Zebulon Robbins Sr.

Anthony Scott 
Jan. 16, 1994 
Anthony C. Scott, Of Floral Park, N.y., Died Jan. 16 In New York.

Sunday, January 30, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A QUICK WORDS: TWO VIEWS, ONE LESSON 





Two views, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 one lesson &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Since motherhood is celebrated as a traditional family value among many &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Northeastern Pennsylvanians, it might be a good idea to listen to what two
local moms have to say about child-rearing and culture in the greater &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Wilkes-Barre areaBoth women responded to the recent debate provoked by
senior Wilkes-Barre City Council member Al Boris who announced at a public
meeting that gays and lesbians should be shot and that people with AIDS get
what they deserve. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As a result, people have sent me news stories about this city from as far
away as San Jose, Calif. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The latest issue of The Advocate, a national magazine about gay and lesbian
issues, features a large photograph of Boris as well as an article about the
controversy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, Wilkes-Barre area children stockpile the lessons of life upon
which they will depend to carry them into the future. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because when it's all said and done, the kids will carry the load. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 How well they handle the burden depends largely on current examples set by
their parents and other adults. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Guiding them toward tomorrow, will we plant seeds of ignorance that take
root and grow like toxic weeds in a garden of innocence? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Identifying herself as "one of the simple-minded peasants of Wyoming
Valley," a reference to a column I wrote, Jean, of Wyoming, got right to the
point. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "As a mother of two young children," said Jean, "I don't feel it necessary
to explain why you see two men or women being intimate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think it's a sad world to consider this normal behavior," she said. "God
created a man and a woman, not two men or two women and if you think that's
simple-minded, then obviously, in that respect, the world is for the most part
simple-minded." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jean was upset with me for writing that our area is plagued with chronic
simplism -- as well as bigotry and intolerance. To her, even thinking about
explaining to her children the complexities of life in a changing world is
completely out of the question. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Jean also told me she and her husband have canceled their subscription to
The Times Leader and told all their friends to do the same. My columns about
gay rights might have caused her and her husband to take notice, said Jean,
but it also helped her to "decide to READ NO MORE." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Guess she showed me. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 hen we have Debbie, of Wilkes-Barre, who is also molding a little life in
her home. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I am the mother of a 6-year-old little girl," Debbie said. "One day my
daughter heard a reference to gays on television and asked me what gay meant.
I was stumped for a minute on how I could explain this to her in terms she
could understand. I said, you see mommy and daddy kiss and hug, right? And I'm
a woman and daddy's a man. She said, yes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I said, sometimes there might be two men or two women who like to kiss and
hug each other and live together like mommy and daddy do. I said, they're
called gay. She said she understood and OK, then proceeded to go her merry
little way." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Debbie told me more about her little girl. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'd like you to know we also teach her about different nationalities of
people and why sometimes people might look different or have a different color
skin. Even in school, when she has a picture with people on it to color, she
colors their skin different because she knows everyone isn't white. And I'm
not talking green or purple skin colors. She colors them in very realistic
colors." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So what's the point, Deb? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The point I'm trying to make is that it's a real shame all the Al Borises
who live in this valley aren't capable of having the open-mindedness that a
6-year-old has. They could learn a lot from her." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We all could. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Steve Corbett's column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Two Views, 
One Lesson 
Since Motherhood Is Celebrated As A Traditional Family Value Among Many 
Northeastern Pennsylvanians, It Might Be A Good Idea To Listen To What Two 
Local Moms Have To Say About Child-rearing And Culture In The Greater 
Wilkes-barre Area.

Two Views, One Lesson Since Motherhood Is Celebrated As A Traditional Family Value Among Many Northeastern Pennsylvanians, It Might Be A Good Idea To Listen To What Two Local Moms Have To Say About Child-rearing And Culture In The Greater Wilkes-barre Area.