Post Election Analysis, Yes, A Month Later
It’s been a while since my last post, I know. Mostl I’ve been hard at work on http://williamtalley.com and http://buchtelclassof99.info. Here is my post election article. It’s long, so you may want to kick back a little bit and grab something to drink.
The Christian Taliban’s Anti-Gay Witch Hunt
While our troops are fighting in Iraq to [supposedly] protect our freedoms, gay high school students in Ponce De Leon, FL have to fight for their freedom to simply be who they are without having to deal with any negative backlash. Such is the case of a lesbian high school student in a bible-belt conservative community. After complaining to principal David Davis about students taunting her because of her being a lesbian, Davis respond appropriately, by suspending the student, outing her to her parents as a lesbian, and ordering her to stay away from children. Huh?
But wait, it gets even better. When her friends protested against the decision by wearing gay pride buttons and t-shirts, the principal responded by suspending the students, and interrogating people to find out if they are gay or not. One of those students, Heather Gilman (pictured here), told her mother Andrea, who then contacted the ACLU to file a lawsuit on her daughter’s behalf. Thankfully, the judge ruled that Davis did indeed violate the student’s civil rights, and ordered the school district to pay up. Davis wounded up demoted, and school employees have to go through sensitivity training.
“Davis embarked on what can only be characterized as a ‘witch hunt’ to identify students who were homosexual and their supporters, further adding fuel to the fire,” U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak recounted in his ruling. “He went so far as to lift the shirts of female students to insure the letters ‘GP’ or the words ‘Gay Pride’ were not written on their bodies.”
What’s most disturbing is the fact that so many of the county’s residents support Davis and his audacious behavior, simply because he acted in line with most of the community’s narrow minded beliefs. It’s one thing to believe homosexuality is wrong, but it’s another to punish, cast out, and vilify someone simply because their lifestyle does not coincide with what you believe in. What the principal did was nothing short of a witch hunt. What if some ignorant redneck S.O.B. decides to target one of the homosexuals you’re outing, and brings harm to them or their families? Would you be able to sleep having something like that over your head? Is it moral to public humiliate a child simply because you don’t like who they are? It’s even sadder when these type of people are allowed to teach children their bigoted ways, and then we have a new generation of people who have been raised to think that it’s ‘moral’ and ‘christian’ to ostracize people just because they are different from you. I think this quote from Andrea Gilman says it the best:
“What happens when these kids get out in the real world after they leave Ponce de Leon and they have a black, homosexual supervisor at their job?”
America Hating Anti-Gay Protestors Get Pwned, Big Time
to the tune of $11 million in fact.
If you’ve been following politics, no doubt by now that you’ve heard about anti-gay Christian hero Fred Phelps (of godhatesfags.com fame), his Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church, and their protests at the funerals of dead soldiers under the pretense that the Iraq war is punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality. Grieving father Albert Snyder, whose son Matthew was killed in Iraq sued the group for invasion of privacy, intent to inflict emotional distress, and unspecified damages. The judge ruled in his favor, and now the church has to pay nearly 11 million in damages, well over their worth. The group has vowed that this won’t be the end.
Now I’m all for protesting the war, but protesting at someone’s funeral is dead wrong. I despise censorship, but there are some things you just shouldn’t do, especially for the cause of spewing hatred. Hopefully ruling will be upheld, and since the reward is far greater than Phelp’s worth, then these bigots will be bled dry and be forced into bankruptcy, and we’ll never have to put up with their garbage anymore. Looking at this picture, it’s sad that there are parents who train their kids to think like this. People like this is why people turn away from Christianity. Listen up people, forget what Bill O’Riely tells you. There is no war on Christianity, just people like this. Unfortunately, Christians put themselves in the crossfire because they think that these people are spreading the lords word, when all it is is more hatred. Jesus would smack the piss out of Fred Phelps and his ilk.
Handy dandy guide to shooting down arguments against gay marriage
Here are some arguments you’ll see time and time again against gay marriage, and here is how to refute them. By the way, I’m straight, just not narrow.
1. But the bible/Koran/torah/ (insert holy book here) says…
Rebuttal: Well the separation of church and state clause of the first amendment protects us from that.
1b. But it’s not in the constitution! It doesn’t say it anywhere!
Rebuttal: Yes it does, in the first amendment. Not using those exact words. Besides, SOCAS is a good thing. Not only does it keep religion from interfering with government, but it also keeps government from dictating how you practice your religion.
(Note: There are a million ways to debunk the religious argument but this is the most direct)
2. But marriage always has been 1 man and one woman! America will be uncomfortable having to adjust to a new social norm!
Rebuttal: And your marriage will still will be if you so choose. Only it can also be between two women or two men if the party in question so desires. And what is the big deal about gay marriage? How will it affect you? It’s not too much of a new social norm. America is a progressive society which has always adapted to new social and cultural changes, such as cars, television, and the internet. If not for these changes, we’d still be hunting animals in Africa. Besides, when segregation was ended, there were people uncomfortable with the fact that blacks were able to use the same water fountains and restrooms, go to the same schools, and sit on the same sections of the bus as them.
3. But why can’t I marry my car/fiancée’s corpse/dog/ (insert imamate or non human object here)?
Rebuttal: Because they can’t sign a legal contract stupid. If I was against gay marriage, I would ask people to stop using this argument because it makes us look dumb.
3b) so why can’t I marry a relative, or a child? Or more than one spouse?
Rebuttal: But if you let a barber vat your hair, who’s to say he won’t try to cut open your scalp? And therein lays the problem with the slippery slope argument.
3c) I only think of terms of black in white. Please explain that to me.
Disregarding the moral arguments against these things, they are all different from gay marriage. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. As for polygamy, I personally see nothing wrong with it, but it’s just that not enough people have made a big enough deal about it.
4. What about the children?
Rebuttal: What children?
4a) the ones they will want to adopt!
Rebuttal: What about them? They will go through life knowing they have two gay parents instead of two straight ones. It’s not like they are doing anything straight parents wouldn’t do. Besides, what’s worse? Two gay, loving parents or two abusive straight parents?
4b) my children who will be exposed to this!
Rebuttal: So how will they be exposed? What are they doing in front of your kid that you don’t do in front of him? Kids today don’t care about what sponge bob has in his square pants; let alone what Adam’s doing with Steve. It’s you guys who have the hang ups.
5. THEY ARE FORCING THEIR AGENDA ON US!
Rebuttal: The only agenda here is the one you created trying to deny them their rights. Same as the civil rights movement and the women rights movement.
6. But you can’t compare being gay to being a minority! Being gay is a lifestyle choice!
Rebuttal: No one is comparing the two. If you notice however, the struggle for gays is the same as the one for blacks. Speaking of lifestyle choices, Religion is also one. Which brings me to….
7. We can’t give the gay’s special rights!
Rebuttal: They aren’t asking for special rights, just the same ones you have. Besides, veterans and troops get special rights, as do college students, religious groups, and even prison inmates. And another thing, by asking to keep marriage exclusive for straights, and if being straight is a choice by your logic, then aren’t you asking for special rights for being straight?
7b. But Religious groups are constitutionally protected.
Rebuttal: As are all American citizens.
8. The purpose of marriage is to have children! If gays are allowed to marry, this will hurt our population!
Rebuttal: First of all, if less than %5 of the American population were allowed to get married, then you mean to tell me that the other 95 percent can’t pick up the slack? Secondly, marriage is more than having children. You don’t even have to be married to have children. And by this logic, senior citizens and sterile people shouldn’t be allowed to be married as well. And don’t get me started on the single parents.
9. Gay marriage will ruin our society!
Rebuttal: You realize you said the same thing about Elvis, rock and roll, rap music, television, and a bunch of other things, yet we’re still around right? Stop being so frickin paranoid.
10. But gay marriage will ruin our sacred institution!
Rebuttal: Anymore than our high divorce and spousal abuse rates, reality TV weddings, Britney spear’s little jaunt (as well as several other celebrity weddings), Vegas drive in weddings, and music, movies, and books which make it seem cool to cheat on your significant other? I doubt it. If anything, ‘our sacred institution’ can use their help.
10b. but it will ruin my marriage.
Rebuttal: Oh well, I don’t know what to tell you. If your marriage is so fragile that the thought of two gays getting married is enough to ruin it, then perhaps the problem isn’t the gays. Chances are you shouldn’t have been married in the first place.
10c. But the institution will be so messed up, I feel I won’t be able to marry!
Rebuttal: So how exactly does gay marriage affect you anyhow? Never mind that, who would want to marry a tightwad sexually repressed bigot like you anyway?
11. But this will spread HIV, herpes, syphilis, etc.
Rebuttal: So what STDs can gays get that straights can’t? Just as many, (if not more) straights can catch these diseases as gays can, so what makes gays any more susceptible to a STD than a straight? If anything, gay marriage will curb the spread of these diseases by encouraging monogamous relationships.
12. I HATE F@GS! I HOPE THEY ALL BURN IN HELL WITH MATTHEW SHEPARD!
Rebuttal: If I was against gay marriage, I would ask people to stop saying stuff like this. It makes it look as if we are out to get them rather than a desire to preserve our institution.
13. (Insert fecal or anal joke here)
Rebuttal: Again, if I was against gay marriage, then I would ask people to stop talking like this as well. It makes us look dumb and immature.
14. But this will cause the world to hate us!
Rebuttal: First of all, the world hates us for more legitimate reasons than whom we let marry who. If you open your eyes and do a little research, then you find that the reason why the world hates us is because of our foreign policy, among other things. Secondly, as if you, Mr. ‘BOMB IRAQ SCREW THE FRENCH AND SCREW MUSLIMS’ care about world opinion of us anyway.
15. Gays will influence our children to be gay!
Rebuttal: More paranoia at work. If this is true, then how come most, if not all gays, come from straight famlies? Being around gays won’t make you any more gay than being around basketball players will make you a fan of basketball.
16. But activist judges are the real enemy!
Rebuttal: Nice try, but do you feel the same way when an ‘activist judge’ like scalia, reinqhurst, O’Connor or something else makes a ruling that’s in your favor (like banning abortion)? And what is an activist judge anyway? Someone who makes rulings you don’t agree with? What if a ‘non-activist judge’ were to allow gay marriage?
17. But gays already have the right to marry. A gay man can marry a gay woman.
Rebuttal: That’s like saying during the separate but equal era that blacks had the right to use the bathroom and water fountain assigned to them.
18. it’s illegal!
Rebuttal: Now there is a sound argument for keeping something illegal.
19. it’s not natural!
Rebuttal: First of all, who are you, or any of us to decide what’s natural and what isn’t? Secondly, if homosexuality is against nature, then so is war, chopping down trees, and pollution, yet I don’t see you making a deal about these things.
19b. it’s not moral!
Rebuttal: Who are you to decide what’s moral and what isn’t? If gay marriage isn’t moral, then neither is using false, err misleading evidence to start wars, screwing workers to make corporate profits, and high price healthcare plans which only benefit the drug companies, yet I don’t see you up in arms about this.
20. But this will cause people to pretend that they are gay just to get married and enjoy the benefits!
Rebuttal: There are straight couples that do that now. Besides, do you think anyone would really fake homosexuality, an entire lifestyle, just for benefits?
21. The majority of America is against it. This is democracy!
Rebuttal: No it isn’t. It’s the majority deciding the rights of a few. The majority was also against freeing the slaves and giving the women the right to vote. Democracy only works when it’s everyone’s interests being considered. This is more like 5 foxes and a hen deciding on what [or who] to have for dinner. Besides, the majority of America was also against freeing the slaves and giving women voting rights.
22. But look what happened in Norway!
Rebuttal: So how do you know that the same thing will happen here? We are a different country. Besides, Canada’s had it for over a year and they are just fine. Using your logic, our gun control laws should be as strict as those in Europe since they have less gun murders over there.
23. This is too controversial. We should end marriage period.
Rebuttal: That could work, but then everyone loses, and we shouldn’t have to do that.
24. But I can’t stand the homos! I think their lifestyle is immoral and it goes against my religion!
Rebuttal: I’m sure they think too highly of you either, but that’s part of life. America is a diverse society. If you don’t like it, go to apartheid South Africa.
25: But *sniff* I don’t want gays to marry! *sniff*
Rebuttal: Oh well, that’s life. You don’t have any valid argument against it.
Area 4:51 