Discrimination is no value

Sat., May 9, 2009

The Spokesman-Review

In response to James Nelson’s letter of May 2: Which “traditional values” would he like us to defend? No voting rights for women and blacks? No Irish need apply in Boston? Whites only at restaurants, restrooms and drinking fountains? Segregated schools? How about putting all those American citizens of Japanese descent in internment camps?

I wonder if all those “well-off, intelligent, articulate, self-employed” gays had to get that way because they had to bootstrap themselves in the face of workplace discrimination.

At the risk of offending Mr. Nelson and those who think like he does, I think I’ll defend that traditional American value, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which guarantees “equal protection under the law.”

Meg McCoy

Spokane

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