Gay rights legislation would protect rights

Main people have criticized me for referring to the amendment on gay rights as the "hate vote."

All North Idaho legislators are for it and they are not all hateful people. State law already covers the issue so the outcome may insult some but really will not change the lives of most gays.

The issue is designed to protect all the incumbents by distracting voters from the issues of our deteriorating highways. Inadequate medical programs and outdated tax structure. The suggestion is that incumbents are better able to protect us from gays.

Using emotions to manipulate elections is nothing new. Many remember the Willy Horton ads suggesting we needed protection from blacks. All of us remember when government's main issue was protecting us from communists.

What we really need is protection from the incumbents who want to rule indefinitely like royalty. Spending $$50,000 of taxpayer money to place hate on the ballot for the purpose of manipulating the election is not a conservative action. People will vote their conscience but hopefully will also vote against all the incumbents who placed this issue on the ballot. That is the only way we can all be winners.

HARVEY PINE

Sandpoint