I would have to say that I was pretty stunned by the words of Tony Dungy, Head Coach of the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, stating that marriage should only be between one man and one woman. Being touted as somewhat of a "pioneer" in his profession as being the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, it still amazes me how someone can, on one hand, talk about how important it is to be color-blind when it comes to opportunities, yet then can completely discriminate against another group of people. Tony...think about what you are saying. You are basically saying that it is wrong to discriminate against people based upon the color of their skin, but it is OK to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Was our country not founded on the principles that all men are created equal? Why would it be OK to apply this to one group and not another? This double standard does not work with me.

Tim Hardaway, former basketball star, came out recently to say that he "hates" gay people. Hate is quite a strong word. Again, when it was African-Americans facing this type of hatred, it was wrong; when you show this type of hate towards another group, somehow it isn't wrong? Help me understand this.

The beauty of this country is that everyone is entitled to their opinion, however, when it comes to hate speech, people (especially those in the public eye) need to realize that their words can be so contradictory that they set back their own causes by many years. Why would I stand by Tony Dungy's or Tim Hardaway's side when they fight against discrimination for African-Americans when they discriminate against gays? I tend to be an "all or nothing" type of person this way. Treat everyone the way you want to be treated and it will come back to you in positive ways. I would be happy to stand next to anyone to fight for their causes if they truly believe in their hearts that everyone should be treated with respect and be given the basic human rights afforded to the masses.