Carol Rich recently wrote that Southern Poverty Law Center was no longer credible. SPLC has been a strong voice for human rights for many years.

SPLC accurately lists The Alliance Defending Freedom as espousing hate.

The ADF spreads demonizing lies about the LGBT community in this country. If the ADF had its way, gay people would be back in the closet for fear of going to jail. I object to treating my LGBT friends that way.

Ms. Rich describes Charles Murray and Ben Carson as very respected gentlemen. Charles Murray, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, uses racist pseudoscience and misleading statistics to argue that social inequality is caused by the genetic inferiority of the Black and Latino communities, women and the poor. I object to describing my Black, Latino, women, and poor friends that way.

Ben Carson redefines slavery as “anything that robs you” — such as that “Neo-Marxist” Obamacare. I defend the benefits that many of my friends have received through Obamacare. I don’t feel robbed at all by helping support medical care for my less fortunate friends.

Ms. Rich defends The Family Research Council. The FRC has worked to organize grassroots Christians to lobby for its goals. They are also among the chief purveyors of lies about LGBT people. They have regularly pumped out propaganda asserting that gay men molest children at far higher rates than their heterosexual counterparts—-a claim that has been debunked by virtually all the recognized scientific authorities in the field. I object to having my LGBT friends smeared by such horrendous untruths.

Ms. Rich stated that the Washington Times and Washington Post no longer use Southern Poverty Law Center as a credible source. In actuality, The Washington Times on November 6, 2017 published a positive article about SPLC, highlighting Pam Horowitz as one of the first lawyers hired by SPLC. She successfully argued an historic sex discrimination case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Further, an article in the Washington Post on June 4, 2018, follows very much the same themes of hate crimes as does SPLC.

Southern Poverty Law Center has brought down numerous hate groups.

They’ve received my support for many years and will continue to receive my support for their efforts to defend the civil rights of all persons.

Roger Tanquist,

Bonney Lake