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10/26/2008
The Wirthlins and a certified hate group: How deep were the ties?
So you know Robb and Robin Wirthlin, the Massachusetts parents who are using their tale of school "indoctrination" to convince Californians to vote for Proposition 8? Well there is growing scrutiny surrounding the Wirthlins' past allegiances, particular when it comes to SPLC-certified hate group MassResistance. This from the Bay Area Reporter:
Mass Resistance is a "radical organization," according to [Pam] Hoffman, noting that it would list private correspondence between the school and the Wirthlins. The women charged that Mass Resistance was a loosely organized group with a Web site set up by conservative actvist Brian Camenker.
"Robin did not necessarily agree with the tactics of Mass Resistance," said [Meg] Soens. "I told her if she didn't agree with them then she should have them take down the transcripts and private e-mails sent to the Wirthlins." Soens said the e-mails were removed from the site a few days later.
Sonja Eddings Brown, a spokeswoman for Yes on 8, said it was "untrue" that the Wirthlins were members of Mass Resistance.
FULL STORY: Mass. couple pushes Prop 8 [B.A.R]
Only thing? Neither of the claims about the Wirhtlin/MassResistance connection are really true. For one, MassResistance is not a membership organization. To say they were not "members" may pass a lie detector, but it doesn't mean they didn't work closely with the group. Much evidence suggests that they did.
Which leads us to the second claim -- the one about the emails. The truth is that the Wirthlin's personal email correspondences (which they HAD to have sent to MassResistance themselves) have not, in fact, been removed from MR's site. You can still find them all right here, fully intact on MR's web home:
Emails between parents and school officials, on their meeting about homosexual issues in the second grade. [MR]
And the MassResistance-penned piece that accompanies these emails is filled with comments from Robb and Robin themselves. So while they may not have necessarily agreed with MR's tactics, they certainly gave the organization time, attention, and personal email correspondence. Plus, MassResistance was ALL OVER their case, as well as the similarly-themed "plight" of David and Tonia Parker, publicizing every minor development in their subsequent court battles. For the Wirthlin/Parker matter, MR was the cheerleader, the ally, the de facto press agent -- they were a major fuel tank for turning this minor, biased molehill into a majorly biased "pro-family" mountain. That cannot and should not be ignored.
Now, is it necessarily fair to automatically link the Wirthlins to this certified hate group because of these real and tangible past connections? No, not fully. The Wirthlins are their own people with their own minds, and they might genuinely take pause at some of MR's more radical endeavors (like photographing school children). However, if the "yes on prop 8 folks want to use the Wirthlins as their new media darlings (and they certainly do), then you best believe that we are going to bring up these connections and raise the appropriate questions.
**More on the Wirthlins:
Video: There's no class in this video [10/20/08]
Video: Next Prop 8 ad = Children's book fear-mongering [10/20/08]
Video: My children -- MY CHILDREN! -- were encouraged to [::fights back tears::] accept others [9/19/08]
It's not easy being 'King & King' [4/20/2006]
***More on MassResistance: Our complete MR archive
Your thoughts
My my, the Wirthlins have quite the vocabulary. Assuaged? I'd like to assuage them with a baseball bat.
Posted by: Tony P | Oct 26, 2008 11:29:49 AM
I'm reading through the email exchange between the Worthless Wirthlins and the school principal and teacher now.
They don't want their little preciouses to be taught anything about human sexuality and in particular homosexuality and transgenderism.
Talk about hide your head in the sand. Growing up I was nominally Catholic but I knew about gay people. It was discussed in classes in Catholic schools of all things.
And good luck in court for them. School regulations seem to have this way of flying right over the court systems. In fact when they brought up the courts Principal Jay should have just concluded the meeting and referred them to the Superintendent.
Posted by: Tony P | Oct 26, 2008 11:42:37 AM
The issue is now settled! Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has spoken http://JesusSaysNoOn8.com/
Posted by: Reverend Joe BAYTZIM | Oct 26, 2008 12:40:16 PM
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