My fianc‚ is an ex-student of ISU, and we are both ex-Iowans. Recently, he discovered your Web site, and we started reading to see what was going on.

The reverse campaniling article made him laugh, since he says he was the only straight guy at a coming out rally (as it turns out most of his friends are gay or bi). But he is wondering, where in the land of free speech does one state an opinion against homosexuals that will not be ridiculed or dismissed as homophobic out of hand?

He has given me an interesting challenge: Find an anti-gay, -black, -abortion, -Jewish or a pro-gun article coming from the editorial staff of ANY paper. I have to admit I’m coming up dry. Just for the record, by the way, we’re pro everything on that list. Our positions might be controversial on some issues, but we do have a right to them.

In Florida, there are a lot of groups that are anti everything on our list; the anti-abortion crowd is killing doctors down here. The KKK is alive and well, too. As I understand things, these people have a right to their opinions as well. Where can they express it?

As bad as it may sound, we have the right to hate. I can hate, for example, green people all I want, and as long as I do not act in a manner that violates any green person’s rights, I am free to hate them. Thus, for example, I could oppose abortions as long I didn’t force anyone not to have one or kill doctors who perform them. I could support abortions as long as I don’t force someone to have one or kill doctors who refuse to perform them. But, if we only print one side of any issue, we are violating the opposing side’s right to their opinion. Just an opinion…

Becky Yeager

Port Richey, Fla.