Mallory, as a member of your class, I will admit to you that I have a newfound respect for you. Unfortunately, the negative responses are quite saddening to read. With a woman like Faye Miller giving quite a hostile response to what you wrote, it just gives a bit of insight on the similar views in our town.
Faye Miller, you're saying that Mallory is a "poor, confused young lady" for stating her belief in equality was out of line. I was one of the many students who put forth a lot of effort to organize the Day of Silence. Obviously, you are the confused woman as it seems that you misunderstood the whole meaning of the event. Day of Silence is about bringing to light the abuse and hostility, ridicule, and prejudice that occurs, not only in my school, but in the town as well. The Day of Silence was not solely about homosexuality. It was about just what I stated; prejudice and hatred in general.
Did you walk the halls of WCHS last Friday or Monday? Did you know that any participant of the Day of Silence was made fun of or had "you're gay" shouted at them? That is exactly what the event was about. People treating their peers in this way for their different beliefs. And do you know that the participants of the Day of Silence kept silent all day, despite what was said about them to just prove the point?
Students walk the halls of school, every single day, listening to people say negative comments toward them or experience physical abuse from their close-minded peers, but do not report anything to the administration because they fear that nothing will be done or the judgment, like yours, they will receive.
Your misinterpretation of the Day of Silence is exactly what is so frustrating. As the organizers of the Day of Silence were not able to properly explain it, people assumed that it was solely about homosexuality. It is not though; it is about violence and prejudice in general. The participants were not "parading" around to force anything onto anyone. We were just demonstrating how anyone could be keeping silent about what they experience and living in fear.
I would also like to state one more thing, which I'm sure few would ever dare say to your face, even if they wanted to. Your God is not everyone's god. Your beliefs are not the same as everyone else's. You view the world the way you please, and I shall do the same.
To be fair, yes, I do think that the Day of Truth participants had their right to speak out against the Day of Silence because of freedom of speech. However, if I were to generalize their purpose, it seemed as though they were only protesting the Day of Silence, thus promoting violence and the hatred that is in the school.
Ma'am, I believe that everyone should be able to have their own views, but I do not believe that one should attack another for outwardly stating so, as you did to Mallory. That behavior contradicts your loving, peaceful, Christian demeanor. All you're doing is helping to add more to the hate. Since you only want to narrow the subject specifically to homosexuality, you do not know what kids my age have to go through because close-minded people, like you, react to them.
There are teenagers getting disowned by their families, killed by fellow students, and others that are committing suicide because they cannot deal with the hatred people like you express. You, personally, may not agree with the lifestyle, but does that mean that you promote violence as well? Do you want your grandchildren beating their classmates for being different?
Instead of wasting so much time hating, do as you preach and be the loving and forgiving person you're supposed to be.
Allie Cortez-Dodson
Warsaw, via e-mail
Editor's Note: This letter was edited to conform more closesly to the 500-word limit stated in our Letters Polcy.
