Letter to Sally Kern

[MrsNormanMaine[$]]

An eloquent stating of why homophobic vitriol from our elected officials matters and should not be tolerated.

MNM

A letter to Sally Kern from a senior in high school in Oklahoma.
*******

Today my nephew attempted to deliver a letter to Sally Kern but was stopped by a highway patrol man. With his permission I am distributing the letter to all news stations and thought I would include it here.

Maybe we can all stand to learn a listen from this smart, loving, young man. He more than most has reason to hate. He lost his mother, my sister, in the Murrah Building bombing.

Elizabeth
( by way page 112 of the News9 Comment Section at http://www.news9.com/global/st... )


Rep Kern:
On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not had the chicken pox that day, the body count would've likely have included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.

That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He held his beliefs and made those who didn't live up to them pay with their lives.

As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you'll find one of them that will agree with you.

I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful, wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my mother's killer was a better person than a group of people that are seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.

As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you very clearly you are absolutely wrong.

You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they've been through. Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?

I've spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay students beat up and there's never a day in school that has went by when I haven't heard the word **** slung at someone. I've been called gay slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the suffering of some of your students?

Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for protection. They looked scared. They've already experienced enough hate and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at them and call them names. Afterall, you are a teacher and a lawmaker, many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and bloody because of what you said.

I wish you could've met my mom. Maybe she could've guided you in how a real Christian should be acting and speaking.

I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me graduate from high school this spring. Now she won't be there. So I'll be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more bombs and kill more people again. I don't want to be here for that. I just can't go through that again.

You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the memory of my mom. Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.

Sincerely

Tucker

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

[hadassahchana[$]]

Ok, I am just bawling. What a wonderful kid, and a great letter. Damn- words just can't express what a great job of writing that.

[theworm[$]]

His mom would have been so proud!

[rmthunter]

That is a terrific letter, the best response to Kern I've seen.

Pity it will roll off like the proverbial water off a duck's back.

[lynnzop[$]]

I'm tearing up...what a wonderful letter and brilliant young man. Wormie said it best, his mom would have been proud.

I know nothing about Kern or the issue, but even without that knowledge, I can see that this is a mature and thought out response. I wish for it to hit home.

[thinkerlady[$]]

Again what everyone has said. He has said some powerful things, but then he has experienced a powerful loss. I don't know about this Kern lady, but I don't think I want to either.

[MrsNormanMaine[$]]

For those who haven't heard why Sally Kern is currently in the news...

Oklahoma Rep Sally Kern speaks her mind

MNM

[thinkerlady[$]]

Well, it is like I said, I don't want to know her. That speech was ignorant.
I am very disappointed that she is in such a powerful position in OK. What is next on her list to dissect? Political parties? Religions? She has made herself a voice for hate, and should not be a public position.
She really has a lot of nerve claiming to have been a teacher for 20 years, now we know why she is OUT of education.

[rmthunter]

I especially like the part about "infiltrating" city councils.

Excuse me, Ms. Kern? That's called "elections."

[Magick1]

Amazing letter.

[rmthunter]

There are some doubts being raised in the blogosphere as to the authenticity of the letter, Tucker and even his aunt Elizabeth. My own take on it is, since we're in the realm of Truth-with-a-capital-T, everything in that letter is true for someone; nothing in Kern's remarks is true for anyone.

[theworm[$]]

If the letter is a fake it still brings attention to this woman's hateful talk. I don't like the idea of fakes being put out this way, and I wouldn't encourage it, but honestly, I had never heard this woman's name before. This letter brought her to my attention. If it's fake, it served its purpose. I'd like to think its real though.

[rmthunter]

The problem is that Right Blogistan will use that as an excuse to sweep the whole thing under the rug -- assuming they can find time away from their investigations of comments by Obama's grandmother's third cousin's boyfriend that might have something to do with Islam.

As it is, the likes of Matt Barber (one of the men at Concerned Women for America) and Peter LaBarbera (also known as Illinois' Wingnut Laughingstock whose extensive collection of gay porn is for "research") are talking about the "Homosexual Hate Groups" who are trying to silence poor, persecuted Christian Sally Kern.

So I suppose it really doesn't matter if it's fake or not.

[Helen_B[$]]

Poor Sally Kern. And here I thought that public schools were designed to turn kids into rampant consumers and an educated but docile work force, and all the while the schools had a REALLY subversive agenda in mind. I should so pay better attention.

[rmthunter]

I still can't get over the idea that we're "infiltrating" city councils by means of free and open elections.

Paranoid much?