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10/15/2008
'Yes on 8' -- no on any other point of view
Want a clear-cut example of which side in the marriage fight holds the truth? Which side embraces transparency? Which side enjoys, rather than fears, discourse? Well you need look no further than YouTube.
Here are what all of the comments sections look like for all of the videos on the official "yes on 8" YouTube channel:
Text comments are turned off; video responses are not approved. There is no opportunity to talk back or weigh in at all. Yet if you look to the official "No on 8!" channel, you'll see response sections that look like this:
What you will find on the pro-gay side is healthy, robust discussion. Not a cone of silence nor a one-sided echo chamber, but rather an actual back-and-forth. Because that is what our side does -- we converse. We welcome the opportunity to dialogue with the public, because we know that to hear and understand our arguments in this fight is to understand why we are on the right side of history!
We once chatted with a representative from a certain Republican candidate's presidential campaign about why they felt the need to turn off comments on a gay rights-challenging video that they had posted. The staffer's basic argument was that if comments were left on, then the video would be bombarded with opposing viewpoints. We imagine this is the same mentality that the "yes on 8" crowd is following, but you really have to wonder why. After all, anyone who spends time on YouTube will tell you that it is HARDLY a pro-gay liberal land of rainbows and positivity. In fact, it can be quite queer-hostile! So why doesn't our opposition trust that if challenges are presented to their videos, then their peeps will handily push back with their own reasoned, principled logic? We have nothing but faith in our team -- why don't they?
It's not just YouTube, either. Social conservatives are notorious for disallowing or deleting comments on their sites and blogs as well. They who constantly claim that gays want to silence opposition have made it their online mission to quiet any and all discussion. And while it may sound silly to look to social networking for insight on this movement's views, we really think this discourse-prevention is a very telling point. It shows that whether or not they will admit it, they truly do fear that their followers will too fully hear the challenging ideas that we on the side of truth and fairness are putting forth. Plus, they might also fear the ugly and cruel bias that could come from their own supporters, which would belie the "nice" face they like to put on their discriminatory endeavors. Both possibilities should raise eyebrows.
Yesterday we left a firm yet fair comment on a video that had been posted by Florida's official anti-marriage-equality campaign (one of the few that actually allows comments), but it was, of course, deleted by days end. So as a test, we have left another:
Stay tuned to see if they'll present us with a reasoned justification, or if they'll do what they typically do with both comments and gays in general: Deny their right to peacefully exist.
Your thoughts
I can definitely agree with you there: Youtube is excessively filled with anti-gay propaganda. And as you've pointed out, it's nearly always censored.
I checked the video, and it seems your comment is still there. But it wouldn't be any surprise if it suddenly disappeared in a few hours.
Anyway, it spoke the truth. Social conservatives repeatedly silence dissent on blogs and websites like YT. To be completely honest, it really infuriates me. I've really got to stop them from getting to me.
Posted by: Some Guy | Oct 15, 2008 11:07:02 AM
Moveon.org has done the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxvHkFLmqRk
Maybe they want their views exclusive, so their message does not get diluted. MoveOn, and Yes on 8 included.
And there is always Godtube if you want uncensored traditionalist programming.
Posted by: matt from california | Oct 15, 2008 12:14:36 PM
Jeremy,
I'm not really that surprised by this, considering what their positions are on most issues:
The reason women have abortions is because they're allowed to have them. If we don't allow them access to them, they certainly won't have them!
The best way to combat STDs and teen pregnancy is to not tell children about sex. We should not tell teenagers anything about sex except that they should wait until they're married to have it. If we lie to them about HIV and AIDS that will help keep their pants on. If we tell them the truth, and tell them about condoms, we're pretty much telling them "go have sex...RIGHT NOW!" Thus people who don't know anything about sex won't have it, duh!
The reason gay people exist is because gay people won't shut up about being gay. Kids see this, and decide to be gay for the fun of it. If gays are silent, closeted, and removed from classroom, television, and internet, no one will be gay!
Their philosphy all comes from the same flawed thinking. All of us, at one point or another believe our opinion to be the right opinion, to be valid and solid. With these groups they not only believe that, they want everyone else to believe that, or at least make it hard or impossible to go against their vision. The difference between them and most people is they want to remove opposition, they want to remove dissention, they believe that if people aren't given choices, alternatives, if people aren't told about exceptions: they simply won't do X, Y, Z. That lies, distortions, and misinformation is perfectly acceptable so long as it prevents "wrong" behavior. They not only believe that that ignorance is bliss, they think ignorance is righteous. They are the ultimate control freaks.
Remember, these are the same people who believe Adam and Eve were better off not knowing ANYTHING about right and wrong. They consider learning about good and evil "the fall" and the fact that man has choices to be the greatest problem in the world. The original sin isn't sex: it's curiousity.
That's what scares me the most about them.
Posted by: Jason D | Oct 15, 2008 12:24:01 PM
Jason: Oh no, I'm not surprised at all. When it comes to our opposition, I've completely lost the ability to have that reaction.
Matt: I'm assuming your joking about GodTube, right?
Posted by: G-A-Y | Oct 15, 2008 12:27:17 PM
I, too, find the lack of the ability to comment on their ads frustrating. But it's not surprising. As you have repeatedly shown, anti-gay activists do not believe in, nor are they capable, of reasoned debate that involves facts and logic and argument. So, they avoid it. They only have absolute views that exist in logic-less vacuums. It's pathetic.
For example, I was banned from commenting on a religious nut's blog because I called her a hypocrite. She said that I was banned for personal attacks. This was after she told me I was going to hell for being immoral and dishonest. Ha.
Posted by: ted | Oct 15, 2008 2:11:46 PM
I'm a CHRISTIAN and I'm voting NO on 8.
Why?
Because it seems that all the funding has come from false Christian groups like ROMAN CATHOLICS and "MORMONS" both of whom are idolaters (worshiping Men, Mary, beads, little statues of saints, etc).
IDOLATRY is a worse sin. Voting yes on 8 supports idolatry.
Posted by: Robert | Oct 16, 2008 12:40:53 PM
The comment is gone. You were right. Absurd.
Posted by: Beau | Oct 17, 2008 4:18:32 AM
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