Letters continued from page eight RUTH want to say: we are native too! Our honorary vice- president of overseas opera- tions, Davis Ford Fairbanksiana is a BIL- LIONTH generation Verrnonter who counts among his ancestry judges, governors, rubble, rab- ble, and just plain folks; we count among our recessive genes many notable ABNAKI; we include in the ranks not only those who may be Jewish, black or pink all over but also many who have in the course of their YANKEE REPUBLICAN ancestry pulled 4 teaters & 3 teaters, picked blueberries in Maine & dug quahoags in Massachusetts, built and manned clipper ships and whalers (with frolics below decks) & exploited factory labor everywhere with the best of them & are proud not only that our parents out-crossed TO DO IT with Democrats, Catholics & Masons & other OTHERS but that we are TRUE QUEER VERMON- TERS FOR RUTH, THE WHOLE RUTH & NOTHING BUT THE RUTH!!!!!! And may our support reveal her own pink drawers! You can be QUEER for Ruth too! For more information on how you can be a part of this year’s queer election campaign for Ruth, the whole Ruth and nothing but the Ruth go to: www.queer4ruth.org Andrew Whittaker Polls not helping anyone A week ago the phone rang twice, and somebody asked each time, “If you were voting today, would you vote for Ruth Dwyer or William Meub?” I said, “I wouldn’t vote for either.” Today I told the pollster, “Every day in the Rutland Life is good. .7’€ag; (die a flag. 860. 1 1 44 59 .‘7itdw3bu'a£ Cluemw ‘llliflfiahut ‘Uemmutt Herald, mostly the same people are writing letters to the editor saying homosexuals ought to be killed. It’s inflammatory, and the polls are making it worse.” If out there 20 billion light years back in time and space, there dwells a god who has any justice and mercy for his cre- ation, he should send a thunder- bolt to this planet in this infini- tesimal corner of space and destroy this corrupted planet and every human being on it. The only problem with that—it would destroy a lot of gentle loving dogs and cats, and flowers that bloom in sun and rain, and whales in the sea and penguins on the Antarctic, and polar bears on the Arctic ice floes. ‘ However, in good time will it take a God created in man’s image to wreak destruction? Will his beautiful people, for whom he created Heaven and Earth, bring destruction down on themselves? “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty, in form and moving! How express and admirable in action! How like an angel in apprehension How like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?” ‘Hamlet, II.2.3I5—320 Lyle Glazier Bennington Uneasy in the Kingdom This last week there have been three incidents of hate in the North East Kingdom. The Caledonia Record reported one. Graffiti was spray-painted on a back door of a St. Johnsbury drug store. The graf- fiti used the word ‘fag.’ Later that week, I saw a Senior Accountant/Tax Accountant We're seeking a flexible, enthusiastic self-‘startenwho will play a pivotal role in the growth of our business. Diverse responsibilities include preparation of personal and corporate tax returns and full-line bookkeeping. The ideal candidate will have a BS in Accounting, 2-4 years relevant experience,.:and the ability to work well as part of a team. Fax (802-747-4999) or email (liz@ra||yCPA.COm) resume T0 Elizabeth C. Campbell, CPA, PC. bumper sticker stating “Keep HIV homos out of VT.” That same day I noticed graffiti spray-painted on the deck of a bridge between VT and NH in my new hometown stating the same. When I moved here, I spoke with some native gays and they said it was quite safe to be gay in the NEK. I’m beginning to wonder. I do not have any gay bumper stickers on my vehicle and I doubt I will. I live in a very remote area without tele- phone or electricity and do not need to draw attention to myself without any way to call for help. My nearest neighbors are several miles away. I have lived in and visited some major cities in this coun- try and have never felt as uneasy as I do now. Any other NEK gays or les- bians fell this way? Stephen Tracy Community Vigil Recently our small commu- nity of Norwich, and the greater community of our state and nation, have suffered as issues of divisiveness, intoler- ance and misunderstanding have surfaced among us. Our suffering as a community has been all-inclusive. It has affect- ed those who were directly tar- geted by such aggression and intolerance, those who perpe- trated these acts, and those who were saddened and distraught by hearing of these actions from neighbors or in the media. Examples are many: the expressions of hatred, intoler- ance and probably frustration that were manifest in anti- Semitic symbols and racial slurs appearing in public places in the town of Norwich; the outpouring of animosity towards homosexuals in some parts of the state following the institutional acknowledgment October 2000 | Out in the Mountains |19 of same-gender unions; vio- lence against a Mexican- American family in St. Albans, and attacks against gays, minorities and the “different” throughout the country. We as a community of peo- ple have all been affected by this and we as a community must all stand up and speak up against this situation. This can only be done by each and every one of us reaching out to our fellow human beings, offering a hand of friendship, and being open to understanding and appreciating others. On Thursday, October 5th, Benz; Fran Kl I n O(wfi'/e’ 33% Monday-Saturday 9-9 Sunday 11-5 51BShe|l1urne Road Next to Mall189 852-0646 www henlranklin haweb.com Get discounts’ join our Craft (.‘Iu there will be a Community Vigil for Tolerance and Understanding held on the Green in Norwich from 5 - 7 P.M. We ask that all who can please attend as an outpouring of concern and a search for tol- erance, understanding and heal- ing in our community. Come and reach out your hand to your fellow human beings. Show your love, concern and simple caring for each other. Let us heal and grow. Douglas Hoffman, Norwich Richard Greenlee, Hagand IMAGE ATTITUDE .\ I lll.l. \| l{\‘l('l' \.\l.().\ lilllw liiiix ll ‘tin-t liiii lIll‘_‘iH|l 1\i-i‘ii-- l iuiii l il\ ll;illl (Hill) 3134 _’ll.‘~’1\’ w"é’_ The Vermont Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights Conference 8 Town‘ Meeting: 9 Leading the Way to Equality Saturday, October 21, 2000 9:00 AM — 6:00 PM Vermont Technical College,» Randolph, VT W Workshops will include: History of the gay and lesbian movement - Civil Unions - Sharing stories about our lives - Gill Foundation: Fix Your Fundraising Events - RU’! 2? — Community Center community participation - Sexua|ity/ Gender Identity - Safe sex - Youth Issues Call Virginia Renfrew at 802-498-4333 , or email at renfrew@sover.net