Just a few thoughts …

To quote a letter, “Just a thought,” or in this case “thoughts.”

1. The Democrat-Gazette states in its policy for selecting letters that originality is particularly valued. If so, why are we subjected to Christian fundamentalist diatribes arguing the same thing almost daily?

2. Pride in my Southern history: I was born in Arkansas, had many ancestors of Southern origin, at least one of which was a slaveholder, and I had a grandfather, who I never knew, that was a member of the KKK, at least according to my grandmother, who described it as more of a social club. I am proud of neither. I am proud of Southern civility, Southern literature and other art forms such as architecture. While people should honor their fallen ancestors who fought and died in the Civil War, they should not honor the reasons for a war that came about for all the wrong reasons.

3. One side of my family came to the U.S. in the 1680s, and Ethan Allen was a great-great- something or other, and the other side of my family came from Prussia in the early 1800s after getting on the wrong side of the Lutheran schism. Therefore, to me, most of this country are “immigrants” as far as my family is concerned, although I do not truly believe this.

4. My sister and brother-in-law fly a pride flag in support of their son and me. The law is the law and must be followed. Any public employee has the right to disagree with the law, but must comply with that law, including effecting all that it requires, or find a different job outside the public sector. I have paid low seven figures in taxes over my lifetime and I have the right to demand that public-sector employees do that which is required of them.

I have other thoughts, but trying to keep within your newspaper’s request for “brevity,” I will stop there. MICHAEL F. TAYLOR

Conway