I’m a father of three wonderful kids, ages 5, 3 and 4 months respectively. I love and care about my children intensely. I’m also a member of The Family. I was raised in The Family, and enjoyed my upbringing, and I feel I have a right to do the same for my children until they’re old enough to make their own decisions about life.

I feel I have provided for my personal family. They have healthy food, a good environment, good education, lots of toys, a stable financial situation, and parents who care for them and are looking out for their wellbeing.

I have the right, given to me by God and society, to make decisions regarding my children’s needs, and I exercise those rights as a parent regularly in the lifestyle I have chosen.

I also have the right to protect my children from harm, the right of every human being to see to it that ones family is safe from all threat of harm—be it verbal, emotional, psychological, or physical.

I’m raising my children in their present environment, because I feel it’s a good environment, and safe. I’m vigilant regarding their care, and protective by nature, and I pray that I’ll be able to continue to care for them as I see fit, without interruption. I believe I have the legal right to do this.

I’ve become quite concerned about the vindictive, hostile and violent threats (and most recently, violent acts carried out) and condoned by those who do not agree with my religious beliefs.

Those who are responsible for these threats, claim they’re doing such things in an effort to expose and vindicate the abuse they feel might possibly exist in my religion and lifestyle. But if their anger results in the abuse or trauma, or worse yet, violence against my children, then in my opinion they’ve gone from being the abused, to being the abusers.

If they feel that the violent death of an individual is fair repayment for alleged abuse that they suffered, then where do we draw the line? Where will this stop? Am I or my children fair game for their need for vengeance? Is this not akin to mob justice and the lynching and execution of the perceived guilty, as was experienced in the Salem witch hunts of the 17th century? Will “justice” be served when every Family member is hanging from a tree? What about my right to personal safety? Or is that compromised because of my religious beliefs? Why, in this day and age, am I having to pray for God’s protection for me and my family, from those who disagree with my religion? I thought that freedom of religion was available to those who claimed it in this modern, free world. But maybe I was wrong.

Are there no other ways to resolve issues and come to mutual terms without violently targeting and victimizing at random those who they feel have wronged them? Whatever happened to constructive, peaceful dialogue? Or is that out, in favor of hate killing?

If this vengeful kind of hate is promoted and condoned, where is the law to protect me and my family? Where was the law to protect the Jews from the hate crimes of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, where justice was dispensed only by race and belief, instead of by law? We all know what happened to the unfortunate Jews, gypsies and other minorities who died by the millions because of such mindless discrimination.

Ricky may have had his issues, but does that justify his murdering someone over his grievances? Is that not abusive in itself? What is the ultimate in physical abuse that someone can suffer—MURDER?

If one feels one has been abused, does one now have the right to abuse others? And what about the right to life that Angela Smith had? Or does that not matter because Ricky Rodriguez was angry about his past?

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold also had issues with Columbine High, but does that justify the brutal deaths of 12 of their classmates? Incidentally, they also made an amateur video detailing there intent and their issues. But does that legitimize the carnage they carried out the next day? And didn’t they also take their own lives shortly afterwards? Is there a pattern with hate crimes or is this just coincidence?

Columbine High must have been a very terrible place, considering how both boys became so worked up over their issues, that they had to resolve them with such violence? But was it? Did the authorities find systematic abuse and intimidation at Columbine High in sufficient amounts to help explain the behavior of Eric and Dylan? Does any one remember what the official conclusion was on Columbine High? Surely the administration of the school was completely to blame for what happened there considering it was there pupils who went maverick and horribly killed 12 innocents. Or was it?

Or for every employee who goes “postal” at his place of work, does that indicate that his employer is at fault and is abusive, vindictive and tyrannical by nature, and that therefore all violence in the work place is justifiable? After all, the perpetrators have legitimate issues, and every place of work that this sort of thing transpires at needs to be burned to the ground, because it was obviously evil and created evil people, right? Or did someone just have issues they could not resolve constructively?

There are other roads to settlement. Why can we not engage in a little dialogue to come to a better understanding of each others differences. Instead of engaging in such broad hatred and consequent violence, especially where my children are involved.

—From a concerned Father