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August 28, 2007
The GOP, hypocrisy and tap-dancing to infamy
There's been a bit of back-and-forth on the DN's Friendly Fire blog about Sen. Larry Craig and his sexual orientation. Editor Chris Weinkopf asks if Craig is really a hypocrite if he's gay and against gay marriage.
I would answer yes. A gay man against gay marriage is like a woman who believes she's too emotional to be given the right to vote. Very few of us try to deny ourselves rights that others have; doing so is suspicious at best.
Even so, the hypocrisy isn't so much in his stance on gay marriage. The fact that Craig is a Republican means he's part of a party that has used homosexuality as a wedge issue, presented gays as different than "regular" Americans, and sought to deny them the ability to marry.
The reason liberals like myself chuckle when Republicans are outted is that it does away with the whole idea of gays being the "other." When a gay Republican comes to light, it drives home a point no doubt very disturbing to hard-core right-wingers: Gays are as American as apple pie, and from the halls of Congress to your most conservative evangelical institutions, they walk among you.
Posted by Greg Sidor at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2007
NAACP: Don't torture Vick
File this one under "shouldn't have said anything at all:"
R.L. White, president of the Atlanta NAACP, said of Michael Vick, "As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football ... We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."
I'd have loved to sit in on that office meeting:
NAACP Official: Hey, I've got an idea. Let's come out in support of one of the most-hated men in America!
R.L. White: Brilliant! You're getting a corner office! And after that, let's try and bail out the Enron guys!
White ought to be less concerned with Vick's football career and more worried about the character of the man he's supporting. A guy who severly abuses dogs probably doesn't turn into the perfect gentleman away from the ring; associating with Vick is like water-skiing off the Titanic.
You're going to get your heart broken, R.L. White. Mark my words.
Posted by Greg Sidor at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)
August 21, 2007
I respond: Evolution and homosexuality
I'm always happy to get reader comments because it offers the chance to expand on the topic at hand. Recently I wrote about a church in Texas that cancelled a memorial service once they found out the late man was gay.
One visitor, identified as "Bro. Donohue" in his post, comments on the church's position on homosexuality and tries to back it up by bringing in a bit of a scientific twist.
Concerning the Bible Thumpers and gays, don't forget The Catholic Church in the Catechism 235758 states that the condition is a "grave depravity...contrary to natural law." The Darwinists would also say that evolution would quickly eliminate homosexuality since it works against survival of the race(gays don't reproduce).
I can't comment on what the Catholic Church believes... they've got a long history of "laying down the law," so to speak.
However, the second point doesn't hold water.
Evolution by no means rules out homosexuality. If this were the case, it would also have eliminated infertility.
Homosexuality arises spontaneously in individuals. It doesn't require a gay person to reproduce gay offspring. In short, as long as people keep having babies, homosexuals will exist.
The same argument applies for the persistent presence of really ugly people, though that could also be attributed to our slipping standards as we age.
In any event, I'm glad we got a small discussion going, and encourage everyone to send in their thoughts.
Posted by Greg Sidor at 12:48 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2007
Church cancels 'gay' memorial service
The Rev. Gary Simons of the nondenominational High Point Church explains: "We did decline to host the service - not based on hatred, not based on discrimination, but based on principle."
He went on to explain that the church didn't want to be seen as condoning homosexuality, though how having a respectful memorial does that was left unclear.
Perhaps the reverend feared hordes of leather-clad men descending on his sanctuary? In any event, the takeaway is that bigotry can reach beyond the grave.
What's most sad is that the congregation of the church envisions a diety so harsh and judgemental that it won't even allow them to pay their respects to a dead man.
To paraphrase the old saying, "With a God like that, who needs the Devil?"
Posted by Greg Sidor at 12:55 AM | Comments (1)
August 10, 2007
Mitt and Rudy's guide to heroism
I seem to forget the John Wayne movie where he fights off the Nazis by coming up with really catchy campaign slogans for his wealthy pops, but I only have a tenuous grasp on the classics.
Not to be outdone in the redefining of the word "hero," Rudy Giuliani is now claiming that he spent as much time at Ground Zero as the rescuers and construction workers.
I fail to remember the scenes of Rudy digging through wreckage searching for survivors, but maybe I was tuned to one of those "secular progressive" news stations.
If you're keeping score, Mitt's sons are working valiantly to get him elected, Rudy is a true American hero, and Al Gore invented the Internet.
Posted by Greg Sidor at 12:21 AM | Comments (0)
August 03, 2007
There's no bad (Anne Hathaway) publicity
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| Andy Kropa/Associated Press |
With Anne Hathaway's new film "Becoming Jane" in theatres, she's on the cover of magazines and in newspapers almost daily. I even heard a rumor that this weekend LA.com will have an interview with her - oddly enough, I wasn't invited along.
From what I can gather so far, "Becoming Jane" is the story of an alleged romance between author Jane Austen and an English guy who wears funny clothes. Come to think of it, they're all wearing funny clothes. And everyone is English.
Instead of writing on their laptops and meeting dates online, they court each other in the classic romantic fashion, which sounds like it involves a lot of talking and hardly any car chases.
It's not my normal taste, but I may have to take this one in in hopes of receiving some class through osmosis. I've already got funny clothes - now I just have to work on the accent.
Posted by Greg Sidor at 01:24 AM | Comments (0)