Letter: Bob Parks shouldn’t be vilified for boneheaded comments

What has happened to our country, our community? Once the worldwide bastion of free speech, now we vilify a person anytime she or he makes a disagreeable comment.

Bob Parks did the same thing many others have done — he made boneheaded comments in a public forum. So what? I feel no shame living in the same community as someone who doesn’t live my version of perfect. Just like I feel no shame having discussions with people with whom I disagree.

I hope to live in a community that values diverse opinions and where people aren’t so thin-skinned that they spout intolerance in the name of tolerance. Truly “hateful behavior” is seeking to destroy a person for his poor choice of words.

This story was originally published April 5, 2016 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Letter: Bob Parks shouldn’t be vilified for boneheaded comments."