June 14, 2011Dear Sir,Recently I visited Bermuda for the first time. I enjoyed my time on the beautiful islands and was welcomed by so many beautiful Bermudians. I spent most of the day in the crowds at the Bermuda Day Parade. The organisers and the participants are to be commended for their efforts! I can only hope that this will continue to be a family friendly event for all Bermuda as I experienced it.I noticed in this paper that I had missed the small group who held a rally at City Hall the following day. They were present to pressure Parliament into amending its Human Rights Act. Having lived in San Francisco I would have been interested in attending to see if there were genuine issues or if it was the usual name-calling and belittling of others who do not agree with their position. (The news article in the May 26th issue seemed to indicate this.) If any citizen is physically attacked, then the authorities have the duty to protect that citizen and prosecute the attacker. There is no need for a special statute to give special status or special protection to one group over another.American proponents of “gay rights” have used the “racial discrimination” platform to pass laws giving them a “protected status” which is very often used to silence or legally prosecute others who disagree with their politics, actions or lifestyle. This has especially angered many pastors of Black churches who have seen themselves being used, once again, by others.After visiting for nearly a week I would think it a terrible tragedy to see Bermuda follow the same pattern others have taken. While living in San Francisco I witnessed the results of numerous laws enacted and enforced to protect homosexuals.As an outsider and a visitor, my hope would be that Bermuda be spared the problems and strife found elsewhere. Why should there be a public Bible burning, fire bombings or rioting at churches and government buildings, the bullying or threats to the lives of politicians or other citizens who disagree or the nudity and sexual activities in public? Why should any of these occur in lovely Bermuda? These were all too common there! To disagree with someone is not hatred, but to take such action certainly is.If I have the opportunity to return again, my hope would be to see Bermuda as an “Isle of Sanity” having resisted the pressures from both America and Britain. (I have resided in both). This is the choice of the churches, the Bermudians and their representatives in government.MR GARYRichmond, Texas