Dear Abby on gay rights, gay couple kicked out mall and theocracy

Issues in the News:

I. Daniel Chesmore and Jose Juzman, a gay couple, were kicked out of a mall in Roseville, California for holding hands and kissing. The security guard stated he counted them kiss 25 times, which is, very weird act to do on his part.

The guard lied and stated that the mall kicks out everyone who kiss and hold hands, though an undercover investigation found this not to be true at all. Pathetically the mall defended the bigotry of the guard, until the community outrage became too great.

II. There are comic booklets  handed out in military bases by chaplains and commanders (in violation of military rules) that are anti-semitic and anti-Islamic.

Look, if someone wants to believe that Jews/Muslims/atheists like me, etc, are all going to some afterlife to burn because we don't happen to believe in one of the thousands of gods that have been worshiped throughout human history, fine. Just don't abuse your authority to do so.

III. The Officer Christian Fellowship is an organization that basically promotes theocracy in the U.S. military. While I didn't have a choice in basic training in picking a dog tag that said atheist, these guys are involved on bases in pushing their dogma on young trainees. This organization has stated it "will not allow the opposition, all of which is spearheaded by Satan, to thwart or prevent us from regaining territory for Jesus Christ and the U.S. military.”

So when people like me or the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers  or the Military Religious Freedom Foundation or Chris Roda work to ensure the civil rights of atheists, agnostics, Jews, Muslims and less devout Christians in the military, we are led supposedly by this satan. By the way, if you want to fight the religious right-wing loons in the military, please think about joining those organizations.

IV. I want to print this column by Dear Abby. It was written decades ago.  It's not one of her longest columns, in fact, it might be the shortest she ever written. But, no wiser words were ever written in response to a letter. Enjoy.

Dear Abby: Two men who claim to be father and adopted son just bought an old mansion across the street and fixed it up. We notice a very suspicious mixture of company coming and going at all hours—blacks, whites, Orientals, women who look like men, and men who look like women. This has always been considered one of the finest sections of San Francisco, and these weirdos are giving it a bad name. How can we improve the neighborhood?
—Nob Hill Residents

Dear Residents: You could move.

By the way, here are other letters by Pauline Phillips, or Dear Abby, in support of gay rights. She wrote in another letter, "Sexual orientation is not a measure of anyone’s humanity or worth. Thank you for pointing out how important it is that people respect each other for who they are, not for what we would like them to be.”

Finally, if you want to support gay rights, please visit the website of the Human Rights Campaign or PFLAG.