J. Davy Crockett III

Most people try to avoid prickly situations. You know, those awkward, uncomfortable moments when one says or does the wrong thing, which is embarrassing for all concerned. The customs and procedures most people consider “good manners” resulted from the need to have standards of social conduct that govern courteous, considerate human interaction.

As I entered the county courthouse in the small Southern town where I grew up, it was a special day for me. At age 14, I was going to take my license exam to obtain a driving permit! While I waited my turn, I walked around the old building with its high ceilings and creaking floors. This was the time of the racially segregated South. In an alcove, I saw two identical water fountains, side by side.

In 1836, a very significant battle took place on the American frontier. In an old Spanish mission known as the Alamo, a poignant scene played out. As the sounds of “Toque a Degüello,” a battle anthem that signified “no quarter,” were heard from outside the mission walls, the besieged defenders knew that General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was giving notice that there would be no survivors if they did not promptly surrender.

There it is, the rainbow flag, proudly waving at “Gay Pride” celebrations throughout the Western world, as the homosexual and transgender community demonstrates its political and social clout. This small demographic has pressed for recognition, shattering millennia of societal taboos and resulting in a forced acceptance of behavior that is universally acknowledged to be a high-risk lifestyle—physically and psychologically.