THE GEORGE WALLACE OF THE GAY ISSUE

Alabama Republican Representative Gerald Allen has filed a bill for consideration next session which would, if passed, ban novels with gay characters from school and university libraries.

The way it's written, the bill would outlaw the use of public funds for "the purchase of textbooks or library materials that recognize or promote homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle."

Although Allen said he is filing this bill to "protect children from the homosexual agenda", the end result would include banning such classic works as "The Color Purple", "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof", "Brideshead Revisited", and "The Picture of Dorian Gray".

I'm sorry, but this smells of George Wallace and the Nazi book burnings to me. This is truly dangerous and is a taste of what the right wing Republicans truly would like to do if they had their way. One may not agree with the idea involved here --- I, for one, don't care what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom, thank you very much --- but please, the Constitution does provide certain guarantees, such as freedom of speech. Especially in the area of higher education, discussion of differing opinions is paramount to an open educational system.