thomascwaters.com

The attacks against Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee started even before anyone was named, but really took off once Sonia Sotomayor was named. There is much agreement, that she is likely to be confirmed and could be quickly given that she has been confirmed by the Senate twice before, but the attacks are nonetheless both extreme and intense.

The level of rhetoric, such as Limbaugh comparing her to a KKK leader, or Newt Gingrich calling her a racist, is telling and troubling. It demonstrates well the tactics of the Far right, which is to bully and dominate. The country has  a time-tested mechanism for picking a good Supreme Court judge- the Senate confirmation process. For all the rhetoric of “believing in America” it is a shame that the GOP and their thugs don’t work within the system. In fact their efforts can have the ability to undermine and destroy our democracy.

That this woman was first nominated by Republican Bush (1st Bush) and confirmed, and then nominated by Clinton and confirmed out to mean something.

It would be different if the attacks on her were based on her work as a jurist, and especially if they were trying to show how she has failed to be a fair judge. But that is impossible. She has been a very fair judge, so the personal attacks reign!

At a time when the GOP is trying to lure GLBTQ votes to the party, claiming tat we have a place there, no one should be mistaken. Can there truly be a place for GLBTQ people in the same camp with hate groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens who have called black people “retrograde species of humanity?”

The best thing we can do is not get caught up in all of the chaos and use these antics to be further evidence that the GOP is a party of irrelevancy. If the party continues to align itself so closely to hate groups, it can not offer much for the future of a country which must find ways to embrace diversity with respect.

Sotomayor Nomination Unleashes Furious Attacks | Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center.

Update: Since  I started writing this post, I have read that the bill passed the House! http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE53S8IM20090429

I watched C-SPAN for a bit today as they “discussed” the Federal Hate Crimes legislation. On the one hand, I can’t even believe this one is a struggle, and on the other hand it is no surprise given the level of BS flying around about GLBTQ issues. So I heard someone speaking against the legislation state that a pastor in Sweden was arrested for giving a sermon because of Hate Crimes laws, and that is an example of why this legislation is a horrible idea for the United States. I had never heard of this case, so I googled it.

Depending upon your source (a few are below) in 2004, Ake Green was concerned for the moral health for the people of his little community, so he prepared a sermon about the bible and Homosexuality. Except- few people showed up to hear his sermon, so he published it in the newspaper. He described the Sin of Sweden as being like the Sin of Sodom, and called homosexualty a cancerous tumor on society.

The hate speech law in Sweden was written specifically with speech against Jews in mind, but in more recent times was amended to include sexual orientation. And Green was convicted and given a 1 month jail sentence which he appealed. THIS is the case that one of our US representatives was holding up as proof as to why the fully inclusive Matthew Shepard Act was so bad. The problem with that is that the Matthew Shepard Act does not include any provision for speech, but is focused on felony action.

The other problem with this was the result of the arrest. Yes, Green was arrested and convicted, but on appeal it was overturned. In other words, the system worked for this guy! The legal system worked exactly as it should. First there was a sensitivity to the members of the community that led to an arrest. But in the courts, his rights were also totally protected. It is possible to say that he shouldn’t have been arrested in the first place. I can’t find the full text of his sermon, but my guess is he said a bit more than “cancerous tumor on society.” The conservative and christian media are the only sources I can find about it, and like the American Family Association, not everything read there is truthful or without exaggeration.

So a case goes to court- there is a ruling. It is appealed, and the ruling is overturned. When it is in favor of the conservatives, it is hailed as a righteous decision. On the other hand, when it is overturned against the conservatives, the judges are ridiculed as being activist judges. Why is that?

Concerned Women for America – Swedish Court Overturns Pastor’s ‘Hate Crime’ Conviction.

http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/091004sweden.aspx

My partner Brad and I were just having a discussion about this over dinner last evening. he might characterize me as being “the glass half empty” but my point was we are at a very critical juncture in the battle, and the opposition isn’t going down without an extreme fight. The link below is a good read. Here are my thoughts about it.

It is both extremely exciting to read this and very bothering at the same time. It may be that we have turned a corner. It may be that momentum is moving in the right direction. But, I think it is horribly wrong to announce that the culture war is over. It isn’t over until it is over, and we have a long way to go until that point.

This is one problem with the Marriage Equality issue. On the one hand, it provides an easy issue to wrap your head around. It is easy to determine what marks a win or a loss. But is it the best or only barometer of where we are overall? I don’t think so. We have more states in our country that lack basic anti-discrimination legislation protecting GLBTQ people than that provide these protections. The right to marry in 4 states doesn’t do much for the people in over 30 states who can still be fired, refused housing or public accommodations due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Far too many states lack adequate hate crimes legislation. There is still DOMA to contend with as well as DADT on a federal level, and still no national hate crimes legislation.

Past these basic civil rights, the GLBTQ communities have a lot of healing to do. A rise in HIV infections are the result of the lost battle for clear, honest and effective prevention education over the last decade. During the earliest days of the epidemic, we spoke of eroticizing safer sex. But those messages were stripped from AIDS prevention due to federal funding measures. Generally speaking, today’s young people simply gamble with their lives. And drug use like crystal is ravaging parts of our communities. Being the embattled, during this long and dangerous culture war has indeed taken its toll. With basic civil rights and a stronger sense of general support from all americans, the healing can begin.

But when? Two generations away when evangelicalism is gone?

I’m not a sports fan, but I have endured enough games to know that the period after it looks as if the battle is won, is the exact time when the game is really on. The GLBTQ communities have much reason to feel emboldened and there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have much fighting to do before there is real victory. So, I’d say, no- it isn’t official yet. The Culture War isn’t over, but it may be coming towards an end. We’re doing a great job gaining ground. Don’t give up the fight till we raise the rainbow flag at the top of the hill.

What do you think? Leave comments and let’s get the discussion going.

It’s Official: We Won the Culture War :: EDGE Boston.

This is one of the saddest stories I have posted to my blog in many ways. From my perspective, as an adult today, this is exactly why we must all, gay or straight, liberal or conservative work to pass adequate anti-discrimination, and hate-crimes legislation everywhere, and at every level of government.

As an adult, I may be discriminated against- but I have some resources to deal with it. Our youth are not nearly as lucky. Children need and deserve our care and protection. The purpose of the day of Silence is to draw attention to the violence and abuse young people endure because they are perceived to be gay or lesbian. They might even be straight, but if they are perceived as gay, they are often the recipients of horrific bullying and abuse.

I was one of the lucky ones when I was in school. While I’m sure kids thought I was weird, I always had a girlfriend through junior high and early high school and I had if not a lot of friends, a lot of aquaintences who thought highly of me. But I was lucky. Not all students were. I remember in the 8th grade, and incident where boys forced another boy to perform oral sex in the band instrument storage room while a large group of students jeered and watched and tormented the boy.  He was not a good friend, but yet someone I knew. He never returned to school. The message that I and others received was don’t give anyone the opportunity to accuse you of being gay.

Even though my experiences didn’t include this type of bullying, my youth was marred by a suicide attempt. At 16 I tried to end my life. While I didn’t recognize myself as gay, my fear that I wasn’t normal, and never would be like the other guys was a major force behind that attempt. These are the fears, worries, and turmoil that many young people live with every day.

In my first full-time teaching position after college, I had a male student who came from a horrific home situation. He was the recipient of much bullying and problems. He was frequently called faggot and fairy, and I doubt to this day that he was any of that. He was juast a kid who had no friends, no social skills, and no familial support or care. I often wonder what happened to Tony and how he go on with his life after he graduated from my program.

Those who oppose the Day of silence add to the trauma with such statements as this:

“This day is not about ‘tolerance’ as it claims, but about forcing propaganda and acceptance of high-risk behavior into the schools with no opposing views allowed,” said Linda Harvey of Mission America, which also supports the walkout.

Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute said that while “all of civilized society must oppose bullying,” she opposes the “illegitimate means of using public education to affirm volitional homosexual behavior.”

When I was in 7th grade or 8th grade- the notion of homosexuality could not have been farther from my mind. All I knew was that I was different, I didn’t even know how I was different exactly, but I feared what it would mean if others found out that I was different.

Call bigotry by its name. Help end violence and bullying of our youth, by supporting the Day of silence and speaking out against all who oppose it.

Students Encouraged to Skip School on ‘Day of Silence’| Christianpost.com.

I tagged this to write about it earlier in the week. Now, looking at it, I have no idea what more there is to say, except that this is a great illustration of the real situation within which we find ourselves. Two sides, each entrenched, each refusing to move even an inch. This is not a win/win situation. On the one hand, that may seem disheartening, but on the other hand, all we have to do is continue to fight the lies with the truth and hold onto the desire to be treated as equal citizens.

Now I remember what I wanted to write about. Seems to me there have been a few other times in our nation’s history where each side has dug in like this.To end slavery; to end segregation; the battle for women’s right to vote- all of these were times when the line drawn in the sand seemed so distinct and unchangeable.

So, of these, which seems like the closest parallel?

I look at photos of the black youth trying to enter the school and see the rage-filled faces of their opponents and it reminds me of the rage demonstrated against GLBT people today. Our journey has not been the same by any means, but the level of hatred expressed, simply because we choose to live openly and want equal rights is strikingly similar. Still hate crimes against GLBTQ people is n the rise.

Needless divide – Salt Lake Tribune.

The basis of the opinion linked below is the decision by a TV channel not to air an anti-gay propaganda program sponsored by the American Family Association (AFA). The AFA claimed that the TV special would “reveal the truth about the radical homosexual agenda and its impact on the family, the nation, and religious freedom.” Lozon believes that this was a denial of the 1st amendment. He writes:

Free speech is free speech, no matter how offensive and uncomfortable it may be.

His interest seems genuinely rooted in free speech, for he does not seem to have positive things to say about the AFA, or other similar groups. He calls them hysterical. He believes that homosexuals (his language):

should ignore the righteous rants of the religious right and instead focus on the legal battles that need to be waged on the federal and state levels to guarantee their full civil rights under the Constitution, which mandates that laws be applied equally to everyone.

From my perspective, this is an important argument to consider. He would hold that all sides of a debate deserve to be heard, a position that I agree with. He writes:

Until sexual orientation is no longer an issue and all marriages are recognized as equal under the law, everyone in the debate has a right to be heard — even the sanctimonious souls on the religious right.

However. here is the underlying issue, as long as lies are projected and the GLBT community is wrongly portrayed, we are not likely to see the full acceptance he speaks about. So how does a culture balance free speech and a requirement for fair or truthful rhetoric?

Free speech is Free Speech

I disagree with Lozon that anything is free speech, and I think the writers of the Constitution may agree, and there is plenty of legal background about what is or isn’t free speech. But starting with the medium, it is hard to see paid TV as being free speech. If an individual wants to stand on a street corner and spout off whatever they want- fine by me! If you want to express your opinion  in other forums where opinions are expressed, fine by me. But presenting something as factual and truthful when it is neither, especially when it is harmful to others, crosses the line. A choice not to air lies and misrepresentations is not censorship.

Did WOOD-TV cave in?

Lozon asserts this, but I question if it is true. I was unable to find any statement by the station to that effect. My guess would be that the station reviewed the program and determined that there was either a chance that the claims made in the program were unsupported and inflamatory, or outright untrue. Speech can be a weapon and using it to cause damage, is a very different purpose than to use it to give voice to one’s opinion and ideas.

Antiquated Biblical Arguments

Lozon writes, “I fully support the right of these groups to publicize their antiquated Biblical arguments…” and so do I! But messages like the program which was not aired on WOOD-TV hasd little to do with a Biblical message (that may or may not be antiquated depending upon your religious beliefs). It is a very different message to say “The Bible says this…” and to say things such as “Homosexuals want to destroy your family.”

Hate Speech

I think rightfully, Lozon is leery of the notion of hatespeech. On the one hand, if we as a contry promote free speech, what is hate speech? On the otherhand, it is easy to see how destructive speech can be. This question, what is hate speech, and what are simply lies and misinformation is one that we as a culture must address. Would Lozon be so quick to speak up in support for a White Supremicist program as free speech? Or if someone made a program attacking the Pope?

Lozon concludes

Someday, we will look back on this dispute over the civil rights of gays as one of those embarrassing moments in our nation’s history, similar to how we reflect on the struggles for equality by black people and women.

I truly hope this is the case, however if we are ever to get there, we must recognize how messages are used, and hold media distribution channels, like television accountable for airing truthful, accurate, and useful information. While we must place utilize the legislative process to advance equal rights, we, as individuals participate in te democratic process by giving voice to our own individual truths and protesting events that perpetuate lies and msinformation is nothing more than free speech.

COLUMN – Gays and lesbians seek to have equal rights – Holland, MI – The Holland Sentinel.

Well, today is the big day for my boyfriend’s efforts.  Today Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church anbd his gang will be in Pittsburgh protesting at a funeral and a few other chosen targets. Brad started a FaceBook group, and hopes to have a very silent/peaceful counter demonstration/witness during the protest at the funeral of Catherine Baker Knoll.  If you are in the Pittsburgh area, and want to support him in this endeavor, please come by.  Fifth and Craig St, beginning at 10:30.  This is not meant to be a confrontation! Just a peaceful witness and alternative to hate speech.

I’ve written a bit about this already, and really have a lot more to say.  I just need to get to work now, so I can take some time ths morning to join the counter protest.  I did a crappy job at collecting video at the Join the Impact Rally a few weeks ago, so hopefully, I’ll do a better job today. Aside from bearing witness, I’m interested in understanding (??) what role hate has in doing the Will of God.  I’m interested in thinking about how Fred Phelps is and isn’t like the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. And I’m interested in being an observer. as opposed to a participant in the hate speech.  Can I go and stay peaceful and true to my own convictions, or will the energy and emotion of the moment try and suck me int it.

If you are on Facebook and want to be friends, let me know, and look for his group, “Pittsburgh Says No to Hate.”

I’m possibly an odd one.  While I am opposed to hate speech, I don’t believe the solution is to stop someone from speaking hateful things.  Free Speech is just that Free Speech, and one of the prices we pay for it, is that everyone has a right to do it.

I think that the solution to hate speech is two-fold.  First to bear witness to it, and name it as hurtful to a meaningful society, and second, to counter it with a greater “voice.”  I don’t necessarily mean to drown it out- that could be a very fine line between taking away another’s voice by operpowering it, and simply standing as a counter to it.

On Tuesday November 25th, Pittsburgh will welcome (??) a very prolific speaker of hate, the infamous Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church. You may remember Fred.  His church (mostly made up of his family) are the folks who protest of funerals for AIDS victims, and carry signs that say things like “God Hates Fags.” Even a short perusal of his web site, godhatesfags.com wil leave most anyone with a mixture of revulsion and curiosity.  Seems that according to Fred, God Hates just about everyone!

My partner Brad has decided we need to counter Phelp’s vitriolic barrage of hate speech.  He started a FaceBook group called “Pittsburgh Says “No” to Hate.  He is looking for people to join him and bear witness; join him and counter hate by naming it unacceptable; contront hatred with a new voice of peace, love, acceptance.  That sounds too “new age” and if you know him, you know he is more of a realist than that, but you get the idea.

Seems to me Fred has appointed himself a prophet for God, in the true Hebrew Scripture sense of the title! And I suppose, if you think you are the mouthpiece for God, you don’t have any trouble saying what to some would seem outlandish things. So, I respect he has a right to his opinions, and I respect his felt need to give voice to that.  I just really wonder about his tactics.  Like protesting at a funeral.  That seems to be less about giving voice to a message from God, and more about causing hurt and irritation.  By inflicting more pain- not against the deceased (s/he can’t feel any more pain since pain is a body experience and thy are no longer in their body- but inflicting that pain on the deceased loved ones.  I’d call this cowardly if anything. And “respect” probably isn’t the most appropriate word to describe my sentiments.  I’ll have to think more about that one.  Maybe it is another blog post.

I also can’t figure out why Fred’s is a Baptist church, since his theology seems so heavily rooted in the Old Testament and not the Christian Gospels and other texts. Like didn’t Jesus bring a new covenant?

So check out Brad’s FaceBook group, and leave your comments here on my blog.  The answer to hate speech isn’t silencing the speakers.  The answer isn’t to belittle them or dismiss them.  The answer is to shed light in the darkness, shine light upon the hatred, so that the realness of it is seen and understood as the damaging power that it is. And the solution is to rise up voices of peace and all that counters hatred.