The editors of the Florida Daily News wrote this week:

"...Far from encouraging illegal activity, [Florida teacher Jerry Buell] was expressing an opinion that's reflected in the laws of 41 states, including Florida, which have either a constitutional prohibition against same-sex marriage or a law against it.

What he appears to have violated is a demand for some sort of political orthodoxy placed upon him by his employers.

Had he used the same blunt language — or even cited scripture — to defend gay marriage, we very much doubt he would have been suspended or disciplined.

The way we see it, he deserves immediate reinstatement. While employers aren't without prerogatives in regulating the "off hours" activities of their employees, such rules of conduct need to be laid down in advance and not imposed after the fact and at the whim of whatever viewpoint holds a majority on the school board at a given time.

As an American, Jerry Buell is guaranteed the freedom to practice his religion. Just because the Bible's admonitions against homosexuality strike some people as incorrect thinking doesn't mean they don't exist or that many Christians don't recognize them as the word of God.

He's also guaranteed freedom of speech, which either works for everyone or no one at all."

Mr. Buell has since been reinstated by the school board.