I'm not wholly sure if I can explain things enough to satisfy A. B. Young of Virginia (see Readers' Opinions in Thursday's Sentinel), but I'll try. First, the lack of research was central to the point of my previous column. I know from e-mails I received that others didn't have trouble comprehending this. I tried to recall from memory the details of two different events that happened almost simultaneously.
One event, Matthew Shepard, I was able to recall like it happened yesterday. The Dirkhising case was very fuzzy in my memory because it did not receive one-tenth the coverage. And yes, I have heard of Google and I am aware of its capabilities.
As for pedophilia and homosexuality, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive. It is certainly possible to be both. I feel that the progressives wish they were mutually exclusive, but in my mind they are not. As in the case where Al Gore said the science of global warming is settled, you might also say your beliefs about pedophilia and homosexuality are settled. Many would disagree with you. Progressives have this nasty habit of making a statement and repeating it until they're convinced that it is truth rather than opinion.
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Jay McCaulley
I've worked at newspapers my entire life. I remember a huge front-page story that said "Scientist finds gay gene." The scientist who allegedly found the gay gene was himself gay. When the scientific community examined his work, they said it was laughable.
He was completely discredited, but that news story only warranted a small article on the back page. As a result, there are still people who believe in the gay gene. As for "TIME" magazine, I would sooner believe in the tooth fairy over anything "TIME" would write.
Saying that friends and relatives have kept the Shepard case alive is a bit misleading. Wyoming is one of our most sparsely populated states, ergo, it would be impossible for these people to keep it alive without the complicity of the main stream media.
I repeat: Progressives push their agendas using the First Amendment. They use it like a weapon to try to force their beliefs on the rest of us.
It seems unlikely that A.B. Young and I will reach any level of agreement on this issue, other than the fact that I, too, am glad the First Amendment offers me the opportunity to express my opinion.
Jay McCaulley is the production manager for The Sentinel. He can be contacted via e-mail at sentinel@lewistownsentinel.com.
