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Rights Oregon says, “Clog the K ettles.” Is this mean-spirited considering
the times or justified activism:
think it’s up to the individual, but I wouldn’t
donate to an anti-gay organization. It’s just
plain discrimination. There are lots of other
ways to contribute to the homeless and hungry.
I
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• • •
ou’re either for discrimination or you’re
against discrimination. You’re either for
clogging the kettles or you’re against clogging
the kettles.
I think it is justified activism, and 1 think
everyone should do what I do: G o to a novelty
shop, buy some phony bills, stamp “Gay Money”
on all of them, find as many kettles as you can
during your Christmas shopping spree and drop
them in each one to remind the Salvation Army
that discrimination will not be tolerated and
will come at a cost! Let’s roll!
Y
C hris S chleg el
Portland
• • •
his is a time, and a time of year, for tran
scendence above even our own oh-so-
important political-social agenda; the end of the
line of the clog proposed are the homeless, the
hungry, humanity direly in need of hope. Make
ourselves heard, yes, but know that a demon
stration of this sort in the midst of winter may
even have the effect of costing someone his or
her very life, and that’s no exaggeration....
I know I will be e-mailing everyone 1 know
across this great country of ours and letting them
know how I feel, and hopefully they, too, will
boycott any and all businesses that allow the
Salvation Army on their property until they
change their stance on discrimination against
gay men and lesbians. Something needs to be
done to get equal treatment in this country, and
the almighty dollar seems to work well, so we
need to use it as our voice.
C ameron N eil M ichaelis
Eugene
• • •
o we overlook injustice because they might
do some good.7 No.
They did what was right, then caved in to
right-wing extremists. There should be no
reward for perpetuating hate and injustice.
It’s enough that they use their tax-exempt
religious status to get free government services
already. Why should we voluntarily give them
more to use against us? Letting them know that
there is a cost to prejudice makes sense.
D
Portland
• • •
hat I think we should do is boycott the
stores that allow the Salvation Army to
beg for money on their property. Then the only
place it will be able to beg is on paid television
and radio ads.
W
Deacon Jose’s yellow roses for his patron saint.
The cows came home; now, Kevin is home.
Less than one-fifth have their quilts on dis
play. None are forgotten....
R ich K ibbons
Portland
Sin and virtue
To t h e
E d it o r :
e t’s talk sin and virtue, shall we? Two
people of the same gender fall in love
L
• • •
think the Salvation Army’s policies are
mean-spirited. Therefore, action against the
group is not only justified but necessary.
Because the Salvation Army is a religious
right-wing paramilitary organization, I think
even more drastic and dramatic action would be
justified. This clogging the kettles is pretty low-
key, after all.
And in case Just Out readers have forgotten,
it should be remembered that a few years ago
the Salvation Army right here in Portland told
a gay man in its addiction recovery program
that in order to stop being an alcoholic he’d
have to stop being gay, too. Even now, that
story makes me so mad I can think of a few
things besides fake money I’d like to stick in
their damn kettles.
I
C hristopher D . C u t t o n e
Beaverton
• • •
support and am actively promoting the queer
dollar campaign that Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays and Basic Rights
Oregon are involved with. In addition to clog
ging the kettles, I even have written a letter to
the Salvation Army’s national office.
T he fact that right-wing fanatics are coun
tering our campaign tells me what we’re doing
is coming through loud and clear. This year,
I’ve opted to donate to the Oregon Food Bank
and my affirming church congregation
because I believe in the spirit o f charity— free
from discrimination.
As a gay man, what is personal is political.
My history of giving reflects what I care about
and what is relevant to me. The Salvation
Army’s recent “outing” as an anti-gay extremist
Christian group is an attack on me and my
beliefs and my choice to be a responsible,
thoughtful citizen.
I look forward to a time when I can donate
to the kettles guilt-free. I look forward to a time
when the “biblical principle” that the Salvation
Army chooses to espouse is to love one another.
I know that one doesn’t hurt as much as it helps.
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H un ter J oos
• • •
originally was in favor of stopping my support
of the Salvation Army. But after reading
Marty Davis’ editorial and visiting the Basic
Rights Oregon Web site, I will send my usual
Christmas check and the $3 bill I printed off the
Internet. I always can hope help for all humans
might happen, even if the Salvation Army is so
open to right-wing pressures.
(Then, by the by, I am agitated at the
Human Rights Campaign for endorsing U.S.
I
S c o t t S eibert
B r u c e R ichards
I
R oger S teffani
Beaverton
T
Sen. Gordon Smith. I am leery of one-issue
organizations who are so narrowly focused as to
avoid looking at Gordie’s full record and saying
no more of his ilk, period!)
and forge a lifelong partnership: Now th at’s
sin.
Pat Robertson starts a campaign for the
Bloated Babies o f the African Outback, the
donations o f which are to buy a bush plane to
take relief to the suffering angels, and after
reaping the fat of Protestant guilt instead buys
a shuttle je t so he and other members of the
Christian Mafia can hip-hop over Africa
doing diamond business with Liberian terror
ists, whose real missionary zeal is to convert
warlords and ruthless dictators, and while
they’re still dizzy from the bang contract for
Portland
N EX T ISSUE: Will & Grace: Is it
on your ubest o f 2001 ” list, or
should it m ake a new year’s
resolution to get real? Respond at
www.justout.com. (D on’t forget to
include your nam e, city and
daytime telephone num ber.)
10 percent of the annual profits from the drug
trade, and who in his heart of hearts wouldn’t
deliberately help a little black baby across the
street if he could kick it there with a steel
toed boot: Well, that’s virtue.
Excuse me, Brother Robertson, but I lielieve
I’ll have to pass on snorting that fine white line
for Jesus. With my fallen nature as a heathen
and all, I guess I just fail to grasp the finer points
of saintliness.
R yk T ompkins
Central Point
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