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w more mail compassion for homosexual j dear sir i feel compelled to write to you in order to express another point of view on the topical concern of homosexuality a few weeks ago i would have 1 heartily endorsed the thoughts expressed by rev hamilton in your issue of feb 23rd other than the statistics he quotes so often they can be used to prove whatever the writer wishes in point of fact the school mentioned is in california where a notably high percentage of the population is homosexual due to recent migration of the gay society to that area i would like to mention here that by the time teenagers reach 16 many have been approached by heterosexuals and a high proportion are already sexually active however my husband and i have been forced to research the question of homosexuality because our son told us recently that he has come to realise for certain that he is a homosexual you can imagine the heartbreak and trauma this has caused in our family we are born again members j of a church with a fine son i who has made us proud of him in his ac- complishments through high school and university we had no idea he had any problem j and we are now trying to understand why he is different from the majority and what it will mean in his life and ours j one thing is certain we will in no way pity him downgrade him or despise him but will love him all the more he will have a very hard road to travel for the rest of his life unfortunately society demands this all these years he has had to keep his problem hidden from us and his many friends not wan ting to hurt us in any way or bring shame to the family school or church he has known for a long time that he did not feel the lame as the fortunate heterosexual and after many years of anguish saw a psychiatrist who confirmed his fears now he has come to terms with himself accepted the fact and is attempting to adjust his life ac cordingly despite all that is written there is really no cure many hide in religious institutions attempting to immerse themselves in theology as a help but it seldom works out some seek psychiatric treatment including electric shocks which do not last and can be more damaging than the problem it is about as impossible as trying to convert a happy heterosexual to homosexuality some are so desperate suicide is their only way out often young people leave home and go to a big city where they attempt to hide in anonymity a fortunate minority meet with those who are like themselves and understand them and in this way are able to find some measure of happtnessandnormalicy hence the term gay h is not a disease it is not catch ing it is a fact of life and will continue to be few homosexuals are child molesters most of them love children for having any of their own is a joy which is denied them as well as the normal family life we would all desire for our children for christians there is the conflict of what the bible says but god created man in his own image he created some black some white some heterosexual some homosexual most homosexuals given the choice would rather be heterosexual with reference to rev hamilton analogy to be honest or dishonest is a matter of choke but a choice of this kind is not open to the homosexual did god intend for some to go through life bearing this burden and their loved ones to suffer along with them for us the sun will never shine so brightly as it once did if our child was retarded or had an incurable disease such as leukemia we would ha ve the concern of relatives and friends as it is if it were to become known by the average heterosexual that our son is homosexual then we would have loathing disgust and at the best pity many famous people who were homosexual have made great con tributions to society from socrates to the former sec gen of the united nations dag haamersk- joll such men have made the world a better place these were humanitarians out standing in their day and many homosexuals today have great compassion for their feuov men let us have understanding and compassion for them and let us not judge until we have walked a mile in their moccasins regrettably the homosexual world has its lunatic fringe as does the heterosexual world but although again i hate to quote statistics there is an estimate that almost 10 per cent of the population are homosexuals or have that tendency most of them prefer to stay in the closet rather than face the harrassment and scorn shown them by those who through no dioice of their own are normal a mother retirement the fourth quarter if you smoke you are foolish if you smoke in bed you really are asking for it canadian figures show that 20 per cent of all deaths in fires with a known cause are due to careless cigarette smoking almost 10 per cent of fires of known cause were attributed to smoking shocking isnt it next to very young children elderly people run the greatest risk of being caught in these avoidable fires par- ticulary if they are physically handicapped if you live alone the risks are highest however statistics do not influence us nearly as much as a fatal or serious fire accident close to home my wife and i were dreadfully shocked to learn of the death by fire of a highly intelligent woman who had travelled with us on an overseas trip we liked everything about her save her in cessant cigarettes now that fine friendly woman is dead it was quite clear that smoking in bed was the cause this is not to be an essay on the usual smoking hazards about shortening your life by five minutes with each cigarette you burn a heavy lifetime smoker likely to lose 10 years of life about the frightening range of diseases caused or aggravated by smoking bather i urge other oldsters to think about the general hazards of fire tin daily activities and situations and to avoid practices likely to end in disaster including of course such foolhardy pleasures as that as that last puff in bed it may truly be your last we are in a par ticularly accidentprone age group if our clothes by leslie holbrook- catch fire we may find it difficult to drop and roll the recommended technique for putting out apparel fires we may find it more difficult to get out of a burning room or home so be careful and take precautions smoke detectors are recommended buy from a firm you know put an extra one in your bedroom if you smoke there a safety expert urges have a plan for quick but safe escape from your residence note alternate ways of getting out your usual exits may be blocked by the fire if a window is to be used make sure that you can open it and that the screen or storm window can be unlatched and pushed out keep a phone mext to your bed have the fire department and other emergency numbers nearby written in large figures wear clothing of fire- retardant materials particularly for night attire or when working in your kitchen dont wear loosefitting clothes at your stove long floppy sleeves can catch fire easily flameretardant fabrics also are available for drapes and other home furnishings i call the fire depart ment promptly even if it doesnt appear to be dangerous better they arrive when a fire is out than when it is out of control get out quickly and stay out dont try to save your money or your treasures be a live senior not a statistic x send your questions and comments to stouffville tribune co po box 1506 guelph ontario n1h 6n9 i here comes beautiful potted plants tulips daffodils hydrangea narcissus many other potted plants for the most breathtaking display of colour drop in today and see our large greenhouse in full bloom easter lilies james white florist west of the 6th concession on the stouffville road 2949484 11ittttt 2nz inf of hosmjujn sues white bread h0l t0u buy one mfl 0 jab of welchs pure strawberry or raspberry jam mm otte coupon pbi ach jar purchased caoh mu wott cask wwou uuol m j kami l ttt the tribune thursday march it 1978 s i adventure tours bring you the chance to win a i v 3v i week holiday forlto grand bahama hotel 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