Archive for category Bigotry
Same-Sex Marriage Youth Support Numbers Become Staggering and Other Trends
Posted by Shane Smith in American People, Atheism, Bigotry, Equality, Religion on April 16, 2013
Some time back, way back in the bronze age in internet time, as prop 8 was still being hotly debated (pre-vote that is), a few of us posted thoughts to the effect that in the long run it simply wouldn’t matter. Pass or fail, the youth support was for equality, and while it may take time the end result would be support. You know, after the bigots die out.
Two or three of the usual suspects (our own personal party of “no” commenters) yelled and screamed and stamped their little feet, and said that it was clear that it would never happen, and that our youth support was a figment of our collective and diseased imagination.
Since then, our imagination has produced many polls with shocking numbers. Read the rest of this entry »
An Open Letter to all People Who Hate the President
Posted by Cliff Lyon in 2008 Election, 2012 Elections, Barack Obama, Bigotry, Conservative, Conspiracy theories, Racism on March 7, 2013
Reprinted in full from Progressive Press
“It’s fine to be a conservative who disagrees with Obama politically. He is a fallible human being. Like any politician, he deserves criticism now and then. Progressives criticize him all the time because his policies are more conservative than many thought he would be.
If you would say “Obama is wrong on this issue and here’s why”, I could respect that. But it’s something else to be a hard-core Glenn Beck parroting, Bush-was-God, Obama-is-Satan, damn-the-facts, anyone-who-disagrees-with-me-is-a-communist, conservative.
Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend the level of hatred you have for President Obama. This hatred is not about dissent and it began long before he even took office and doesn’t seem to stem from anything he’s done as president. Read the rest of this entry »
You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught
Posted by Glenden Brown in Bigotry, GLBT issues, This Blog on February 11, 2013
Did they run out separate drinking fountains?
A group of Indiana-based parents, teens and even a teacher is fighting for a separate “traditional” prom that would ban gay students.[snip]
Medley was just one of several parents, students and others who reportedly met Feb. 10 at the Sullivan First Christian Church demanding that gay students be barred from attending the dance. “We want to make the public see that we love the homosexuals, but we don’t think it’s right nor should it be accepted,” one local student is quoted as saying.
And what a great way to show you love! We love you so much we’re going to exclude you. The world could do without much of that kind of love.
Dan Savage has some choice words for Medley and her fellow travelers:
Let’s pause here to grieve for all the special education students in Sullivan, Indiana. Students with learning disabilities have it hard enough without getting stuck with a mentally challenged special ed teacher.
You know else has it hard enough? I imagine queer kids growing up in Sullivan, Indiana, population 4,249, have it hard enough without having to watch shit like this on the evening news.
The anti-gay haters at Sullivan High have a facebook page: 2013 Sullivan Traditional Prom. One of the organizers of this hate group would like us to know that “this is not a hate group.” 2013 Sullivan Traditional Prom is just a group that has been organized with the sole purpose of creating an alternate prom that excludes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and to achieve that end the group’s members are calling LGBT kids “offensive,” sick, and sinful. What’s hateful about that? Besides, you know, everything?
There’s no way to stop the haters at Sullivan High School from holding an independent prom for the
specialbigoted kids. But here’s what we can do: we can make a noise so loud enough that all the queer kids at Sullivan High School hear it. Those kids need to know that there are people—a lot of people—who think this shit is wrong.
This shit is wrong.
We Never Conceived of Billion Dollar Babies
Posted by Larry Bergan in 2012 Elections, American People, Bigotry, Capitalism, Conservatives, Election Fraud, Hypocrisy, This Blog, Voting Rights on August 14, 2012
Like Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan because they looked just like humans.
Post Race, aka, check your allies
Posted by Shane Smith in American People, Bigotry, Free Speech, People Are Nuts, Tribalism & Blind Obedience to Authority on August 6, 2012
First of all, let’s not get this mixed up with the gun violence. I have been, am, and will likely stay, convinced that regulated gun ownership is fine, and I see no evidence so far that even intelligently regulated firearms would have prevented this particular story. Don’t go there. Take that to the other threads. But…
This story. Seriously. WTF?
The Chick-Fil-A Contretemps. Really?
Posted by Glenden Brown in Activist groups, Bigotry, Bigotry, Conservative, Homophobia, Liberal, Religion, Religious Fundamentalism on July 28, 2012
I don’t eat at Chick-Fil-A. I’ve been there a time or two and wasn’t that impressed. When their COO came out earlier with his bone-headed bigoted remarks about gay folks, I shrugged my shoulders and moved on. The company’s position is well known.
Several public officials have disinvited Chick-Fil-A from communities, activists on both sides have lined up to support or criticize the company. So here’s my thing. Activists can call for boycotts all they want. Or they can organize “support Chick-Fil-A days” all they want. I’m okay with other companies (i.e. Jim Henson Co) deciding to not partner with Chick-Fil-A. I’m even okay with public officials saying that they don’t share the company’s stated values and those values are not representative of their communities.
I’m not okay with them using their public positions to keep Chick-Fil-A out of their communities. I’m glad politicians are speaking out against the company’s bigotry. Chick-Fil-A’s owners and management have a right to be stupid and bigoted. The discussion itself it crazy though – it’s not about chicken, it’s about giving our dollars to people who actively use those profits to hurt the glbt community. Greenwald is right on this issue.
At the end of the day though, find myself saying “Really?” We’ve wasted how much time talking about what some mouth breather said? Boycott away. But it’s wrong for public officials to use their positions to keep Chick-Fil-A from doing business. The whole thing has been a PR disaster for the company and KFC is laughing all the way to the bank. Now can we move on to something that matters?
Arizona Can Do Without My Tourist Dollars
Posted by Richard Warnick in Bigotry, Civil liberties Infringement, National Politics, Racism, Republicans, The Constitution on June 25, 2012
This morning, the partisan right-wing U.S. Supreme Court went against all precedent and upheld the constitutionality of part of the Arizona “papers, please” law (SB 1070). [It may be an exaggeration to say the law was upheld, see comments and update below]. I assume this law will now go into effect in Arizona. The only thing I can do about it will be to stay the hell out of Arizona as long as they have this racist policy in place. I wrote an e-mail to the Arizona Office of Tourism this morning.
It remains to be seen if copycat laws in Utah, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina will be allowed to go into effect. Every person in Arizona and states that pass S.B. 1070-like legislation will be required to carry proof of their legal status at all times or face the possibility of being detained. In practice it will be people of color that bear the brunt of these policies.
The encouraging news is that the first year after passing S.B. 1070, Arizona saw an estimated $141 million in losses from conference cancellations. The impact on the tourist industry from this first year alone totaled more than $250 million in economic output and close to 3,000 lost jobs. Ongoing economic impacts on Arizona tourism might encourage them to rejoin the Land of the Free.
UPDATE: David Dayen on FDL:
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer put on a brave face and described the ruling as a “victory,” because it did not quite invalidate the entire law. However, it left wide open an overturning of the one key provision that remains. That’s the “show your papers” part of the law. If actual Arizona implementation violates federal statutes or results in unconstitutional equal protection violations, it can be challenged again. In Arizona, the home of Joe Arpaio, that is almost certain to happen; this law can and will be revisited at a later date. Having most of the law thrown out before implementation isn’t anything that could conceivably be described as a “victory.”
UPDATE: Media Matters: Fox News not giving up.
Fox News reacted to news that the Supreme Court struck down most of Arizona’s controversial immigration bill, SB 1070, by citing arguments that the one provision that was not immediately thrown out is “the heart of the entire bill,” while Fox Nation claimed the decision was a “defeat for Obama.” Fox’s attempt to find a silver lining is unsurprising, as it has long been a staunch supporter of the statute. But the court’s decision was overwhelmingly against the bill and the remaining provision could eventually be overturned.
UPDATE: Women immigrants tell of life in fear thanks to ‘Papers, please’ laws
I Love The Dummies
Posted by Larry Bergan in Bigotry on June 23, 2012
Pink Floyd had a string of perfect albums – albums that didn’t have one bad song.
The Crash Test Dummies are no strangers to that.
One song and one great baritone:
A gay hero, and a rightwing living in alternate earth
Posted by Shane Smith in American People, Bigotry, Equality, GLBT issues, Human Rights, Philosophy on June 2, 2012
I have a special interest in heroes. A professional interest.
There is a neo-Aristotelean view that heroes are a very important way to teach morality. The view accepts that we are a social animal, and that the primary means of being social is verbal communication. I would add to those assumptions the claim that we think primarily in metaphor and analogy. Taking these three claims at face value, and extending them into Aristotelean ethics leads us to the not at all implausible notion that the best way to teach ethical behavior is not to teach complicated rules or lists of does and don’ts, but rather to make a list of character traits we believe people should have. We then treat these traits metaphorically. That is, rather than telling people to be brave, we tell them a story of someone who exemplifies this trait. We don’t tell people “co-operate!” we watch Pixar’s “Incredibles” with them. We don’t tell people to learn to be compassionate, we tell the the “Pursuit of Happiness” story.
How Many Children Are Being Indoctrinated into Bigoted Christian Doctrine
Posted by Cliff Lyon in American People, Bigotry, Bigotry, Equality, GLBT issues, Homophobia, Mormon LDS, Religion, Religious Fundamentalism, Republicans, Taliban, Utah Politics on May 30, 2012
Update: TMZ is reporting this took place in the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle in Greensburg, Indiana. Sure looks like the same pastor.
I think this appalling video reflects just how ugly organized religion can get. We’ve seen it throughout history. No Judeo-Christian religion is immune.
That it is happening now in THIS country is very much motivated and inspired by the the GOP/Bush/Rove decade of an unrepentant appeal of God, Guns and Gays.
At this point, I see little difference between American Evangelism and Muslim extremism. Christians persecute gays in America still today, as they do in Muslim countries…and obedient crowds cheer.
Why are they constantly reducing the value of the lgbtq community and our lives to sex acts?
Posted by Glenden Brown in American People, Bigotry, Bigotry, GLBT issues, Homophobia, Religious Fundamentalism, This Blog on May 20, 2012
Why are they constantly reducing the value of the lgbtq community and our lives to sex acts?
That’s the question Alvin McEwan asked in response to Del. Bob Marshall (Republican, of course) who opposed the nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland to be a judge because Mr. Thorne-Begland is gay. Del. Marshall stated that sodomy is not a civil right, which prompted Alvin’s question. Read the rest of this entry »
John Fund Embraces ALEC In Public
Posted by Larry Bergan in Activist groups, ALEC, American People, Authoritarianism, Bigotry, Capitalism, censorship, Corruption, Crimes, Democracy, Election Fraud, Laugh, Occupy SLC, Occupy Wall Street, Voting Rights on April 22, 2012
The right-wing Guru promoting fake claims of “voter fraud” has taken his effort to a new level and, has actually mentioned ALEC online. Athough it’s, probably, only online at this point; the usual tactic of prominent American pundits is to ignore obvious truths. Fund’s article is actually called “Left-Wing Pressure Causes ALEC to Retreat“.
Left-Wing Pressure?
KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Mars, Snickers, M&M’s, Milky Way, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Kraft, Intuit, Microsoft?
Have I missed any subsidiaries? Who knew that the middle class had so many allies?
According to Fund, all of that “Left-Wing Pressure” came from former Obama White House aide Van Jones and The Nation magazine. 
He names John Engler, Tommy Thompson and Rick Perry as distinguished governors that “have come from the ranks of ALEC”, and even adds: (Disclosure: I have spoken at several ALEC events over the last 20 years without receiving any compensation.)
I’m not going to dispute that Mr. Fund didn’t receive any direct compensation for his strenuous speaking efforts at such events, but he’s not exactly living in a tent without a place to poop for his political theater either. Perhaps an air-conditioned bus? 
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