In response to "St. Gabriel's music director got married and then fired" (Feb. 12)

Bates-Congdon firing shows hypocrisy of Catholic Church

I am confused. Sunday's obituary for Paul Jackson, the band director at Providence High School, lists among the survivors "his loving [male] partner of 22 years." His funeral will be held at St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church with a priest officiating. But somehow Steav Bates-Congdon, who has been completely open about his relationship with, and civil marriage to, "his [male] partner of 23 years," and who incidentally is an Episcopalian, not a Roman Catholic, is not permitted to remain an employee of a Roman Catholic Church?

The only policy of the Roman Catholic Church that I can discern from this is that, if you are a practicing gay person, it's OK but just don't put it in writing.

Michael Warner

Charlotte

One simple truth undergirds this decision: Sodomy is a sin

I am appalled that the Observer would put this story on the front page. May I remind you that sodomy was the sin that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for? In morning mass, our priest, Father O'Rourke, asked us to pray for everyone involved in this situation, especially our former music director.

Susan Peppard

Charlotte

Firing highlights mistreatment gays and lesbians feel daily

The firing of Bates-Congdon illustrates the daily reality that many of our LGBT neighbors face who do not enjoy the protection of laws against employment and housing discrimination. Imagine a life where you do not feel free to be your best self with your own family, your church condemns and rejects you on "religious" grounds, you live in fear of losing your job or find it difficult to find housing.

The majority of us are content to let "them" run our arts organizations, fight wars, compose breathtaking music, lead our church choirs until they become too visible or serve as convenient targets for the political agenda of The Catholic Church.

My prayer and invitation to other straight allies is that we will begin to make our voices heard by voting and acting on our compassion and sense of justice for those who have been unjustly bullied by religious institutions, the N.C. legislature and the U.S. military and work for basic civil rights for our LGBT neighbors.

Chris McLeod

Charlotte

In response to "And while we're talking about D.C. stubbornness" (Feb. 12 Editorial):

Did the oil lobby pen your Keystone pipeline edit?

Your editorial sounds like it was written by the oil lobby. Any jobs that might be created by the Keystone pipeline project would be insignificant compared to jobs that could result from the expanding wind and solar industries. Besides, many unions oppose this pipeline. Should oil ever reach the refineries in Texas, it would go on the world market.

Alan Burns

Charlotte

In response to "Cogdell: No to CMS raises" (Feb. 11):

Maybe we should use pay for performance to judge Cogdell

It is amazing how politicians like Harold Cogdell can demand accountability from school-based employees charged to carry out the policies developed by political operatives such as Cogdell. One might argue that the inability of political institutions to provide resources for a meaningful living wage for teachers should be held accountable for poor stewardship.

Maybe measures used to judge teacher performance can be used to mandate a pay cut for Cogdell's poor results. It is time we hold county commissioners accountable for their willingness to cast blame and accept none.

Paul A. Bonner

Charlotte

In response to "Tired of all this ethnic food, folks who don't speak English" (Feb. 13 Forum):

Those restaurants you label as foreign aren't really foreign

I wanted to thank Mr. Wilkinson for the hearty laugh I had. While I know many places in Charlotte where I can get "good American food," it needs to be pointed out that the restaurants he is discussing are not "foreign." The French were in this country before there was an America. One thing about Charlotte, there are lots of restaurants. If you can't find one of our "fine American restaurants," look harder.

Donald Reddy

Charlotte

'Native' Americans had names like 'Sitting Bull' not Wilkinson

Let's see...Wilkinson...the derivation of the name would be "son of Wilkins," and probably of British or Welsh origin. Didn't originate on this continent, so must not be American. Oh, that's right, American names sounded like "Sitting Bull" and "Crazy Horse," and those families dined on Bison and corn.

Antoinette Augustin

Cornelius

Your ancestors prepared and ate ethnic food, Mr. Wilkinson

I suppose by "American food," you mean North American dishes, not including Canadian and South American food. Maybe you define it even more narrowly, perhaps "Southern food." But unless you are Native American, your ancestors prepared and ate "ethnic food" prior to immigrating to the United States.

Intolerance creates a tiny and miserable existence for the person who nurtures it. We're fortunate to have choices and yes, among them are plenty of restaurants that serve anyone's version of "American food." Try something new, you might like it!

Melinda Johnson

Charlotte