To the editor:

This is in response to Judith LaMontagne’s letter of Aug. 12. I, too, was at the Walmart in Oak Harbor the day that the petitioners to limit gay rights were there, along with my 12-year-old son.

Not only were the people engaging us, by saying that allowing gays to marry would somehow affect my marriage, they had a large offensive sign that started off with “Protect your marriage” and a lot of other rubbish.

I told them that this reminded me of the days when people weren’t allowed to mix races, not too long ago.

My son is taught at school to honor other people’s decisions in life and to value diversity and not bully.

My daughter’s high school has a club that is a “Gay Straight Alliance.” What we are teaching our kids is proper and right.

If these people had been wearing sheets and were gathering signatures to oppress those of another race, or swastikas and gathering signatures to oppress those of another religion, we’d all hopefully see this as inherently wrong.

If two people over the age of consent want to marry, they should be allowed to, period.

It doesn’t affect anybody else. It’s not gay marriage, it’s just marriage.

Desiree Ross

Clinton