So my local paper (the Cincinnati Enquirer) regularly requests reader opinions on subjects, from which they pick and choose a few to print in the Saturday Editions. Well, I had something to say about Mitt Romney's religion's place in an election, so I posted a short (you're limited to 500 characters) personal opinion.
You can imagine my horror at what confronted me when I opened the paper this evening.
Here's what I wrote:
"[Religion] shouldn't be an issue. But when a candidate's party has sold
itself out to a very narrowly-focused and fundamentalist sect of a single
religion, what else should he expect?"
Now here's what's there in black and white, and in the print edition, right next to my frigging picture:
Yes, it matters. I wouldn't vote for a Muslim. Their religion tells me what kind of morals and values they have and how they will decide on issues facing the country. Very important!
I feel sick and betrayed. I'm writing this in tears, because now the whole town is going to think I'm an asshole. That includes my Muslim friends, the people I know in the local bellydance community, mothers of other children who play with mine, and everybody who doesn't yet know me. Not to mention it's about the furthest thing from my true feelings that I could even dream up.
I've emailed the editorial department asking for a retraction both in print and online, as soon as possible. But the damage is done, and right now, I feel so ashamed that I don't even want to walk outside to my mailbox for fear that one of the neighbors will think I'm a bigot.
I feel like throwing up.