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11/17/2008
But hey, why wouldn't a onetime film star know more than trained constitutional scholars?
Noted thespian Chuck Norris is steaming mad at those pesky gays who refuse to sit idly by as their rights get stripped away. This from a column that the former Sidekicks star penned for the uber-conservative WorldNetdaily:
Of course, activists say they are merely utilizing their political freedoms and rights, but, the fact is, I see a lot of sore losers who are intolerant of any outcome but the one they desire. Some are acting like toddlers who throw a temper tantrum until they get their way. Are they fighting for their rights or at last showing true colors of intolerance against anyone who believes contrary to them?
There have been many of us who have passionately opposed an Obama election, but you don't see us protesting in the streets, crying out unfair – rather we are submitting to a democratic process and now asking how we can support "our" president. Just because we don't like the election outcome, doesn't give us the right to bully those who oppose us. In other words, if democracy doesn't tip our direction, we don't swing to anarchy. That would be like the wild West all over again, signs of which appear to be resurrecting in these post-election protests.
Oh, the illogic. After two weeks of it, our brain is about ready to jump out of our ear and to its death! But it hasn't done so yet, so we will force it to lay out a few key points for the former "Walker, Texas Ranger":
- California gays were granted equality by a reasoned, independent judiciary operating from a legal, civil basis. Not only did the court grant gays marriage equality, but it also gave homosexuality "suspect classification." Essentially it said that what's good for the heterosexual goose is good for the gay gander.
- A majority of California voters, largely motivated by faith beliefs, stripped these rights away. These CIVIL rights. And not only does it absolutely enrage us to know that our legal liberties were removed because of a deceptive faith-based (and highly faith-financed) campaign -- it also leads us to believe that under the equal protection clause, there is a very good chance that it's unlawful to deny marriage to gays if you;re going to perform marriages for anyone else (again, because of the "suspect classification" thing).
-There's also the matter of this being a revision rather than an amendment, which would also make Prop 8's passage unlawful.
- Our rage is in NO WAY similar to conservative rage over Obama's election. In that case, McCain supporters lost. Fair and square. Regardless of ideology, no credible person is debating that the election was honest. And the election didn't strip anyone's court-mandated equality, and didn't marry church with state in ways that threaten EVERY American citizen!
- Protests and civil disobedience are in no way "anarchy." In fact, they are about as thoroughly democratic a concept as you can find! We are rising up against majority tyranny. We are standing against religious groups foisting their faith onto the whole of society. We are defending the role of the courts in the democratic process. We are defending our lives as legal, loving, tax-paying Americans!
Chuck then continues:
No matter one's opinion of Proposition 8, it is flat out wrong and un-American to intimidate and harass individuals, churches and businesses that are guilty of nothing more than participating in the democratic process. Of course activism is anyone's political right, but cruel coercion and repression is not. One can't demand tolerance and show none in return. Sadly, many of these activists have become the very thing they accuse of their opponents: being hatemongers.
I agree with Prison Fellowship director Chuck Colson, who wrote, "This is an outrage. What hypocrisy from those who spend all of their time preaching tolerance to the rest of us! How dare they threaten and attack political opponents? We live a democratic country, not a banana republic ruled by thugs."
But see, this "gays are the intolerant ones" meme is just a frustrating red herring that the far right has seized upon in order to garner sympathy. That is their game: washing their hands of their own cruel rhetoric in order to paint their opposition as "radical." But the truth is that while some incidents have gone beyond the boundaries of acceptability, the Prop 8 protests have been largely peaceful. At this point, after this weekend's nationwide protests, millions of people from all walks of life have taken to the streets in reasoned rage. With those kinds of numbers, it's just a sad fact that some unfortunate incidents are going to come to light. Those odds are true with any group of people. But these over-the-top incidents are not the rule, they are the exception. And if the Chuck Norrises of the world want to challenge these protests merits, they need to take on what is really happening. What we have seem. by and large, is a thoroughly logical ban of human beings who are sick and tired of seeing their friends, loved ones, sons, daughters, parents, coworkers, or themselves treated like dirt on the bottom of one's shoe!
And then finally, the Chuck Colson quote? Well we feel like we lose a little more of our brain's will to live anytime we even dignify the word's of this former Watergate personality, so we'll keep our reaction short. But essentially we just want to remind both Chucks that THEIR SIDE is the thug-like crew who used their own personal views to overrule the studied, learned, rational views of people trained in the law! They are the ones who attacked our lives and loves right to the very core! They are the ones who preach virtue, yet ran one of American history's most deceptive political campaigns! They are the ones who were so thoroughly outraged that we gay folks might find peace that they had to step in and save us from ourselves. And they are now the ones who need to spare us the f***ing "poor, pitiful me" act!
If democracy doesn't work, try anarchy [WND]
**MORE: See what Alvin McEwen has to say.
Your thoughts
How dare we persecute the persecutors? They have no problem condemning us to fictional hells but should we stand up for ourselves as well as disproving their concepts of how LGBT people they behave as if their under attack. What a bunch of phony martyrs.
Posted by: John Ozed | Nov 17, 2008 12:13:32 PM
oooooooh we got chuck norris mad.
Actually he isn't correct when he said the following:
"There have been many of us who have passionately opposed an Obama election, but you don't see us protesting in the streets, crying out unfair – rather we are submitting to a democratic process and now asking how we can support "our" president."
Apparently he doesn't read the site his column has appeared in. World Net Daily has not necessarily been supportive of President-Elect Obama.
Posted by: a. mcewen | Nov 17, 2008 12:25:56 PM
I actually think Chuck was being very respectful and had good logic, like it or not. He certainly doesn't resort to cursing his opponents. I think your "f**cking" comment proves the exact point he is making. Sorry, I respectfully disagree.
Posted by: Carol Chase | Nov 17, 2008 1:04:13 PM
"I think your "f**cking" comment proves the exact point he is making."
Oh PUH-LEEZE. I am so sick of this false moral ground. Your side is looking for any little thing to point to so as to make us look "bad." It's disgusting.
YOUR. SIDE. HAS. BROKEN. OUR. HEARTS.
YOUR. SIDE. HAS. ENRAGED. US.
We are being as respectful towards this wanton disrespect as we possibly can be, Ms. Chase! But this cruel, anti-intellectual, "poor pitiful me" act truly IS one of the hardest things we have ever had to swallow.
Posted by: G-A-Y | Nov 17, 2008 1:16:13 PM
Carol Chase, your righteous indignation would be earned if it wasn't connected to the unconstitutional, immoral, unethical, and definitely un-Christ-like persecution of the LGBT community.
And Carol, there is nothing "respectful" or respectable about your disagreement.
If this had been an issue of zoning laws, we could respectfully disagree.
But your side FORCIBLY DIVORCED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE!
Your side ATTACKED FAMILIES!
You sent a message to THOUSANDS of CHILDREN that THEIR FAMILY IS NO GOOD!
You can have the moral high ground as soon as you stop taking a dump on the constitution.
Posted by: Jason D | Nov 17, 2008 1:39:20 PM
Chuck Norris is a twit who has no idea of the grounding of the U.S. Constitution. He is a kneejerk pseudocon who seems to have never read the Constitution or any of the documents underpinning its creation, especially the Federalist papers 9 and 10 where the founders specifically caution against letting the mob loose against the rights of minorities.
We are NOT a pure democracy. And each of the plebiscites erode at the protections built into the Republic.
Chuck Norris is no conservative or patriot. He is a theocrat who's views are patiently unAmerican.
Posted by: Hank C | Nov 17, 2008 8:55:13 PM
from a much more eloquent writer than myself....
MLK Jr. , 1963 Speech
http://www.wmich.edu/library/archives/mlk/transcription.html
But I say to you, my friends, as I move to my conclusion, there are certain things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted and which I hope all men of good-will will be maladjusted until the good societies realize. I say very honestly that I never intend to become adjusted to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I never intend to adjust myself to the madness of militarism, to self-defeating effects of physical violence.
Posted by: sue | Nov 17, 2008 9:16:27 PM
Sue, many have tried to equate racism and anti-gay-marriage movements and failed miserably. The problem is that slavery took away a person's own personal autonomy and freedom to own property, work for whomever they wished, and were literally "owned" by someone else just because they were different colors. Not to mention they were brutally beaten, raped, murdered and tortured for their skin color.
Gays in America cannot claim the same sort of brutality and wanton disregard for personal autonomy and freedom against themselves. There's not even a financial or property incentive for gays to argue that they should have the right to be married. There is certainly no argument that government has sanctioned brutality, rape, murder or torture against persons just because they are gay.
Posted by: Joseph | Nov 18, 2008 1:36:22 PM
I never was a fan of Chuck Norris jokes... because I've never been a fan of the real Chuck Norris. I recall watching a video of him saying that religion should be taught in public schools. In reality, he's an ultra conservative, not even close worthy of the e-glory and praise he receives.
On topic, we're not being sore losers any more than MLK was being a sore loser about Jim Crow laws.
Posted by: | Nov 18, 2008 2:23:51 PM
"Not to mention they were brutally beaten, raped, murdered and tortured for their skin color."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ever read the papers Joseph? This happens on a daily basis to gay people.
Posted by: Palto | Nov 20, 2008 9:49:02 AM
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