Gender.

In his June 15 letter, Kenneth Mathews promotes a new public policy for the members of the Bar. He urges that the CLE guidelines be changed to add "gender orientation" to the category of "elimination of bias." This must be done, he says, "before gender orientation bias grows and becomes harder to stamp out."

Isn't this "political correctness" run amok? Are lawyers now required to avoid reaching their own determinations respecting what they consider moral or immoral, whether based on their religious scruples or otherwise?

I would think even the ACLU, devoted as they supposedly are to protection of First Amendment freedoms, would question the advisability of requiring lawyers to check their free exercise of religion and free speech at the door in the wake of Caitlyn Jenner f/k/a Bruce Jenner, simply in order to practice law.

Thomas F. Harkins, Jr.

Ft. Worth, Texas

In response to a suggestion (letter to the News, June 15), that The Florida Bar require mandatory CLE devoted to bias elimination, I respectfully dissent.

It appears that anyone who gets their feelings hurt can demand a class taught by claimed victims and/or self-professed experts (without empirical evidence for the need or efficacy of the cure).

By way of background, which shapes my perspective, I raised two daughters (my youngest, who I raised as a single parent for her last two full years of high school). My eldest daughter has a graduate degree and my youngest is pursuing an undergraduate degree and will graduate (provided she puts forth the requisite effort and obtains high enough grades). I am not advocating bias or prejudice against anyone. However, I am tired of being told that I have to be indoctrinated to think a certain way. I taught my daughters that there are a number of people in the world who engage in boorish behavior and say things that can hurt your feelings. I told them unless someone is sexually harassing you or engaging in unwanted physical contact to suck it up and get over it. Having your feelings hurt is part of life unless you decide you are a perpetual victim and never get over it. People hurting my daughters' feelings did not affect their grade point averages.

When did we as Florida Bar members surrender our free speech rights? I...