County commissioners' chair Jennifer Roberts shouldn't be surprised her Republican colleagues didn't approve of a letter commending congressional representatives who voted to end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

But commissioner Bill James' response was beyond egregious. Once more, he showcased his inability to recognize the boundaries between conservative political beliefs and blatant bigotry.

In an e-mailed response Monday to Roberts, James wrote, "Homosexuals are sexual predators." He also sent around a copy of a 1988 article about child molesters from the Archives of Sexual Behavior, and he highlighted one out-of-context sentence: "Eighty-six percent of offenders against males described themselves as homosexual or bisexual."

Clearly James has some misconceptions. Had he bothered to thoroughly read the article he sent, he'd have read nothing saying homosexuals are more apt to be sexual predators than heterosexuals, or equating child molesters with homosexuals. In fact, girls who are preyed upon by men are far more likely to report being victims than boys.

If James had looked at more current sources he might have found this from the American Psychological Association: "There is no evidence that homosexuals are more likely than heterosexuals to molest children. The perpetrators of child sexual abuse or assault are overwhelmingly adult heterosexual males."

And James' would-be concern that members of the armed forces will be sexual prey if homosexuals can serve openly is misplaced. In reality, in today's armed forces women are the victims of the overwhelming majority of sexual assaults - from heterosexual men.

Yes, some homosexuals are predatory, as are some heterosexuals. And some are child molesters, just as are some heterosexuals. We don't condone either sexual predators or child molesters. The problem comes with the assumption that all gay people are predators or molesters.

Should county staff prepare a letter from Roberts to Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Kay Hagan, D-N.C., and Democratic Reps. Larry Kissell and Mel Watt, thanking them for their votes to end the military practice of kicking out openly gay or lesbian personnel? While we strongly supported ending that discriminatory policy, Roberts might have been a bit politically clumsy in asking county staff to send a letter from her praising the action. County Manager Harry Jones told Roberts that if staff time were to be used she'd need the board's OK. Some commissioners, including Democrat Harold Cogdell and Republicans Jim Pendergraph, Neil Cooksey and Karen Bentley, objected because the board hadn't taken a position.

Only Republican James responded with a bigoted, ill-informed remark trying to link gays and lesbians with child molesters and predators. Sadly, that's typical for him. In December 2009 he referred to fellow commissioner Vilma Leake's son, who died of AIDS, as a "homo." In December 2002 James said urban blacks "live in a moral sewer." In 1997 he referred to "homosexuality and other perversions."

His fellow elected officials can do little beyond urging James to apologize - and commissioners in both parties should do so. Disagreeing with the end to "don't ask, don't tell" is not the point here. Bentley and Pendergraph, in e-mails, made clear their disappointment with Burr's vote, yet neither resorted to uninformed bigotry.

The only ones who can put a stop to James' embarrassing behavior as an elected official are the voters in District 6. It's long past time they did so.