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8BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJUNE2014IamManIamWomanWearePeopleYOUTHLEADERSHIPCONFERENCETheDr.MartinLutherKingJr.ColoradoHolidayCommissionhostedsometwohundredhighschoolstudentsandtheirparentsattheirannualIamManIamWomanWeArePeopleYouthLeadershipEducationalConferenceWAPConMay3rdwhereVernL.HowardtheChairmanoftheMLKCommissionintroducesfourscholarshipopportunitiesallworth2000.00eachandwasonlyavailabletothestudentsinattendance.Mr.HarryBelafonteCivilRightsActivistandActorwillawardthestudentswhomapplyandwhoareselectedthefundsonSundayJune22ndattheRenaissanceDenverHotel.AnotherelementofWAPCistheprofessionalpanelthisyearspaneldis-cussionwasfacilitatedbyBiankaEmersonandChristianStewardandwascomprisedofmembersfromthepoliticalareaaChemicalEngineerEcoEngineerCivilRightsLawyerEducatoraScholarshipGranterandaCommunityActivist.andtheyvedecidednottomakeanissueoftheirsexuality.Arguablyothershavedecidedtomaintaintheprivacyoftheirsexualpreferenceasapersonalmatter.IneithercasetheNFLsresponsetoSamsannouncementishonorablebecausetheyoptedtoopposediscrimination.ThishoweverdoesnotmeanthattheNFLconfirmshomosexualityisamoralidea.Thefactofthematteris-homosexualityisnotnewtotheNFLandtherehavealwaysbeenplayersintheleaguewhohaveparticipatedinthehomosexuallifestylejustnotpublically.SoyoumaybeaskingyourselfthenwhyisthisanissueTheanswerbecausesomepeoplehaveaproblemwithpromot-inghomosexualityaswellasotherformsofpublicaffectionasmoralideastodisplayindiscriminatelywiththecommunity.AssuchESPNisafamilyori-entedsportsnetworkintendedforthepresentationandenjoymentofsportstofansandnotatelevisionseriesthatrequiresaratingwarningwhereexplicitdisplayiscommonplace.Thepurposeforhavingaratingsystemistoallowparentstheopportunitytodecideifthecontentandmaterialcontainedintheprogramisappropriateorsuitableforimpres-sionableyouthwhoshouldnotbeexposedtoadultbehaviorthatcanbeviewedasinappropriate.WhyshouldnteverydaypeoplethinkcriticallyaboutwhatweexposeourchildrentoinordertopromotestandardsofrightandwrongForexampleadultsshouldnotsmokedodrugsordrinkinthepresenceofchildren.Somepeoplehaveasyouthbeenrepeatedlyviolatedbysame-sexadultsandtheyhavedeterminedthatwhatwashappeningtothemwasnormalbehaviorbythesexgender.Thisisnotacaseofbirthrightclaimsitisasocializationproblemthatcausessometobelieveinunnaturalideasbecauseofhowtheywereexploitedaschil-dren.KnowingthatimpressionableyouthwatchsportsprogrammingESPNiswrongforairingSamshomosexualpublicdisplayofaffection.AndMichaelSamiswrongforbeinginconsiderateofthosewhoseethebehaviorasimmoral.Theissuecentersonhowwesharepublicspacethatreflectsaspiritofrespectandintegrityespeciallyinenviron-mentswherechildrenarepresentandinanenvi-ronmentwherethereisadiversityofperspectives.Commondecencydictatesthatyoudontblareyoumusicinapublicspacewhereothersmightnotlikeyourmusic.WhatswrongwiththatideaTherehasbeennolackofargumentswherepro-ponentsaskwhyishisbehavioraproblemiftheotherdrafteesarekissingtheirgirlfriendsHerestheanswermanandwomanarethenaturalstan-dardforsexualrelationshipandeverythingelseisatbestdebatable.HomosexualityisunnaturalandimmoraltomanypeoplewhohavetherightandthefreedomtoholdthatpositionjustliketheGaycommunityhasthefreedomtoholdtheirs.DoGayrightsadvocatesexercisethesametolerancefortheopposingideasthattheyinsistuponfortheirownideasHerestheissuehowmanypeoplewouldbeifaknownpolygamistkissedeachofhiseightwivesashedisplayedhisaffectionforhislovedonesafterbeingdraftedOrwhatifadrafteebelievesinopenmarriagesandhekisseshiswifeandtheneachofhisotherthreegirlfriendsasademonstrationofindividualsexualdeterminationIsalternativelife-stylereallyamatterforpublicconsumptionAsafootballfanandaformerCollegefootballplayertherearelotsofjudgmentsthegamehastomakeconcerningthepublicdemonstrationofindi-vidualizedexpressioninordertoprotectitsbrandonthefield.Heresthepointletsendanyformofdiscriminationagainstpeopleforwhotheyarebutletsnotaddtheelementsofegotisticaldivisivenessforthesakeofpublicizingwhatshouldbeaprivatefreedom.IgiveMichaelSamcreditfortakingastandonhisbeliefs.ThereforepublicizinghisstatuswhileplayingcollegefootballandbeingdraftedtotheNFLisinitselfahugemilestone.Whynotkeepitthere.WhenJackieRobinsonbrokethecolorbarrierinMajorLeagueBaseballhediditwithclassintegrityandhumility.Baseballputhistalentondisplayandcharacterputhishumanityondisplay.SAM...continuedfrompage1TheStateoftheBlackChamberColoradoBlackChambersofCommerceCBCChadtheir2ndannualStateoftheBlackChamberLuncheonwhereReggieRiversformerDenverBroncosFullbackwastheguestspeaker.NicoleSingletonthePresidentandCEOoftheCBCCspokeontheimpor-tanceofsupportingBlackbusinessesandtrainingouryouthtobecomingentrepreneurs.SingletonannouncedtheCBCCsYouthInitiativeandhowtheCBCCwillhostasummerentrepreneurscampinvestinginyouthstudentsandofferanannualscholarshiptograduatingseniors.ThecampwillbeheldJuly14th-182014.PhotographedhereareReggieRiversNicoleSingletonandRichLewistheChairmanoftheBoardoftheCBCC.ElderSilkeHansenspokethesearethewordsassheaddressedthecon-gregationatUnitedChurchofMontebelloinDenverCO.Rev.Dr.JamesFoutherSeniorPastorTeacheratTheUnitedChurchofMontbelloinDenverColoradoleadthecelebrationofthemilestoneofElderHansenoneoftheColoradocommunitiesfinenessresidents.HansenaretiredUSJusticeDepartmentStafferwiththeCommunityRelationServicesCRShasmediatedissuesthroughouttheUSandmainlyontheAmericanIndianReservation.ThisforceintheCivilRightsmove-menthasleadthetrainingoftheMLKMarshallsfortwenty-oneyears.AftertheassassinationofRev.Dr.MartinLutherKingJr.HansenwenttoMemphisandmarchedwithMrs.CorettaScottKingassheleadtheSanitationWorkersmarchandwasinstrumentalintheBostonMassachusettsschoolsdesegregation.60YearsintheUnitedStatesand50YearsasaCitizenInscriptionontheStatueofLibertyGivemeyourtiredyourpoorYourhuddledmassesyearningtobreathfreeThewretchedrefuseofyourteem-ingshoreSendthesethehomelesstempesttosttomeIliftmylampbesidethegoldendoor.EmmaLazarusElderSilkeHansen