If you were inclined to engage in aberrant behavior and you claimed that -- in the words of Augusta Pride's Alejandro Wade-Coronado -- "We're not here to put anything in everybody's faces," which one of the following would you avoid?
A. Minding your own business
B. Keeping your sexuality out of the street
C. Holding a parade for 4,000 to 8,000 like-minded people
D. Practicing abstinence and live to be 100 years old.
Edward Rhodes
Augusta
Ignorance, hate and bigotry is alive and well in Augusta. Wouldn't Jesus be proud?
Let 'em do their thing. If you don't like it, you can (a) mount a protest by carrying signs along the route, or (b) boycott it by staying home and encouraging your friends to do the same. Those are the right ways to oppose them.
Or we could stand along the way and jeer at their outfits as tacky and poorly-coordinated which might make them cancel future years' parades out of sheer embarrassment. Hmm, now that I think of it...
Letters like this and the one from Mr Bernardi illustrate perfectly why Augusta has progessed very little in the last 50 year and will continue to be a backwater that major companies would never think of locating their headquarters in.
I still think we should go and make fun of their outfits, which will probably make them flee to San Francisco or New York.
Mr. Rhodes, "it" won't be in your face if you don't put it there.
If only we had flooded the streets and tried to become Little Venice of the South, this would never have happened!
When I was growing up, my parents preached no PDA. No public display of affection. A few years ago, we attended a Christmas concert in Charlotte. In the row in front of us there were 4 couples of men paired up. We were subjected to their very public display of their affection for each other. More of the in your face attitude. Had they have been 4 couples of male/females acting the same way, I would have been equally bothered.
So if the gay men assemble with no PDA, you will be OK with it? What level of PDA is acceptable? Holding hands? Arm and arm? Matching T-shirts that say "I'm with stupid"?
And I still agree with you DIXIEMAN, we should go and laugh. Like I said they may be wearing Overalls, a straw hat and a broom straw in their few teeth. They may have on Hoods and Robes. You never know. Lets go and laugh our butts off hahahaheheheh
Mr. Rhodes, what do these have in common?
Answer: Nothing, unless they are all examples of the ignorance and bigotry so prevalent among the Chronicle readers/posters.
A. Minding your own business
Maybe that's what most of the posters here should be doing.
B. Keeping your sexuality out of the street
You mean like all of the heterosexual couples who think it is okay to make out in the public (and I don't mea just kissing)? Maybe you mean the strip clubs on Broad Street in downtown Augusta. No, I know. You mean all of those girls who wear lingerie for outerwear, or REALLY tight and revealing clothing whenever they go out. If not, why are those considered okay?
C. Holding a parade for 4,000 to 8,000 like-minded people
Hey, that sounds like a community event. If there are 4,000 to 8,000 people who show up then that's a pretty sizable portion of the community.
D. Practicing abstinence and live to be 100 years old.
Uuhh ... do you have any data to support this? If so, why do you mention it only in reference to homosexuals? Why don't you post a letter prescribing this for everyone?
Why do they keep posting this stuff?? It's a parade. Get over it. We are citizens too.
Jeez, who cares? Worry about your own life if you want to worry.
Ignorance, hate, bigotry?
I'm not ignorant that this is a deviant/ abnormal lifestyle.
I don't hate those who practice it, I hurt for you because you have allowed yourself to settle for it.
I'm not a biggot for having an opinion that differs from yours, one that's based on the way the human body is designed.
I wouldn't want to have my tax dollars wasted (police and city money required to have a parade) nor be inconvienanced by having to go around roadway changes for a parade of something like this.
This 'gay' thing must be REALLY bad for so many folks to want to hide it.
orgpsych, you're sure pushing hard for this display. What's that all about?
"Ha, ha! Your shoes don't match your purse! And a paisley top with plaid pants? Puh-leeze..."
J.C., I am in favor of human dignity. I am in favor of every American having available to them the rights granted and guaranteed under the Constitution.
All that I have seen here is expressions of hate. People say they hate the sin, not the sinner. Then they proceed to try to make the sinner as miserable as possible. If that goes too far they justify the outcome with a "well, they should have known better" kind of response.
Let me remind everyone that it was not long ago that, no matter how educated or intelligent, or well-spoken you were, if you were a minority you were less than human and therefore deserving of whatever misery you experienced.
It wasn't that long ago that, no matter how intelligent, well educated, or competent you were, if you were a woman you were only marginally better and you didn't deserve to work or have any kind of career at all. You only deserved to get married and take care of your children. If your husband beat you, that was just the way it goes.
Times have changed (although some people haven't). Today we have minorities in every working profession. We have women in every working profession. They are smart, capable, competent, and, at times, indispensible. They contribute to society in many ways and, should their contributions be removed, society would suffer greatly.
Now here's a group that also contributes to society in many ways. They typically live their lives quietly, like the rest of us, and make good neighbors. They are generally active in the community. The absence of their contributions would also hurt society. Yet they cannot be who they are. They cannot enjoy the full measure of what it is supposed to mean to be American.
I don't particularly enjoy seeing a same-sex couple making out in public. I also don't particularly enjoy seeing a hetero couple making out in public. But these are the more extreme behaviors. The common every-day actions like holding hands or walking arm-in-arm down the public street are also forbidden.
You say thaty you hate the sin but love the sinner, yet you abuse them at every opportunity. How un-Christian of you. How un-American of you.
That, J.C., is what this is about.
In the bible it states that a man is not to lay down with another man,thats good enough for me.
Confederate, It does. In Dueteronony if I am not mistaken. You know, the Old Testament that was revised by Jesus with the New Testament. Specifically the Apostle Paul's statement "For he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Is that good enough for you too?
Shouldn't you be watching the 700 club? Your mentor Pat Robertson does the same thing, hiding his hatred behind Biblical quotes.
Dominion, your quote is misapplied. Your personal attack is tacky. If you want to plead the cause of having the parade, then you can't get into the gutter. If the gutter is what you want then this discussion is basically over.
yea love your brother as yourself,but it doesn't say have sex with him
yea love your brother as yourself,but it doesn't say have sex with him
First it was a "lifestyle expression". Then it was a "lifestyle choice" worthy of special rights". Then it was "God created me this way, get over it". Then it was embrace my lifestyle or be guilty of a hate crime". Then it was "we have a right to educate your children about our lifestlye". They now have the right "to tell churches what they can preach". Then they "refine Biblical sin". Then they have become "comparable (here) to established religion". I think they may have their own religion and their "god" is Satan. When this parade is allowed, the X Mart will follow close behind. But what the hey, Rome became an "all inclusive, progressive neighborhood as well. Almighty GOD will sort the "wheat from the chafe". On will create life and the other will be thrown in the fire.
Adultery, Gluttony, Envy, Strife, Homosexuality, Murder, Stealing, False Witness, Coveting are a part of our everyday American life. "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people". Augusta does not care. America does not care anymore. We murder innocent baby like "flies". We "exalt" a lifestyle that does not sustain the existent of human life. I think SATAN has picked a pretty good scam to destroy humans. Kill when they are in womb and destroy their will to reproduce.
Deke has no choice on this one. But this is America and we have "few choices" left. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, declared " We will obey man's laws until they conflict with God's laws. Then we will follow God's laws". It was good enough for this 20th Century "Moses".
Wow! Talk about a parade! The parade of ignorance on display in this thread (and the other one regarding the Gay Pride parade), is simply astounding in this day and age.
For one thing, whether you choose to believe it or not, there *does* exist a wall of separation between Church and State, and that basic principle has been upheld time and again in the courts of this country. So bringing your religious beliefs, concerns, scripture, etc into the discussion accomplishes absolutely nothing. Additionally, it's not something that can come into play when approving/denying that the parade take place. If you have a moral objection to the parade, that's your right. Just don't go to the parade. It's really that simple!
And please don't waste your prayers, homilies, etc on me. You should really use those prayers on your fellow Christians, as some of them are apparently too blinded by hate to even follow what your "good book" says. "Love thy neighbor"...unless they're gay?
Religion should play no part in Deke's decision whatsoever. The Constitution is the only law that needs to be applied here. The gay community does not support or promote any violence, so there should be no worry about this parade. If your religion does not agree with the practices of homosexual individuals, and you want your voice to be heard, then protest.
I moved to Augusta a little over a year ago, and this week made the decision to move back to Atlanta. After seeing these letters in the paper today I am sure I made the right choice. This is the most arrogant, rude, backwoods, ignorant city I have ever been to and I am so glad to be leaving. The city is filled with strip clubs and empty buildings, and they want to charge for parking, there are bigots and racists at every turn. Augusta will never, ever, become a desirable area for people who see a bigger picture in life. You can have your small town, creepy lives, I am getting the hell out.....
We should all fall back on those sacred letters "WWJWD"...what would John Wayne Do!
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