Concerning Bigotry

I recently read a letter to the editor in the Appleton Post Crescent, my local newspaper. It drew my ire and my first letter to the editor in response. I was a little wordy, and exceeded the 300-word limit by many, many words. I am copying the initial letter from the bigot, my 300-word response and my initial response in this note in hopes that it reaches Perry Bovee through the 'verse as well as the newspaper. My facebook friend list doesn't include people like Perry Bovee, and for those of you in my list, you have seen enough of my posts that if you were in absolute disagreement with me you would have unfriended me long ago. You may not always support my opinions, but you have given me the respect to voice them and still allow me the value of your friendship. I ask that you pass this along to as many people as you can in hopes that it reaches Perry Bovee or other people of that mindset.

Stay shiny,

Eric Ramey

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Perry Bovee Letter:

On Sept. 7, Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna and Human Resources Committee Chair Alderman Curt Konetzke took it upon themselves to fundamentally change the moral values of the city of Appleton.

Even though Finance Director Lisa Remiker stated there was a $250,000 gap to balancing the budget, they recommended giving taxpayer-provided benefits to same-sex domestic partners at an additional cost of an estimated $100,000.

Fair Wisconsin, a gay-rights advocacy group from Madison, urged the Common Council to adopt the new rules before Wednesday's vote. How did they find out this was on the agenda? Why was there no one present to speak against it?

In a telephone conversation with Ald. Jeffrey Jirschele, I found out this topic was discussed at two previous Common Council meetings and he wondered why The Post-Crescent "didn't pick up on it."

It appears that Hanna, Konetzke and others conspired to shove their homosexual agenda down the throats of Appleton taxpayers without giving us the opportunity to voice our opposition.

Fortunately, we have this forum: Gentlemen, please explain to us why it was more important to give taxpayer-funded benefits to same-sex partners instead of balancing our city budget?

This cancer must be killed before it spreads. Fortunately, Wisconsin statute 9.20 provides a way to overturn this immoral and fiscally imprudent policy through direct legislation by referendum.

We intend to make this the signature campaign issue for Hanna, mayoral candidate Konetzke and the aldermen up for re-election in April by putting this question to a referendum: "Shall the city of Appleton provide taxpayer funded benefits to same-sex domestic partners?"

We expect that Fair Wisconsin and other homosexual rights groups will invade Appleton to fight us. We look forward to the battle.

Perry Bovee,

Appleton

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My 300-word edited response to Perry Bovee:

Perry Bovee, I’m calling you out concerning your letter about Appleton City Employee Benefits. To be clear, I am a heterosexual male.

You hide behind the tax payer, and allude to budgetary misappropriation. Those funds aren't morality choices, but benefits due. Your obvious intent is to strip benefits using discrimination. If those benefits are not policy, morality requires them to be. Appleton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If benefits you desire to withhold are afforded to that position, they are afforded regardless. Advocacy groups should not remind us about the rights of our citizens. Denying rights places you in violation. You may argue homosexual marriage is illegal. A legally binding, civil contract two people voluntarily enter with intent to honor each other, (marriage), heeds no regard to sexual orientation and is honored for the agreement it is. Opposing a right we are all afforded is an immoral choice. The majority vote for a discriminatory law denying rights to specific people cannot morally be upheld. Humanity has paid for intolerance. Did you forget our neighbors and ancestors have died and continue to die, fighting for human rights? That's why we extend those benefits to everyone.

You “look forward to the battle” with the “cancer that must be killed”. That cancer is your Appleton neighbors. Understand your language incites hatred. Everyone reading,  recognize the hostility of intolerance and stand up to it. People in authority abusing morality and denying rights shouldn't be supported. Leaders backing discrimination should be removed and prosecuted. Recognize bigoted, fear-mongering, and eliminate its voice. Freedom of speech is not preaching intolerance expecting us to afford you consideration of your misguided morality. I don't welcome your discrimination or skewed morality. Shame on you, and whomever stands with you. Your statements and intentions are reprehensible.

My name is Eric Ramey.

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My initial letter of response:

Perry Bovee, I'm calling you out concerning your letter about Appleton City Employee Benefits. I find your letter comes across as bigoted and fear-mongering. To be clear from the start, I am a heterosexual male. I say this because I think it matters to you. If I was simply some gay on a rant I believe you would use that as an excuse to ostracize this. It is my hope you take it to heart.

I admit my first instinct was to rally the mob and chase you out of town with pitchforks and torches, but I'm reminded that we live in a world that we share with a wide variety of people and we must deal with each other reasonably and without hatred, force or bigoted fear. Shame on you for hiding your intentions behind a concern for the tax payer and alluding to budgetary misappropriation. If your claim is true, those funds are not extemporaneous expenses, they are benefits due those employees and should be considered as part of the budget. Your obvious intent is to strip their benefits through discrimination and misdirection.

Your opening statement claims that this is a fundamental change to the moral values of the city of Appleton. I concede that has merit only in the fact that if those benefits are currently not in practice then we are morally required to make that change to support those employees. I'm not even going to check my accuracy, but I assume what you seemingly wish to ignore; the City of Appleton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. I understand this to mean people are hired on the basis of their ability to perform the task that will be assigned to them. They are not discriminated against by race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or political affiliation. If the benefits that you desire to withhold are afforded to someone holding that position, they are to be afforded to everyone in that position regardless.

There should be no need for an advocacy group to tell us that we should be upholding the rights of our own citizens. We should be doing that of our own accord. If you deny those rights to someone because they are black, white, female, republican, islamic, homosexual or any reason, then you are in violation of that practice and your concern of moral injustice is of no concern to us. I understand that you may argue the point that a homosexual marriage is not legal and should not be honored. I hold the opinion that a legally binding, civil contract that two people voluntarily enter into with the intent of honoring each other, (aka marriage), heeds no regard to the sexual orientation of those participating in that agreement, and it should be honored for the agreement that it is. To oppose such a basic right that we are all afforded is an immoral choice. It does not matter that a majority of people voted for a discriminatory law that unjustly infringes the rights of an entire group of people. A law enforcing discrimination cannot, and should not, be upheld or given just consideration. I ask this of anyone, if your moral code is telling you that selectively eliminating the rights of a specific group of people is your obligation, please question that reasoning. Our entire timeline of human history has seen the results of intolerance. No one in this country should ever have cause to forget that our own citizens and ancestors, have died and continue to die, fighting for our human rights. Because of that fight, intolerance is making it's way out of our lives, but it is a slow retreat.

I hope this reminds you why we should uphold tax-payer funded benefits to the employees of our city. I find it remarkable that this point requires further explanation, and that attitudes of discrimination such as this persist.

Perry, you state that you "look forward to the battle" with a "cancer that must be killed", but that's not cancer. It's your neighbors and they live here in Appleton with you. I'm certain you understand your choice of language is specifically used to incite fear and stir emotions negatively. I call on everyone to look within themselves and stand up to this hostility and recognize it for what it is. Stop hiding behind doctrines that preach intolerance toward the people you live your lives with. People in positions of authority that abuse morality and deny basic human rights to others should not be supported. Leaders who back discriminatory policies should be removed from these positions and shamed for supporting intolerant behavior. They should be called out for the bigoted fear-mongering, and these people should be removed from their podium. Freedom of speech does not award you the right to preach intolerance with the expectation that we will listen to your venomous tirade and afford you any consideration of your misguided morality.

I see no reason to honor your voice of discrimination or instill your skewed perception of reality based on your grounds of a morality claim.

Shame on you Perry Bovee, and shame on those that stand with you in discriminating behavior.

I am comfortable in sharing my own personal judgement and based on the letter you wrote, I find your statements and intentions reprehensible.

My name is Eric Ramey.