To the editor:

To quote the human rights commission: “To the transgendered citizens of New Ulm: you are valued; you are guaranteed the same rights as everyone else in our community; you are loved. If you are in need of support, please reach out.”

It would indeed be a sad day if we said that we didn’t value another person because of something we know they are involved in or a way of thinking which is wrong and will hurt them and others. It would be a sad day if we looked the other way when someone was claiming rights that might lead them and others to be harmed.

Should we judge between right and wrong? Yes, we are called upon to do that every day. If making judgments between right and wrong weren’t necessary, there would be no need for laws and guidance of any kind. We need to judge which is the right way for us to go, and love calls on us to let someone know if they are heading over a cliff or leading others over a cliff. Although it might be easier, how unloving it would be to hide our heads in the sand and say it’s none of our business!

Should we arrogantly judge others as being worse than we? Never. If we do we are making light of our own wrongs, and we are destroying the chance to form relationships.

“To the transgendered citizens of New Ulm: you are valued; you are guaranteed the same basic rights as everyone else in our community; you are loved, not hated. If you are in need of support, please reach out.” You have as much value as anyone else. Your fellow citizens care about you, and they care about this community.

Mary Thom

New Ulm