Dear Editor:

The pursuit of happiness. There is no other phrase in our Constitution or its preamble that better encapsulates what American freedom is about. The freedom to think, speak, associate with, or believe what we wish; are all protected under our liberal Constitution. The Constitution protects us from infringements of these freedoms from our government, and also from those who may be scornful of the exercise of our sacred American freedoms.

The celebration of Gay Pride is an example of our enjoyment of our freedom to pursue happiness. The freedom to be who you are. It is important to recognize that this celebration of LGBTQ rights and liberties are the very same freedoms we wish for ourselves. When we allow a minority of loudmouthed bigots to intimidate us into chipping away at the freedoms of others, we put our own at risk.

How long will it be until we find ourselves in an out of favor group and subject to the same persecutions that the LGBTQ community suffers today? Is it possible that any of us would be oppressed because of who we are? Our religious beliefs, our race, our associations, our opinions? Anything can make us the focus of hatred and bigotry.

We do not have to like our neighbor’s lifestyle, but we do not have to participate in it either. In our liberal democratic republic, such tolerance is essential to the successful exercise of our freedoms. The alternative is a spiral into oppression and violence and the end of our American experiment in self governance.

Speaking as a veteran, these freedoms are worth fighting for because if we do not fight for the freedom of every American, we put our own freedoms at risk. To give in to this sort of bigotry is an affront to those who gave their lives for our freedom. It is therefore our patriotic duty to not let this belligerent minority hide behind the cross or flag as they pursue their hateful agenda. Let us recognize them for what they are, simple bigots who do not understand or appreciate American freedom.