Sometimes I want to scream the above phrase to people I feel are idiots. Last Sunday this full-page ad appeared in both The Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune. The Deseret News chose not to include the photo of the two men kissing I guess because they feared it would offend its readers (as if the photo is the most offensive thing in the ad). Never mind that the ad is filled with half-truths, misinformation, lies, and hate-filled ignorance. Oh, no! Those things aren't nearly as offensive as two men kissing each other! Heaven forbid!
As I read the ad, I couldn't believe how ridiculously stupid it was and what it said about the people responsible for it. I love how we're compared to "druggies" and "hookers" (their words, not mine) and how we're called "godless." And, of course, there's always that watch cry that we have to "protect the children" from people like me. I'm always baffled by this one. My niece adores me and Jonah. The Primary and elementary school kids I've taught (yes, I have taught YOUR kids. Oooooooohh!) seem to have suffered no ill effects due to my influence. If your kids are going to be gay, it's already in them. There is little I or my "homosexual movement" could do to influence that. Heaven forbid you should teach your kids that they are still loved in spite of a condition they have no control over.
I went to the website of the group who sponsored the ad. Please visit it if you want a laugh. It's so absurd and outrageous how seriously misguided and ignorant these people are. It would be funny if it wasn't so scary that there are people out there who actually believe this stuff. Here's a link to an article in QSaltLake that gives information on some of the mis-truths.
Oh, and by the way, America Forever (the name of the group who sponsored the ad), I don't think the LDS Church really needs you to come to their defense. I think they already have enough public relations problems without you adding to it.
There's also some commentary here and here in the Tribune about the ad, if you are interested.
Sandra Rodrigues of America Forever apologized before a House panel Tuesday the ad by saying, "I want to publicly apologize to those who feel that America Forever is hateful. We are anything but hateful." Uh, sorry, Sandra, but yes you are.
Speaking of hateful, did you hear that according to Senator Chris Buttars (one of my very favorite people...NOT!) that gay people like me are "probably the greatest threat to America?" We're also compared to radical Muslims and we're "mean." You can read about it here. Thanks, Senator. I think you're a gem, too! When the voters of West Jordan keep electing this guy, what does it say about them? This man is a bigot. I don't say that about all people who disagree with homosexuality and gay-rights. I don't think everyone who disagrees with gay-rights is a bigot. But this guy is, whether he thinks he is or not.
And that brings us to Gayle Ruzicka, another of my favorite people. All the gay-rights bills that were up for consideration have failed, and she and Mr. Buttars have a lot to do with that. You can read about it here and here. I love how she says, "What we're talking about is choice -- someone's sexual choice. Why would we put into law someone's sexual choice? … This is not the right thing to do." Yeah, I chose this, lady. I love being in the minority after being a white, Christian, (supposedly straight) man for so long. I love having my rights denied. I love all the conflict I felt for so much of my life.
This "protect the family" mentality is so hypocritical. For touting "family values," I find it ironic how many families are hurt by these self-righteous people.
I'm usually a pretty forgiving, gentle soul, but today I'm mad. Sorry.
7 comments:
I hear you. That is why I just don't interact with Utah at all unless it's the Sundance Film Festival. Utah is long in my past and I am just happy I don't have to live there any more.
Oh, I still love Utah and many things about it. There are so many good things about Utah. I just don't like the stupid people who live here. :-)
Since I'm not from UT, please forgive me if I ask stupid questions here, but I don't really know a whole lot about the LDS Church's relationship with Deseret News. From what I've understood, the Church owns the paper.
OK, so that such an ad would appear in the Tribune is perhaps understandable since it's a matter of "free speech," as ridiculous and over-the-top as the ad was, and I'm sure it was purely about money.
What surprises me more is that it appeared in Deseret News. Some people have told me that DN is very lop-sided. It's a conservative paper, it's Church-owned, and therefore biased, etc. I always understood that to mean that the Church sort of controls what goes to print, which I guess is understandable. A Church-owned paper shouldn't be promoting anything not in line with Church standards, right?
So am I wrong about how much control/influence the Church has over DN? I hope I am because if I'm not, it's very very disappointing that such an ad would make it into a Church-owned paper. I'm all about free speech, even if it means crap like this ad, but if DN is so picky about what is written in its paper under normal circumstances, then I would have expected them to be just as picky when it comes to garbage like this. That ad was way over-the-top, even for the most conservative Mormons. "The Homosexual Declaration of War?" LOL, give me a break. Sounds more like National Enquirer than a newspaper that's supposed to be serious. Not to mention the whole "druggies and hookers" comparison.
FD: The Church does own the paper, but is a lot less strict about what it allows it to print than it once was. I think generally the Deseret News is allowed to print whatever it wants so long as it doesn't feel it's a readership will be offended (ironic, huh?)
I think both papers figured it was a matter of free speech. I got the impression that neither paper was impressed by the ad. I think the head of advertising at the Tribune said she was personally offended, but that there was no legal or policy reason not to run the ad. I'm also sure that in these economic times, the $15,000 price tag was good money for them.
Jonah said he was dismayed that a group would spend $15,000 to spread such nonsense when they could be using that money to actually help people.
The Deseret News is certainly very conservative (just as the Tribune is liberal (by Utah standards), but I do find them to be more balanced (with a conservative slant) than they were 10 or 15 years ago.
I was personally more suprised that the Tribune would print it more than I was the Deseret News, but I suppose people have a right to free speech (even if I felt the ad crossed a line).
I'm frankly disappointed that either paper would consider the ad as having enough merit to warrant a printing. If the Ku Klux Klan had wanted to print a tirade against black people or if some anti-semetic group had printed an ad against the evils of Jews, I doubt either paper would have printed it; but since it's just gay people, I guess it was okay.
Chino: I hope Chris goes away soon. But, ironically, his actions have really empowered gay-rights activists here, so he's actually doing a lot of good for us by being so insanely inappropriate.
Buttars is a great example of a true bigot. He's a hateful man who I honestly can't say one nice thing about. It's a shame that West Jordan keeps putting him in there. Get with it, guys and gals!
As for Deseret News, it's gotten more reasonable recently, but it's still very defensive of the Church. On a personal note, it has censored quite a few of my comments. For example, I made several long comments on one of the Buttars articles about my fiance and me and how our marriage doesn't harm temple marriage (a good, logical point) and how I was a good conservative and blah, blah, blah, and well, it was deleted pretty fast. (And I always say how much I respect the Church, and I never use profanity and am always respectful.) Interestingly enough, some of the more hateful anti-mormon comments by some of the other gays were left up. I think it's obvious that Deseret News wants people to see only one side of us gays. That kind of crap I just can't stand.
Oops, meant to sign in as ConservativeRepublican for that last comment. Oh well, not like everyone doesn't know my name is Jon already ;)
I've said before that Chris Buttars is pure evil, but he pales in comparison to Gayle Ruzicka [shutter]. As a member of her sex, I apologize for her.
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