Why all the fear in New Hampshire?
After watching the Republican presidential candidates debate on Thursday night in New Hampshire–if you can call that constant barrage of negative outbursts a debate–I feel compelled to ask why there is so much fear among the Republican presidential candidates of gays and lesbians? Peppered throughout the campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire there has been an inordinate amount of time spent denouncing same-sex marriages, equal rights for gays and lesbians, domestic partnership issues and so on.
Of course, it is obvious that the candidates are playing to the religious Right and their well-funded and well-organized agenda. But beyond that, just what is it that these candidates are so “uptight” about when it comes to gays and lesbians?
Personally I am more fearful of crime in our streets and neighborhoods, drug dealers who are destroying our children and their future, not enough good jobs for people who need them and are willing to work, and the deterioration of race relations in America.
Quite frankly, I have never experienced fear from a gay man or a lesbian. Fear comes from lack of knowledge, and maybe Mr. Buchanan and the other Republican presidential candidates need to accelerate their learning curve when it comes to gays and lesbians. Then they could let go of their fear and get on with the other issues that concern all of us!
