Stand up for all forms of diversity

When in Summer 2015, a letter writer to this space attempted to make the point that diversity in society brings division and strife, the Daily Herald took an open public stand in favor of diversity in Illinois:

"We strongly disagree", the Herald said, "and we can point to examples in the suburbs where leaders are actively acknowledging and welcoming growing numbers of minorities."

Does "minorities" for the Herald include LGBT/gay citizens or are gay citizens somehow a special case for the Daily Herald?

Bravo to fellow citizens Mr. Jim Finnegan of Barrington, Mr. Emmett Lehman of Grayslake, Mr. Larry O'Neill of Palatine and others for speaking their mind in this space. All have a right to their free speech.

But when the Herald makes the repeated editorial choice to print letters which by singular religious presumption and negative innuendo call the morals of members of the LGBT community into public question in writers' attempts to paint them as inherently immoral and hence second class as citizens, I again, as I did a week later in August of that year question the Herald to clarify what it means by diversity when it claims to publicly support it.

"What better goal," the Herald said, "than to understand and get closer to your neighbors?" But the Herald's repeated publishing of letters which by singular belief denigrate gay citizens in particular while leaving all other social or cultural groups unscathed by the inquisition belies their stance for diversity.

As for Mr. Larry O'Neill's recent claim to personally speak for the moral mind of Shakespeare, he should at the least be aware that we already fought a war no longer to be bound by the moral customs of the British, while Shakespeare, long dead, never set foot on American soil.

John F. Page

Libertyville