By [email protected]

Editor-

I’d love to make a quick response to Holly Brown’s comment in 4 November’s article titled “Most students happy with amendments, initiative results.”

In relation to the passing of Amendment 3 banning gay marriage and civil unions, Holly stated, “‘Families are the basis of our culture in the United States,’ she said. ‘[A family] provides morals and standards for our children and if it isn’t there, there will be drugs, crime [and] violence, [and] will lead to AIDS and create a lot of problems.'”

If I read this quote correctly, Holly predicts gay marriage will increase drug use, crime, and AIDS. Is her head in the sand? Let’s get some facts on the table. Drugs: the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) concluded that in 2001, 19.5% of 8th graders, 37.2% of 10th graders, and 41.4% of 12th graders had tried illicit drugs. Uh oh, gay teens are luring “good” kids into their fast and hedonistic anti-family lifestyle of drug use and crime.

Oh yeah, crime: according to the 2000 FBI Uniform Crime reports, Utah ranked as a state with the 18th highest Total Crime Index (4th in theft). Holly’s world is composed of roving gangs of lesbians waiting to car-jack unsuspecting “full-citizens” leaving church.

Finally, AIDS: According to the Center for Disease Control’s 2002 HIV/AIDS Surveillance report, heterosexual women are the group most at risk for infection. So Holly, I’d worry less about the handful of gays and lesbians seeking to get married and more about the dreamy boy next door here to pick you up for the dance.

To wrap it up, congratulations to Utah for officially creating a group of second class citizens. An congratulations to Holly for helping them do it.

Courtney Boldt