Jon Sheldon's commentary on the article Newt Gingrich Funnels $125 K Through Hate Group to Punish Iowa Justices really caught my attention because I strongly believe in gay rights, and this commentary really intriqued me. One of my best friends is gay; I see her struggles daily, and would never want her to be denied happiness because of her sexuality. It led me to not only read the article, but to also research Newt Gingrich and the American Family Association. On the surface, the American Family Association advertises themselves as a non-profit organization dedicated to "inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of the American culture." However, after clicking on the "Activism" link and scrolling through the topics, I was disgusted to find that most of them were not only against gay marriage and any union of the same sex what-so-ever, but , in my personal opinion, hateful of homosexuals. The issues on the AFA website regarding homosexuals ranged from gays in the military to Home Depot supporting same sex marriage. They encourage their followers to boycott Home Depot for teaming up with GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and the Human Rights Committee to raise gay awareness. The AFA also speaks out against funding for clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, and encourages others to vote to pass a bill that would cut government funding to them.
The Southern Poverty Law Center, another non-profit organization based out of Montgomery, Alabama, who are "dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry" named the American Family Association a hate group. Now, just because the Southern Poverty Law Center says the AFA is a hate group does that make it so? No. However, the mission statements of organizations like GLAAD, the Human Rights Committee (HRC), the Southern Poverty Law Center, Planned Parenthood, and even Home Depot (all organizations in which the ARA attacks) do not veil their intentions with "God" and their plans to "restrain evil by exposing the works of darkness." These organizations genuinely believe in equal rights and acceptance; in making our country a better place through understanding and helping one another. This is clearly apparent in their mission statements alone; they do need to put a spin on their words or use God as a scare tactic. During my digging of the American Family Association's website I came across a link that says, "Does the AFA hate homosexuals?" Their response to this Frequently Asked Question was, "Absolutely Not! The same Holy Bible that calls us to reject sin, calls us to love our neighbor. It is that love that motivates us to expose the misrepresentation of the radical homosexual agenda and stop its spread though our culture. AFA has sponsored several events reaching out to homosexuals and letting them know there is love and healing at the Cross of Christ." Ha. Ha. Ha. That's a round-about way of saying, "No, we don't hate you, but Christ does. So you better let him "heal" you, and if not, well, you and your homosexual "agenda" can rot in hell." The AFA website has got to be one of the most comical things I have ever seen. Did I mention ignorant?
Now, with that little rant out of the way...
Jon's commentary would probably not be intended for extreme conservatives against gay marriage, nor those supportive of efforts made by policians to criminalize the actions of gays, since he disagrees with Gingrich's efforts to fire the Supreme Court justices in favor of legalizing gay marriage. As far as the author of the blog Jon commented on, Charles Johnson's notoriety seems to come mainly from his work as a blogger. He was a musician for a long time, founded a few small companies, and wrote the software for "Little Green Footballs." His credibility is: we can definitely credit him with an opinion, considering the number of blogs he has written.
I strongly argee with Jon on his views of the ridiculous efforts by Newt Gingrich to cause the justices to lose their appointment for office. I am always willing to listen and understand people's beliefs, and do not believe in attacking anyone for such. However, Jon states he opposes the expressed views of the American Family Association regarding homosexuals, finds it hard to fathom the hatred one must have to go through all that trouble to cause someone to lose their job simply because of their beliefs, and that it is our job as Americans to "be respectful and open to other people's opinions and beliefs, not to discount them and hurt them." Yet, he is against gay marriage. Jon's arguments are mainly focused on his beliefs regarding the three justices who lost their place in office for their beliefs. So, I guess my question to Jon would be, "What about the gay people for whom the justices lost their jobs?" Do homosexuals not deserve the right to marry who they choose? Gay marriage will be an issue for years to come, and we have made much progress as a nation in accepting the homosexual community. However, why not let them just get married if they want? After all, giving gays the right to marriage "doesn't mean they are going to do something bad or hurtful just because someone has another opinion." I guess my point is: what's the harm? I think of it as an "in their shoes" kind of way; I think about how I would feel if I was not allowed to marry the person I wanted to because someone thought it was wrong. If I were to marry my boyfriend tomorrow, it would not bother the gay couple that lives the apartment over from me. So, why should "Tom" and "Bob's" union bother me? Guess what? It doesn't. Everyone deserves happiness. Jon also commented on how he could not fathom someone hating another person for their opinions so much as to have them removed from their job. It happens every day. Think about the people who are judged for actually being gay! Is that not the same as being judged for having a different opinion from someone else?
In closing, I learned a few things from reading this blog: A) Apparently, I have a lot to say about the rights of gays, B) I found the topic for my next blog and will have no trouble writing it, and C) I learned there have been rumors of Newt Gingrich running for the presidential office in 2012. If that's the case God help everyone, not just the big, scary gays.
