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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 2000)
TI he CI ac I camas P rínt Opinion _______ L WEdNEsdAy, J anuary 26, 2OOO inspires campus debate ’There is a time and place for everything’ Dr. Donald Epstein, based merely upon human be rally, I mean no disrespect to ous that you know nothing sexual orientation. The last time liefs, there are so many diverse The Bible in any sense,, but its about homosexuality, as every I checked, instructors were to I wanted to write to you to religions and religious beliefs collections of religious beliefs one of your ignorant com serve as good role models for express my thoughts, feelings, in existence worldwide, and for and the science of psychology ments on the subject support students. A good instructor and opinions regarding your some odd reason, people such of sexual orientation are two such. In fact, people who are teaches the material from an ob offensive and ignorant state as yourself very different, anti-anything are ignorant in jective (not subjective) point of ment, “You’re better off dead feel as separate sub dividuals who speak of what view, encouraging students to than being a homosexual.” though it is jects which un they know nothing about. explore the realm of the subject Now, I admit, I am not famil perfectly ac fortunately, in Furthermore, such offensive at hand. All the while treating '...somebody has iar with you personally, nor ceptable to the eyes of many, comments show not only dis each and every student with the have I ever enrolled in any of use many of to stir them up' is seem to run par respect for homosexuals, but utmost respect he or she de your classes. I would also like the ignorant absolutely absurd. allel to each disrespect for people in gen serves. to mention that I have been told beliefs of cer other as far as re- eral, as seen by a heterosexual I feel as though I have relayed Chris M. by other students that you are tain cultures ligion and The student who filed a complaint my opinions on this matter quite Bartel a very thorough instructor, to back up Bible are con against you. I think your com successfully. Yes, I do agree that Student who teaches informative, inter your very cerned. Which is ment in the interview, and I everyone has a right to his or her esting classes. However, I own igno why your views quote, “...somebody has to stir own opinion, and yes, everyone highly admire Joshua rant preju on homosexual them up,” is absolutely absurd. is biased to some extent, includ Alexander for having the cour dices. Every ity should not be It is one thing to stir up a de ing me. However, there is a time age and self-confidence to body needs something to be included in your class lectures, bate in an attempt to force stu and a place for everything, and come forth and speak up on his lieve in, in order to obtain a regardless of the fact that a dents into a mode of critical the classroom is surely not the beliefs on the fight for gay feeling of purpose and self-ful vast number of people in his thinking and in-class discus place to incorporate the ignorant rights. I would therefore like fillment. Unfortunately, many tory have held the same igno sions. But doing so by means prejudices, using your subject at to express my opinions on this people, including you, have rant views toward homosexu of preaching your own igno hand as a scapegoat. I can re matter. After all, like you stated abused religion and used it as ality as you. The main theme rant prejudices is by far wrong. spect the fact that your personal in the Clackamas Print, every a tool of discrimination against here is ignorance, and that If anything is immoral and opinions include that of anti-ho one has a right to their opin people who are different and people should not preach about should be condemn, it should mosexuality, even though I do ion. hold different beliefs. Regard things they so obviously know be discrimination against ho not agree with you. After all, life First off, I am well aware of less of what The Bible says nothing about. I speak of his mosexuals in today’s society. would be boring if everyone the fact that certain religions about homosexuality, it is tory and religion only in the Good instructors are not depen agreed with everyone else on ev condemn homosexuality, and merely a book; merely one that context of its ludicrous accu dent on the subject material erything. But I can’t respect view it as immoral. However, many people irrationally believe sations regarding homosexual they teach, or the degree which your decision to state that, when you come right down to is the universal expertise in ity, which I will remind you has they have obtained. A good “You’re better off dead than be it, religion is based merely such matters. But being that, no supporting evidence what instructor is a person who ing a homosexual,” in an aca upon beliefs, and therefore The Bible not only discrimi soever, but based simply on never discriminates against demic setting. I feel my work here holds absolutely no authority nates against homosexuals, but people’s own ignorances and students for the way they are is done, class dismissed. or seniority whatsoever as to also degrades women, I do not the fear of what it really means (not the way they supposedly say what is right versus what find The Bible worthy of any to be different in a society that choose to be), whether it tar Chris M. Bartel is wrong. Because religion is reference-serving object. Natu strives to be alike. It is obvi gets their race, sex, religion, or Student Misely and Arter bring up ideas of respect in the class hank you for your very they should be so - not because ery 2,000 births. This alone, thorough coverage of they violate Jewish or Christian even discounting the huge the student complaint or Muslim or any other reli variation in the genetic make against Dr. Epstein. One of gious the doc up of the chro reasons he gave for making the trine. mosomes them remark he did is to stir things And what selves, suggests up, by which we take him to justification is And what justifi that normal hu mean that he wanted to gener there for ban cation is there for man sexual be ate a lively discussion of the ning homo havior is far banning homo issue. We thought we’d take sexuality more diverse him up on his offer. based on rea sexuality based on than we appreci In the course of the inter son and hu reason and hu ate. (A fascinat view, Dr. Epstein asserted that, man decency? ing article on man decency? according to the bible, “homo It is becoming this subject, sexuality is immoral” and increasingly Dave Arter which we recom therefore “should not be le difficult to Bob Misley mend, appears in gally right.” He is certainly en make a ratio Instructors the January, titled to his opinion that ho nal case. Ge 2000, issue of mosexuality is immoral, and to netic research Discover maga act on that belief by not engag is uncovering zine.) In fact, ing in it himself and even, po an ever more diverse biology of what research has been done litically incorrect though it human sexuality. We learned in on the subject suggests that might be, to try to discourage high school, for example, that human sexual behavior results others from doing so. But we males have an X and a Y chro from a complex interaction be believe that he goes too far in mosome while females have two tween an individual’s genetic arguing that the practice X chromosomes. While this is make-up and his or her experi should therefore not be legal. true of most people, in fact ences in life and that, once es Religious dogma is an unac more than 15 different combi tablished, sexual preferences ceptable basis, in and of itself, nations of the chromosomes are nearly impossible to for making law. There are, of governing human sexual devel change. course, many things that are il opment have been discovered. The corollary to this is, of legal that are also proscribed Each year 65,000 babies are course, that the strong aver as a part of religious doctrine, born that have neither the stan sion to homosexual sex that but they are illegal because dard male nor female chromo many people seem to feel is common sense and a decent re somal configuration - easily probably no less natural, but spect for the basic rights of all discernable intersexuality oc the strength of those feelings human beings convince us that curs in roughly one out of ev- is no more justification for ban- T ning homosexuality or discrimi justify, and therefore encour nating against homosexuals age, violence against gays and than the aversion some gays lesbians (a consequence we do and lesbians might feel for het not believe Dr. Epstein in erosexual sex is for banning tends). heterosexuality or discriminat As a man whose own culture ing against heterosexuals. It and religion have, over the seems to us that the most rea centuries, been subjected to sonable (not to mention hu the worst kind of discrimina mane) course for those who tion and violence, it is surpris feel strongly on the subject is ing that he does not display a to live and let live. greater degree of empathy. While we believe that Dr. What would his reaction have Epstein is entitled both to have been had an antisemitic in and to express his opinion and, structor remarked “you’re bet as a corollary, that the com ter off dead than being Jew plaint against him should be ish?” Even if he believes that summarily dismissed (and, by there is no right to sexual free the way, Joshua Alexander, the dom similar to the right to reli student who filed it, should be gious freedom, he cannot fail acknowledged for having the to appreciate the feelings of strength of conviction and the fear and alienation an assertion courage to raise the issue) we such as he has made generates. still feel that his remark was ill- Dr. Epstein, of course, has advised and unfortunate. Had the right to express himself in he said merely that he felt ho just about any way he sees fit. mosexuality is wrong, or that it It seems to us, however, that is or immoral, or that it should simple respect for the human be illegal, or that it is destruc ity that unites us all would tive to society, or even that it suggest that he be more cir is a tragic psychological disor cumspect in its exercise. der, this controversy would probably not have arisen. But Sincerely, to say that “you’re better off Dave Arter, dead than being a homosexual” Bob Misely is not only unnecessarily harsh Instructor of Physical Science and hurtful, it can appear to and Life Sciences
