The other day as I waited at the bus stop located at College Avenue and Allen Street, I was exposed to a group called the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property.

This kilt garbed, bagpipe-playing group was requesting signatures for a petition opposing the Lawrence vs. Texas Supreme Court decision that legalized sodomy. When they requested my signature, I respectfully declined, as I believe that the federal government has no place in the bedroom. Even though I personally did not agree with their cause or their literature, I respected their right as American citizens to publicly demonstrate for their cause.

However, as I waited (for what seemed like an eternity) for my bus, I saw student after student sign their petition and felt knots begin to develop in my stomach.

Up until this point, I had been under the (apparently mistaken) impression that the majority of college-aged students were open minded and accepting of different cultures, opinions and lifestyles. I was truly disheartened to see how full of judgment and hate we are as a population.

At what point did America's young people become so condemning, myopic and intolerant? What has hardened us and turned us off of being compassionate and understanding people and what needs to happen to bring us back to being warm-hearted, upstanding citizens?