Dear Editor:
I read Sue Gibson's letter to the editor with utter bewilderment. I was shocked at her narrow-minded view of Jefferson City.
In the 20 years I've lived in Jefferson City I've had the pleasure of working with people from virtually every part of the world. I've listened to people talk about their countries, cultures and religions and even learned a few words, especially greetings, from several languages.
That is just a drop in the bucket of the diversity that exists in this city.
I've worked alongside and taken classes with people that were Wiccans, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, Hindu, Universal Unitarian, Pagans as well as a wide range of Christian denominations.
Yes, there are a wide variety of Christian denominations and I find the "Christian" generalization offensive especially since it gives the illusion of hypocrisy.
They all believe Jesus is the Christ but have many varied beliefs and practices. Some follow Jewish traditions and a kosher diet. Some don't drink alcohol, while others are noted for their drinking. Some follow different versions of the Bible and some have extra books, the list of how diverse they are could go on and on.
There are also many gays, lesbians, transgender questioning and bisexuals living here. There are even people breaking the so-called social gender restraints. I see them every day.
As far as "society" is concerned, I'd much rather live in Jefferson City than in one of the 10 Middle Eastern countries that have a death penalty for homosexuality. At least for now no one is getting thrown off the tops of buildings for their sexuality.
So I challenge Ms. Gibson to take her blinders off and open herself up to the diverse wonders of Jefferson City and see just how good it really is here.
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