HATRED: Council needs a mirror

The front-page story Oct. 9 highlighting Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center didn’t tell all of the story of their activities. Last fall the Family Research Council, a pro-family group, was attacked by a lone gunman by the name of Floyd Lee Corkins II. Fortunately the attacker was unsuccessful and was subdued after shooting the building manager Leo Johnson in the arm and injuring him.

A security camera reveals Corkins entering the building and approaching Johnson, then leaning over his backpack on the floor. When he straightens up, Corkins points a handgun — a loaded semi-automatic — directly at Johnson and fires. Despite being wounded in the arm, Johnson is able to subdue Corkins after a brief struggle.

The FBI in their report admitted his intention to “kill the people in the building and smear a Chick-fil-A sandwich in their face.” Asked by the FBI how he picked the Family Research Council to attack, Corkins stated, “It was a, uh, Southern Poverty Law, lists, uh, anti-gay groups. I found them online. I did a little bit of research, went to the website, stuff like that.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center has thus far refused to remove Family Research Council as a “hate group” from its target map. They also target other pro-family groups who oppose homosexual marriage such as American Family Association. Retired Lt. Gen. William G. “Jerry” Boykin, the executive vice-president of Family Research Council, said the U.S. government and its agencies should discontinue using, citing or working with the Southern Poverty Law Center. Family Research Council officials repeatedly have explained they adhere to a biblical perspective on homosexuality, but are not “anti-gay.”

I would hope that Tony Stewart, Norm Gissel and others involved with local human rights issues would join myself and others in asking the Southern Poverty Law Center to remove these groups from their hate map and refrain from encouraging more hate and violence.

BOB SHILLINGSTAD

Hayden

P.S. — Not that it is that important but this hero, Leo Johnson, who prevented this possible carnage is an African-American employed by Family Research Council.