To Jeff Reilly, who did not leave an email address, and to everyone else who has commented on this post:
You should read what I actually wrote. Nowhere is there a reference to an evil person, but rather to evil that was done, yes by both parties."Diversity?" Eeegads! I'm living in the middle of Manhattan and there's still not enough diversity to satisfy me! Barry and I thrive on it, but love of diversity does not require suffering fools patiently, as my neighbors know well. Moreover, living in New York certainly means you do not have time for such amusements.
I have never knowingly spoken or acted in a manner which restricted the freedom or belief of others, but I do not have to waste my time, or that of others, in discussion with individuals and groups displaying culpable ignorance, prejudice and their enjoyment of name-calling. I understand you yourself are not guilty of all of the previous, yet the "comments" posted are all off-target and do not suggest any interest in dialogue.
I'm not sure what you mean by "related actions," but I suspect it involves importuning, if not actually assaulting, the "noses" of queers. (as in, Oliver Wendell Holmes' "your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins") We don't have missionaries ourselves, and our cultural memory means that proselytizers from the straight world, and especially the religious world, represent great injury unimaginable to those who are not homosexual. For many of us, like Nicholas Gutierrez, the reaction tragically does not always remain reasonable.
I'm not sure I understand your point. Do you claim that the "evil" done by the woman was so great as to merit being tortured and murdered?
Do you believe the murderer should be excused for his reaction?
So basically what you're saying is that gays are such deranged creatues of passion that they really have no control over whether or not they brutally murder someone who disapproves of their lifestyle.
No?
The basic problem with your justification is that everything which you say about Gutierrez could also be said of someone who murdered a gay rights activist. It's not his *fault*. He was abused by his gay uncle. He just saw the activist, and he couldn't stop himself (from beating, torturing, killing).
The pressures which made Gutierrez commit murder may have been horrible. And no one has any real objection to your sympathizing with the victim of such pressures.
But explanation does not equal excuse. There may have been reasons why Gutierrez felt the need to beat, stab, and strangle a woman to death. Those reason were bad. That killing was abominable. That man must go to prison.
And if you think otherwise--I would really suggest a reality check.
"I'm not sure what you mean by "related actions," but I suspect it involves importuning, if not actually assaulting, the "noses" of queers."
...well, by your own logic, if I found your comments offensive, so I decided to--not just hit your nose, but *torture you to death*--well, the only appropriate response would be, "The one who did such great evil is dead". I did the *small* evil, killing you. You did the *great* evil, offending me and making me kill you.
Except I *wouldn't do this*. I know that even if you offend me, even if you offend me a *whole lot*, even if my feelings are *terribly hurt*, that doesn't mean it's okay for me to kill you. In fact, if I killed you, that would be *even worse* than your offending me!
I suspect you understand it in this case. I suspect you refuse to understand it if we replace "you" and "me", above, with "Mary Coleman" and "Nicholas Gutierrez".
WE CAN ALL BE THANKFULL THAT THE SHAME THAT OVERWHELMS YOU AND HAS MADE YOU THINK IN THIS TWISTED MANNER DOES NOT REFLECT ON THE GAY COMMUNITY OVERALL. SO MUCH HATE FROM ONE WHO FEELS SO INYIMIDATED. GOLLY I HOPE I DIDN'T OFFEND YOU.