"It's a Shame"

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Jerry Walker, a 28-year, retired Navy veteran elected to a college board won't apologize for saying "It's a shame" when he learned one of the colleges he represents has a gay-straight student union. He won't apologize to the individual for saying "That's a shame, too" when the individual stated he was gay.

Ok, maybe he wouldn't need to apologize if he were just anybody. There are rude people in the world. Liberals certainly don't have a shortage of them and neither do conservatives. But this man represents a college that celebrates diversity. His opinion represents the college in an indirect way. In his position and with his level of education and experience, you'd think he might have an inkling about decorum and diplomacy.

Apparently not. Walker doesn't like homosexuals and he's let the world know it. The college is running damage control operations, but that's it. Makes you wonder what would've happen if he said, "That's a shame" upon learning that the college had an inter-Tribal Club. No, no one can say that Walker believes Native Americans belong on a reservation the same way he believes homosexuals belong in the closet, but I'd bet a tootin' dollar that if he had said that, there would be no damage control - he's be out on his ass in the unemployment line.

Instead, the college board issued a statement saying that Walker "wasn't speaking for the board" when he made those comments.

That's it.

And that's the fashion of the day. The mainstream media wouldn't dare publish blatantly racist or sexist articles. Homophobic articles are ok. No respectable talk show host or news organization would favorably interview a racist or chauvinist, but a homophobe is granted legitimacy towards his views. No organization would tolerate racist or sexist comments in any official capacity, but homophobic views are treated as respected opinions people are entitled to hold.

One homophobic is no big deal. A system that actively or passively promotes homophobia, though, now that's a shame.