Letter: Community made up of different beliefs, lifestyles

I've known Pad Finnigan for years, since his son and my daughter were classmates in the Clover Park Schools. I like Pad, but I have yet to find an issue on which he and I agree. While I appreciate his making us aware of funding issues coming before the council, it is clear to me his agenda is to rally those who object to a homosexual lifestyle to speak out against providing services to gay and lesbian youth. I'm never sure why we object to providing a supportive environment for those in our community who need such services. Certainly many, if not all, of these youth are connected to someone who is paying taxes within our community. Why should we deny city services to those who don't live by our personal beliefs? I'm opposed to the war in Iraq but I would never dream of failing to provide for those who serve this country. I don't like smoking, but I wouldn't deny services such as health care to those who smoke. Why should we penalize young people with a lifestyle different from ours?

I hope the City Council recognizes that our community is composed of people with a wide range of beliefs, lifestyles, and needs and we, as a city, have a responsibility to support the entire community, not just those with whom we have common ground. I'm assuming most of us would not want to live with a government which requires its brand of political correctness in order to benefit from city services. Who knows when we might fall on the "wrong" side of an issue?

Bunnee Butterfield
Lakewood

Letters to the Editor are submitted by readers and do not reflect the opinions of The Suburban Times. Submit your letter to editor@thesubtimes.com. Letters may be edited for length, content or formatting.