The circus down at S.F. City Hall

It kind of made me sick, sad, disgusted and even a little bit frightened, but what the heck, I got free ice cream!

One thing that does come to mind though; I’ve got this 40-year-old football that I really love. Maybe now we can get married.

Barry Bradley

San Francisco

Naysayers arguments are off

Opponents of gay marriage continually base their arguments on “God” and their Bible’s definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman. It might shock these opponents, but this country is not a theocracy, and our legal system is not based on the Bible. I suggest they take a look at Iran or Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, and think long and hard as to whether theocracy would be a preferable system.

Other arguments I hear are equally ridiculous. Gay marriage is a “gateway” to legalization of marriage to pets or children. Do these opponents have any arguments based in reality? Obviously, my dog cannot give legal consent to marriage, nor can a child give legal consent. Marriage is for procreation? That’s news to me and my husband, and must be news to countless other childless couples.

Equal protection means equal protection for all, not equal protection for some if they happen to fit one’s narrowly defined criteria. If I heard one argument that was not based on religious superstitions, or just pure silliness as to how gay marriage was going to destroy my own heterosexual marriage, perhaps I would listen. Until then, all I hear is the pure static of narrow-minded bigotry.

Jamie Cantwell

San Francisco

Thank God for Sergey

Re: “Bigger things going on in the world,” (Letters, June 16) Brian, thank God for the likes of Sergey Brin, otherwise we might still be living in the Dark Ages.

George Mehas

Oakland

Hypocrisy and race relations

I predict the upcoming John McCain-Barack Obama election campaign will be a season of hypocrisy.

African-Americans will denounce as evil any racial motivation by white voters, while overwhelmingly supporting Sen. Barack Obama on the basis of race.

He will be blessed and confirmed in this ridiculous double standard by the media, academic and political establishments, who are the real villains. For indeed, however unsavory it is to be a hypocrite, being the cause of hypocrisy in others is far worse.

Patrick Smith

San Francisco

Proud of grandson and country

My wife and I decided to use our economic stimulus payment to go to San Diego last week, not for the U.S. Open, but for the graduation of our grandson from the Marine’s boot camp. It was a great investment because we had one thrill after another at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

On Thursday, we watched the recruits drill for an hour, on the parade deck, in preparation for Friday’s graduation ceremony. After the drill, they returned to their barracks and changed into running gear for their four-mile inspirational run. I really choked up because, as they ran past their family and friends, leading the parade was our grandson carrying the Marine flag. The group consisted of 333 recruits, their officers and drill instructors and each and everyone in A-1 physical shape.

On Thursday afternoon, our grandson had base liberty and we got to see him up close for the first time as a U.S. Marine in training. He was dressed in his fatigues, proud, lean and the happiest we had ever seen him. What the Marines had done to him, in 13 weeks, was nothing short of a miracle.

In the last several years, especially after 9/11, on the various networks I have watched, almost monthly, film clips of America’s enemies parading their troops. Never once have I seen the networks show clips such as the five Marine platoons, consisting of 333 recruits, their officers and their drill instructors, who passed in review on Friday, June 13, 2008. Is that not a crying shame?

Semper Fidelis.

I am proud to be an American.

John “Scotty” Thomas

San Francisco

Freedom of expression

Barry Eisenberg of the Coalition to End JROTC Now (Letters, June 17) tells us that our armed forces see children as “cannon fodder,” recruit them in “devious and dishonest ways” and “glorify war.”

However, odious these opinions are, Mr. Eisenberg has his right and freedom to express them. And every day, our young men and women in the military are risking their lives to defend this freedom that allows folks like Mr. Eisenberg to slander them and their missions.

Scott Abramson

San Mateo

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