Dear Editor, I would like to make
I would like to make the following statement in reference to the letter by Harry Hall which was published in the July 20, 2022 edition of the Cibola Citizen.
While I am in no way informed enough on the best practices, statistics, or challenges of school security to debate Mr. Hall’s theory regarding inside locking deadbolts for classrooms, there is one thing that I know with absolute certainty. Scapegoating the Uvalde shooting, or any shooting for that matter, on teaching “critical race theory” or LGBT education, will not bring those children back. And further, such vitriol seeks only to spread hatred, ignorance, and bigotry - for which the subject content in “critical race theory” and LGBT education is aimed to address in our society. Finger-pointing to that end is nothing but more divisive distraction from real accountability.
For those that may be confused or misled by Mr. Hall’s suggestion, you can not “teach LGBT”.
However, it is critical that young people understand a full scope of our nation’s history and that we affirm the full swath of the modern American existence, which I am proud to say always has and always will include LGBT+ persons and their families. This includes within Cibola County, New Mexico.
Some may ask why I care about this and why I have chosen to respond to this letter by Mr. Hall and not any of his countless absurd letters published in the past. The answer is quite simple. I grew up in Grants/Cibola County, I am a gay man, and as a result of such toxic attitudes I had a great deal to work through and overcome as I worked my way into adulthood. It is the same challenges I faced that lead to frequently tragic outcomes in young people across the nation. I was fortunate to eventually find the resources and support I needed to move past the homophobia and general intolerance I was surrounded by when growing up, to find success.
But not all young people are so lucky and if this letter accomplishes anything at all, I hope that some LGBT+ person or family in my home community will see it and know that someone is taking a stand for them and their validity within the community. I hope that others will join me.
Respectfully,
Jesse Daniel James
New York, NY