Radical Agenda of Hatred

The areas we live in, the people we surround ourselves with, have a huge impact on our lives. Regional influences play a major part in what we see and hear. Although I have crossed state borders, I have lived in and around Chicago and the state of Illinois my entire life. All my media: news, television, and radio are out of the city. It is my strongest influence as far as regions go.

This past year, during the Senate campaign, after Ryan dropped out amid a sex scandal involving his ex-wife and former Star Trek Voyager Star Jeri Ryan, a new candidate took stage for the Republican party to face Barack Obama. His name was Alan Keyes. Keyes moved from Maryland to Illinois to face Obama for the seat in the Senate. It was a last ditch effort to get someone to go for the spot.

Keyes is part of the ultra conservative wing of the Republicans. His belief system is almost the exact opposite of everything I stand for and believe in. To hear the man speak aggravates me with his narrow minded, hateful message. He was quoted as saying that Dick Cheney's daughter, and all members of the gay and lesbian community are "Selfish hedonists" and that if the "radical homosexual agenda" is ever accomplished, "we are utterly destroying the concept of family."

February 13th, Maya Marcel-Keyes, his 19 year old daughter announced that she is a "liberal queer." Her father has known for a period of time that she was homosexual, and held liberal political beliefs. She kept quiet to avoid conflict. When she attended the anti-inaugural ball, protesting President Bush's re-election, her father threw her out.

Maya has received help from friends and a charity that helps students that have been disowned by their parents for being gay. She was unable to attend college right away due to funding, and spent time in India teaching while taking an option to put off her freshman year at Brown University for a year. She was lucky, and managed to get help from people to get her life back together quickly.

Most parents would dream to have a child that got straight A's, was active in the community, supported their parents (she worked on her fathers campaign even though she disagreed with his views), and got accepted into an Ivy League school. What more could a parent want?

Maya still loves her father which is understandable. It is difficult to hold a grudge against parents when they raised you your entire life. The bond between parent and child defies being broken. There is no fault with a child loving their parents.

The problem lies within the "destruction of the concept of family." Family is a feeling of bonding and togetherness. It is an inclusive group, that accepts us for who we are, no matter what the circumstance. Maya's sexuality did not destroy a family. A man's prejudice and hatred of people who are different than he is destroyed a family.