By HDN staff
By utilizing a provision in the constitution, President Clinton took American values one step into the future when he bypassed the GOP-led congress to appoint the first openly gay U.S. ambassador.
James C. Hormell, former dean of the University of Chicagos law school and heir of Hormell Foods, was approved for the position as ambassador to the country of Luxembourg, nearly unanimously by the Foreign Relations Committee in 1997. He was also approved for the job and thus appointed by President Clinton.
Nevertheless, despite Hormells proven ability for the post, his openly gay lifestyle has blinded several conservative groups, including the GOP, and its ability to see beyond this mans sexual preferences. Comparing homosexuality to alcoholism, kleptomania and some sort of sexual addiction, they say he is unfit for the job, calling him a purveyor of smut and an inappropriate representative of our country.
In the eyes of religious conservatives and the GOP in general, a proper representation of our country and humanity in general must then be one who walks, talks and sees like them. These finger-pointers point, and continue to condemn values that differ from their own.
Obviously, the field of appropriate representatives quickly dwindles. Who is left? A moral cutout a silhouette of antiquated Christian values?
So while conservative groups, religious groups and some holier-than-thou groups, including the GOP, focus quite narrowly upon the misguided value of sexuality, we feel its unfortunate that people are still marked by their private industries mainly, their sexual practices.
Sexual preference, gay or otherwise, does not hinder job performance. Neither is it a dirty word. We are happy with President Clintons choice in selecting Ambassador Hormell to the position. We hope, someday, the GOP and other groups will leave such petty differences as sexuality alone. We dont need their moral policing.
