Dear Editor:

In 1930’s Germany when the propaganda against Jews began, most people discounted that threat and reassured themselves that they lived in a democracy that guaranteed equal civil rights. Others took it at face value and fled the country, those who remained ended their days in concentration camps and died in the flames of the final solution.

For the last several years radical Christian Fundamentalists have been increasingly venting their hatred of gays. On November Second they solidified their hold on the federal government while at the same time managed to push through laws in eleven states to deprive gays of equal civil rights before the law. This, of course, is just the beginning. Their next step will be to enshrine their bigotry into the United States Constitution. But, that is not the final solution to their gay problem. They want to eliminate gays from society altogether. Ether gays will cover up their identity or they will be forced into concentration camps. Eventually they will be subjected to the same final solution as was inflicted on the Jews in Nazi Germany.

The question for gays is whether to flee the country now or suffer the consequences. It is a difficult decision to make, but one vital to one’s survival.

Evil is never done with such relish and joy as when it is done in the name of religion.

Theodore V. Cook

Dear Editor:

Since when did editorial space in the G< become available for psychoanalytical hand wringing?

Yes, it turned out the pilgrims went from being persecuted in the Old World to predate the neo-conservatives and moral judgment-makers of the late 20th century. Most likely, everyone has participated in at least one unpleasant Thanksgiving or other seasonal get-together.

However, many of us, and I hope we’re not the exception, have thoroughly enjoyed and given thanks for our times together with friends and family during a time off from the office.

Example: Here’s the queer Jew preparing New York-style cheesecake in the kitchen of his Catholic sister-in-law’s Oakland Hills kitchen under the supervision of the Yiddisha grandma from Russia. You’re got the empress, the queen and the princess – all under one roof getting along famously.

Sure some of the guests from previously years are now dead. Others might have families of their own making new rituals. Still others could be in jail for driving drunk, etc.

The point is the past is in the past. Grow up. Move on. The holidays, like each and every day, is what you make it.

You can serve up the bitter gay whine of dysfunction and bad experiences of the past, but don’t use the editorial page for your own rant disguised ever so weakly about how disenfranchised the community has been since the pilgrims attempted to exterminate the American Indians more than 400 years ago.

Let the holidays serve as an opportunity for fresh starts and new beginnings. Empower yourself to create new traditions. Just don’t cry those bitter tears in my champagne. And please get the fuck out of the way of the TV; I’m trying to watch the football game.

Lee A. Schoenbart