Benny Shendo antics -- please comment
From:
Robert Jones
Date:
May 26 19:30 UTC
Short link
F.Y.I. I have written the following letter to the editor about the
despicable conduct of Benny Shendo in challenging Ben Ray Lujan on his
sexuality. I am posting it here for your information and comments.
============================
*At a recent public forum for candidates to fill the 3rd District
Congressional seat of Northern New Mexico that was held in Farmington, Benny
Shendo, Jr. took his turn to ask any one of the other candidates a question.
He choose to ask Ben Ray Lujn a question that implied Lujn is gay. "You
say that you stand up for the people of New Mexico," Shendo said, "and I
want to know how you can stand up for the people of New Mexico if you can't
stand up to your mom and dad about your lifestyle." Shendo later issued a
written statement saying that it was "common knowledge around the capitol
that Mr. Lujn is gay" and that he was asking why Ben Ray had not told his
parents that he is gay. Ben Ray Lujn has stated previously that he is not
gay. *
*However, a person's sexual orientation is private and irrelevant to public
life. If someone wishes to keep their sexual orientation a secret, it is up
to them. Period. The issue of homosexuality has nothing to do with running
for public office and the question should never have been asked. To ask the
question at a public forum is simply meant to embarrass one's opponent and
appeal to the hate of the homophobes. *
*And now Benny Shendo has called for a public forum between himself and Ben
Ray Lujn where presumably Ben Ray will be able to present evidence that "he
is not now, nor never has been a member of the homosexual community." This
is just like the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s where public figures were
required to prove that they were not members of the Communist Party. *
*Some folks in Las Vegas are angling to have this forum take place here at
the Las Vegas Peace & Justice (LVP&J) Center on Sixth Street this coming
Friday at 5PM whether or not Mr. Lujn chooses to attend. Pat Leahan,
director of the Center, has stated that LVP&J "is a community-based
grassroots organization that allows groups to meet at the Center as long as
they're not planning or promoting violence or hatred". Well, in my opinion
this forum would promote hatred of the worst kind, and I urge them to
reconsider their plans to hold this forum here. *
*It is apparently Shendo's position that Ben Ray appearing in public with a
woman is deceit when he has not proved that he is in fact heterosexual.
Shendo claims that, ""The question that I was really posing is about
honesty and point out yet another example of the hypocrisy and dishonesty of
the Lujn political machine." Shendo has yet to show corroboration for his
claim that Lujn is living a closeted homosexual "lifestyle". *
*For this to be brought to the public eye is presenting a smoke screen for
folks to focus on instead of the issues that really matter to the public
like food, health, education. Just like the race card - why is it even
brought up? Beyond that, a later written explanation and backtracking by
Shendo to say that the question "was intended to support young GLBT people
who are struggling with this issue" is doubly disgusting. *
*To quote from KNME-TV Channel 5, interviewer David Alire Garcia, "Who
appointed [Shendo] the sexual-orientation police in this campaign?" *
Robert Jones
P O Box 3211
Las Vegas, NM 87701
425-8282
.