LGBT
In reply to the discussion: "Gays can't be trusted with children" [View all]Hassin Bin Sober
(26,325 posts)How can one apologize for a mistaken belief and then, only a matter of days latter in front of a different audience, say, well, I never REALLY had those mistaken beliefs? That completely invalidates the apology for mistaken beliefs, doesn't it?
"I choose to believe"
Well that's your right, isn't it.
Here's the deal, as far as I'm concerend... I've had plenty of friends who, before I came out, said (or thought?) insensitive things about gay people. But NONE of them went out of their way to spread hate and, as in the case of our mutual "friend", hang out on a hate-site throwing red meat to fellow bigots. They wouldn't be my friends if they did. This guy in the OP was a leader of the pack - at the front of the crowd that is never more than a couple steps away from violence.
Our "friend" reminds me of a guy I used to know. He was a friend of Friends - we hung out a lot at the same parties etc. Back in '94 when they executed John Wayne Gacy here in Illinois I remember an incident that turned out to be foreshadowing. I should preface this by saying I've always been a Democrat and I've always been against the death penalty ... just not so outspoken as I am among people I know and love. Anyway, we were all at a "party" at our local hang out (friend's house) when this friend and his other friend I wasn't very well acquainted with started packing up to leave. I inquired as to their destination and why they were leaving so early. They had important business to attend to half way across the state. They were on their way to Joliet (IIRC) to stand outside the prison in support of the execution of Gacy. Hmm that's odd, I thought.
Several hours passed when my "friends" returned all full of piss and vinegar. Excited. Why? Because they spent the evening taunting the candle-light vigil people with chants like "strap the clown down!!" (Gacy was a clown). What an odd thing to do, I thought. I mean, I was no fan of Gacy (I knew one of the families) and my opposition was yet un-explored in my own philosophy (I just knew I was against it) so I wasn't going to hold a candle-light vigil. But to take time out of your life to chant and taunt other people in the middle of the night along side a highway outside a prison? Sick.
Fast forward several years. I come out of the closet as gay. My chanting "friend" comes out of the closet as a loud-mouthed tea-bagging bigot and homophobe.
I guess my point is, there are "thinkers" and there are "doers". I can excuse, much easier, someone who "held mistaken beliefs" much easier than someone who acted on them. And yes, I consider joining a hate site and stirring up the pigs acting. And if you have acted on those beliefs, your apology better fucking be bullet-poof. Not some mealy mouthed back-track a week later in front of a different set of eyes.