The right wing showed its skill at displaying phony outrage when Barack Obama used the old line about “lipstick on a pig” in reference to McCain’s policies and former Mass. Gov. Jane Swift accused him of insulting Palin. Now they’re up in arms over an alleged campaign of violent intimidation of religious people by anti-Prop 8 protestors. An ad in Friday’s New York Times made non-specific allegations in the course of denouncing protests against Prop 8 as “outrageous” acts which should stop immediately. http://www.hrc.org/content_ima… Readers got a vivid characterization of evil being perpetrated by the LGBT community, bereft of particulars.
The evidence for the pattern of “violent intimidation” described and attributed to the LGBT community collectively was left unstated. Most of the enmity seems to be over the very fact we’re not acquiescing in inequality and are energetically criticizing Prop 8 supporters. Still I’ve heard of a handful of incidents which I wished hadn’t happened, but which can’t be considered anything more than anecdotes. There was the episode of the anti-gay protestor penetrating a group of anti-Prop 8 protestors carrying a styrofoam cross, which was taken away and stomped on. There is a reference to a Book of Mormon being set on fire outside a Mormon Church, which is protected “hate speech” but not a hate crime unless they were trying to damage church property. There was the white powder sent to some Mormon outfit. The original anti-Prop 8 protestors going after the Mormon Temple in Westwood, LA, were rowdy, but not legally out of bounds. The worse thing I saw was a rogue group of guerilla queers who disrupted services at a megachurch near Detroit dressed like terrorists in pink, but they were universally condemned by the organized community.
The least that can be said of the New York Times ad signatories is that they have grossly overgeneralized from a small number of incidents to smear an entire civil rights movement. The remarkable thing about the LGBT equality demonstrations, especially after the advent of Join the Impact in early November, is how peaceful and respectful they have been. Hundreds of thousands have mobilized against homophobia, and less than 5 objectionable incidents in the entire country are being identified by the right. LGBT people are victims of longstanding hate crimes; they cannot be justly accused of a campaign of perpetrating acts of hatred against others without evidence. Any suggestion to the contrary would be tantamount to tarring all Mormons as gaybashers because Matthew Shepard’s murderers were Mormon boys.
The “gays as fasicts” mantra we heard from Newt Gingrich on Fox News is just the latest iteration of a recurring right-wing theme which says gays are bad people and it’s OK to hate them, or deny them equal rights. Conservative commentator Midge Decter penned a venomous diatribe against gays shortly after the Stonewall riots, making charges that reflect palpable hatred when read today. But as much as they try to put lipstick on the pig of homophobia, it’s just as ugly as it’s always been.
That’s the headline on the advert that ran in the Times.
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p>When I first saw the headline, I assumed it was a pro-marriage-rights criticism of letting “the mob” abridge civil rights via referendum. Silly me!
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p>Irony is lost on these people.
Is that the same sentiment the right-wingers had when rent-a-mob really did shut down the Palm Beach County recount in 2000. In this case all the demonstrations in the world will not force a change in the law. That still happens in voting booths and courtrooms.
Elements of the Right have demonstrated a remarkable ability to feel victimized. This December, it would help if they felt all safe and snugly. Be sure them warm holiday greetings.
Hopefully there won’t be assaults on our “National Holiday” Christmas this year, although I do feel the chill already as I viewed our Elementary School “Holiday” singing special with songs about every religion/race known except of course Christian or using the word “Christmas”. I wonder how they phrase having December 25th off,
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p>I love Bill O’Rielly’s expression… “We say Merry Christmas” and I have adopted it in my personal and work life saying it to everyone regardless of their religion, not really giving a fuck how they feel.
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p>But I have had trouble sleeping nights fearing someone may by mistake wish me a “Happy Chanukah” or some other religious holiday greeting which obviously has the effect of sending people into maddening insane rant. If, by horrible chance, someone should wish me a “happy some other religion holiday greeting, I will attempt to regain my composure with the thought that while I enjoy Christmas this year OJ Simpson will be sitting in a 6 foot cell remembering the days of wine and roses, and the next year, and the next year…. Merry Christmas to all!!!!
Especially to you.
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p>I don’t know how else to return the favor of your proving my point.
If it weren’t for me think of all the links you would have to provide to prove your points. I would respond to even more of your posts (and probably provide proof as well) but I can’t understand many of them (hey did I just prove another one). Try to talk down a little bit and use few sylabled words.
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p>What’s your take on the Auto bailout sitch?
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p>PS Don’t send a card, I’m rejecting all “Happy Holiday” cards this year.
…where BOTH sides make way to much of a federal case out of it. It seems there are much more important things in life than how we greet eaach other.
“Happy Holidays” comes out of a desire to be inclusive. JohnD expresses the “screw the non-Christians” sentiment of the O’Reilly crowd quite well.
Hi, It was an nice artical and interesting………!
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Danny
MLS