Reader comments
Behavior is a choice

It is sad that just because you can not see, feel or understand something that it doesn't exist. I choose to let others live their own lives hopefully we can all choose to let others be who they are.

Amen, brother. Mr. Arrington's point is well-taken. Not all behaviors are equally beneficial to society.

Religion and its associated behaviors is also a choice, but one that is protected by Utah's hate crimes law. Why then do they get special privileges?

And you forgot to add, let's make sure it is the behavior you approve of. Being Christian is also a behavior and a choice, it doesn't mean you have any special rights.

While deciding to have or not have sex is a choice, the attraction to one gender or another is not. Since I completely view religion as moral fraud, I'm not going to abstain from sex because of it.

Curtis Arrington, you are so right.

Sexual behavior is a choice?

So when did you "chose" to be straight?

I distinctly remember a day when I was nine years old and watching a re-run of "Flash Gordon" on TV. While watching all the space-opera action I was struck by the the thought - "Wow, Dale Arden is more fun to look at than Flash Gordon."

When I shared this memory with a gay colleague, he laughed and said, "Yeah, that's about the age that I thought that Flash Gordon was more fun to look at than Dale Arden!"

Was my 9 year-old friend "choosing" to be gay?

Baloney!

Some aspects of behavior are true choices but others are not. For those that are choices, there are problems in deciding what to do. One of the most important instruments in such decision making is the development of the ability to make decisions. You cannot take a gang member 17 year old into a room and give him/her a lecture on "moral values" and expect him/her to walk out of the room a person fully charged with the "moral values" of a saint, can you?

"Americans have long distinguished between behaviors that build and those that do not. Let's keep our conversation focused on behaviors, not rights. Maintaining a strong America calls for the highest behavior from each of us."

Let's go with that - why don't we start by you telling us how sexual orientation is a behavior that does not build and what harms it creates in society. Remember to focus only on the behavior and to base your response in facts.

Other than moralizing, what is the point of this letter?

The psychiatric profession long ago concluded that sexual orientation is not a choice. It's a shame that some readers still believe it is, because we all have much to gain by accepting our neighbors, our colleagues and our family members regardless of their orientation. They are not a threat to you or me.

I guess bigotry and ignorance would be two of those behaviors that don't build a stronger country.

What in the world is this guy talking about, and why is the DesNews printing it?

Just like obeying the speed limits, and road rage.
I fear for my family and others in society more for that because people die on the freeways.

To "Really? | 7:13 a.m." you missed the point. It has nothing to do with gay or straight.

The point the letter was making was that a person can choose to have sex or not.

Just because a person is gay does not mean that they have to have sex. Same with a straight person.

Some people are attracted to door knobs.

Re: Really? - Liking men or women may not be a choice but getting drunk and freaky with who knows how many partners and unprotected always is!

If we believe in the goodness of the American Constitution, we believe that all men (and women) should have the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Given that premise, all adult Americans have the right to behave in any way they choose so long as their behavior does not impinge on the rights of others.

The means that even bad behavior is a human right. So long as a person keeps it in his own sphere of influence.

Unfortunately we cannot count on the “highest behavior from each of us”, so we must have guides, plans and regulations to control us. The Constitution is such a thing.

We must not let ourselves be distracted from vigilance to recognize bad behavior that goes beyond the limit by people saying that all we need to do is “do good”.

Though actually having sex may be a choice, you don't have the right to make that choice for me.

Seems like there was some big deal made about that in the biginning by two brothers and a father. What happened? Oh yeah, those who advocated taking away choice were cast out.

That might be an importatnt concept for you to learn.

I'm curious as to whether the author would characterize a person's "choice" to marry or procreate outside their race as a "behavior" that can be legitimately regulated?