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04/22/2009
Gays shut out opposition, says he whose career involves shutting out gays
About the whole Miss California controversy, the Family Resarch Council's Tony Perkins (or his ghostwriter )says the following:
For the rest of us who fight this demonization every day, it's a different venue but the same old liberal strategy: intimidate everyday Americans into silence. What we witnessed on the Miss USA stage (the Left can speak; conservatives can't,) is the same mentality that drives the debate over "hate crimes," ENDA, and marriage. People are entitled to their opinion only if it's shared by the radical Left.
What, because people are reacting negatively (as well as positively) to her comments, that opposition is trying to "silence" Ms. Prejean? Uhm, sorry Tony -- but no.
Nobody is suggesting that Ms. Prejean should be denied the right to express her opinions. In fact, if someone tried to deny her this right, you would surely see progressives among those who would speak out the most for her right to speech and expression. But this is not a matter of a government or even a private outlet stifling Ms. Prejean. This is a matter of a community who's tired of fallacies stifling their own rights and liberties speaking out against the misinformation that came across the Miss USA stage.
What Tony (or ghostwriter) is doing is using that popular far-right tactic of confusing a progressive community's resounding and firm reaction with a muzzle. Their version of free speech means that a conservative can say whatever the hell they want, and unless the opposition's reaction is one in which they "agree to disagree," then those dissenting voices are out of line. They completely overlook the fact that many of their views, including but not limited to their antipathy to homosexual, are so personally targeted and so discriminatory that they do not incite calm political disagreement -- they incite visceral, understandable outrage! And so the targeted community's reaction to those is not an attempt to "intimidate," but rather a firm rejection of their own intimidation.
Was some of what Perez Hilton said itself out of line? Yes, and we said so. But the community's response does not begin and end at one gossip blogger. In the free market of ideas, we are all free to speak our minds. If it's seeming more and more to Tony like his side is being shouted down, it's not because the LGBT community has played unfairly. It's because his team has overplayed their once-reliable hand, and an ever-growing portion of this nation's world's voices are taking a stand against the biases they now so easily perceive.
Miss California Sets Her Eyes on the Real Prize [FRC]
Your thoughts
Free speech does not mean free of criticism. Perkins (or his ghost writer) has right to say whatever he wants. I have a right to call him an ass. See how that works?
And my calling him an ass doesn't magically stop him from speaking again.
Posted by: Bill S | Apr 22, 2009 9:25:34 AM
Yes we called the model a moron and a bigot. Just like if she had said marriage should be between people of the same race. Notice how after these attacks she still retains the ability to speak.
Posted by: Penguinsaur | Apr 22, 2009 1:53:01 PM
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