Defending Family Values and Representative Sally Kern

There has been a lot of nationwide attention paid to State Representative Sally Kern's comments regarding what is becoming an obviously well financed and planned attack on traditional family values. Those behind this effort have gone on the attack and suggested that Kern is a hateful person who should resign from office.

Based on my experience as a member of the House, I believe there are few legislators kinder or more caring than Kern. She is the last person in the House I would think of as hateful. Her soft-spoken kindness may initially mask the fact that she unafraid to fight for what she believes is right. Whether it is asking the tough questions or just being one of the first lawmakers to post a vote against inappropriate spending, she is not afraid to take a tough stand.

Two years ago, Kern learned that books endorsing the homosexual lifestyle could be made available in the children's section of Oklahoma public libraries. She led the fight to require libraries to segregate these books to keep them away from children. To this date, Kern has been firmly resolved to expose the agenda that places these types of materials in front of our children.

As part of this ongoing effort, Kern has given a presentation to various groups in which she talks about this agenda and posits that if the homosexual lifestyle is allowed to expand by being openly marketed to our youth, a grave threat is posed to our society. Kern believes, as do I, that America's greatness is because of traditional Judeo-Christian family values. I believe that children need and desire the traditional family environment. Because of the attack on traditional values, too often our children are not being raised in stable households, which is what they so badly need.

I see this firsthand as a member of the Human Services Committee where I serve with Rep. Kern. Because of the breakdown of the family, there are now 19,000 children in state custody. As a member of the Corrections Committee, I know that Oklahoma prisons are filled to capacity and the government struggles to deal with the fallout from the lack of adherence to traditional values. There are no easy solutions to these problems because the massive cost falls upon the taxpayers, but these challenges, if left unchecked, will eventually be too large for the government to handle.

Rep. Kern has come under attack for suggesting that the breakdown of family values poses a grave threat to our society. Despite enormous pressure, she has courageously refused to back down from her beliefs. I appreciate and agree with her stand and consider it an honor to be able to serve with her in the Legislature.