Do ya think lamberti & iverson were bullies when younger?. Well they sure seem to be so now. This example shows exactly why we have to get progressive Democrats elected to the Senate. We need these bills to come out of committee so that they can be debated on the floor. That way the people of Iowa can see and hear for themselves just WHO IS FOR KIDS AND WHO IS NOT. So get to work & find someone in your area where repubs are in charge and work towards getting them out!

We just had close to 400 people come to our "Organizing for the Common Good: Promoting Progressive Values" Summit on Saturday morning at Augustana College. And the two people who had the idear (yours truly) and knew how to make it happen (Cathy, Senator Bolkcom's big sis) were "inspired" to act mostly by the Pleasant Valley School District's shameful caving into the religious extremists who wanted to ban a book because it had a gay character. Here is my letter to my Senator, Maggie Tinsman.

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Dear Senator Tinsman,

I understand that the Republican leadership in the Senate will not allow debate on the anti-bullying legislation because they feel it gives “special rights” to gay youth in our Iowa schools. Is being safe in school really a special right? I heard on talk radio someone say it was good for gay kids to be harassed in school, much as it is good to pick on the fat kid, because that way the kid will be motivated to make changes in their behavior so they don’t get picked on anymore. You know I had never thought about it that way, since mostly I’ve been trying to keep gay kids from killing themselves (and fat kids, for that matter). It seems harsh to me, but now I’m worried that maybe a lot of Republicans think this way. Could you ask Senators Iverson and Lamberti if support for the bullying of gay children is the official Iowa Senate Republican position, or is it just their personal view?

I am also writing directly to Senators Iverson and Lamberti, but I figure you’ll have more of an impact. I apologize for the irate tone of this letter, but I’m a mother, I love children, and I remember personally how difficult the teenage years can be, even without having to deal with people who hate you for being yourself. Can you imagine what it must be like for the gay kid whose own parents may throw him out, whose school turns a blind eye to his torment, and whose religious leaders tell him he’s going to hell?

The seemingly unending attacks on sexual minorities are making me increasingly angry, and when the Republican Party extends those attacks to children, it crosses some sort of a line for me. And not just me. Good hearted people and people of faith in Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley have been motivated to organize politically specifically because of the hateful anti-gay bigotry of the religious extremists in our towns.

I know it is not all Republicans, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your efforts to oppose your own Party’s attacks on gay Iowans. I can’t believe there is a very large segment of even the religious right that thinks bullying any child in school is okay!

I am on the board of Quad Citians Affirming Diversity, and can put you in contact with people with stories of gay kids getting harassed in school that would make your hair stand on end. Please do not hesitate to contact me if those stories would help you convince Senators Iverson and Lamberti to change their minds.

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of all Iowans.

Sincerely,

Alta L. Price, MD
altaprice@mailblocks.com

I remeber in junior high school and high school all the names that were used as pagoratives (sp) against gays and lesbians. Names such as faggot, dyke, and queer to name just a few. I used to join in on the name calling. Untill after I graduated from high school I actually got to know a few men and women who were gay and lebian at my church. I am a memeber of People's Church Unitarian Universalist here in Cedar Rapids which is a welcoming congregation. Getting to know these fine men and women who were gay and lesbian changed my heart in a dramatic way. I regret the fact that I let my prejudices get the best of me in junior and senior high school. I am truly sorry I ever did it. To say that bullying is something that every child must go through to toughen up in life is truly a falsehood that should not stand. I for one was bullied in my childhood. Needless to say the bully that bullied me ended up with a 25 to life sentance through his action that bullying served as a gateway to other destructive actions. I ended up going to the bottle (alcohol) to ease the pain of my childhood. I am happy that I am over 11 years clean and sober. With that said though I don't think any child should have to go through what I or even my bully went through. In bullying no one wins. Everyone ends up a loser in one way or another.