if we focused on what we can positively give to society, not on angrily attacking anyone who doesn't have the same values. Gay marriage has been given many chances; that's a result of our constitution. It will continue to be in litigation. In Iran, according to their leader as he spoke in our country. "we have no gays."

America tolerates and saves everyone. We are going to destroy from within, and it will be the left/right division that does it. nothing good comes from hatred, division and condemnation.

So you will be tolerant if the independent militias in Idaho protest big government? It is irrelevant that the majority doesn't share their values
right? They have a right to live freely also. correct? No, I'm not comparing gays to militias, i'm comparing the reasoning .

This country hasn't even seen the radical right..except in Oklahoma city. So far they are defined [ridiculously so and with prejudice] as people of faith, but not all faiths, mostly Christianity.

People of faith have done much to accept gays into their churches in the last 30years or more. Society has not reciprocated. This is demonstrated in excellent fashion by the cover of Newsweek - tabloid.

paula