"I am a Los Angeles Police Department detective supervisor running a sex crimes unit covering the western quarter of the city, which also includes the area where the Los Angeles temple is located. I have a fantastic crew of 20 detectives who are an amazing mixture of races and sexes. I have several detectives who are openly gay or lesbian. This orientation has nothing to do with their efficiency as investigators. I deeply respect and like these individuals. I enjoy working with them. My life is often in their hands when we serve high risk search or arrest warrants. I trust them implicitly.Obviously, the types of crimes we investigate bring us into regular contact with victims who are of an alternative lifestyle orientation. It is incumbent upon us that our compassion for these victims be no less than for victims who are heterosexual.
Working in such an environment, I found taking a position on Proposition 8 to be difficult. Even though I chose to follow the direction of our Church leaders in my voting decision, it was extremely hard for me to place myself on the line when it came to actively working to ensure the passage of Proposition 8.
Still, I watched in amazement as my fellow ward and stake members worked tirelessly, committing themselves full-heartedly to the cause – not out of homophobic hatred, but out of a love of Christ and a belief in the sanctity of traditional marriage. Their faith strengthened mine, and I committed to participate in a sign waving public rally sponsored by our stake to be held at a local intersection.
By following through on this commitment, I found I had a greater stake in the battle than I had ever thought. I learned a number of hard and harsh lessons. And in the events following the election and passage of Proposition 8, I felt great anguish forcing me to drop to my knees in prayer – eventually coming to a more personal understanding of the Love of Christ and what he expects from me.
During the Proposition 8 rally, as I stood with my wife and friends waving Yes On 8 signs and waving to the passing rush hour traffic, I learned several things. I learned supporters of both Yes On 8 and No On 8 liked to honk their horns. I learned the way to tell the difference is the No On 8 supporters usually accompanied their horn honking with an obscene gesture or a string of obscenities. They also liked to swerve their cars toward the children on the curb."
Read the rest of this great article here, at ldsmag.com.
2 comments:
It IS out of hate.
The leadership of the Mormon Church helped fund a public vote on whether the government should tear up my marriage document, strip me of my civil rights, and try to rip my family apart. That is hate. Jesus certainly would have put those resources into feeding those starving around us, not into dispariging a minority group.
All we ask for is full equality under the law. Anything less towards us is H8ful.
I'm glad you were ashamed to publicly express your H8 to your co-workers. I can tell you that if you did, every one of the gay/lesbians would think you committed a H8 crime against them.
Well, someone didn't read the article. This isn't my experience, this is the experience of an LAPD policeman. This isn't even the full article, this is an excerpt. And lastly, it isn't hate to stand up for traditional values, and what you believe to be morally correct. It is however, hateful to terrorize Mormons for excercising the democratic process. Mormons did nothing wrong, there is no law to prevent what was done. It is however, against the law to terrorize, vandalize and violently demonstrate. Not to mention the assults.
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