The DU flap about Reggie White's death

[Behind the Aegis]

I just responded to a thread in GD that I am sure will get 'tombstoned.' My post, not the thread. But, I am FUCKING SICK AND TIRED of apologists that will excuse homophobia as "mis-speaks" or "he made an apology." I feel for the family. It is tough to lose a loved one. HOWEVER, are the rest of us supposed to give him a free pass? If he recanted his hateful messages, great! Did he make good on his words? I sure never heard or read about it! Saying "I am sorry," doesn't make it right!

I am sick of people willing to dole our rights out because they are unsure of our "lifestyle." My lifestyle...looking for a fucking job...taking care of my partner, paying two sets of insurance because I have a dick and can't legally marry...taking care of our pets...worrying about my partner...that is MY GAY LIFESTYLE!!! I can see how that is so fucking perverted!

I don't care if you are a democrat, if you can't see that denying gays EQUAL rights is wrong, then...FUCK YOU! You are a BIGOT!

OK...I feel a little better. How are YOU other 'homosexuals' (and allies) feeling?

[ogradda]

1. i'm not a homosexual.

but i hear ya. on all counts:hug:

[TaleWgnDg]

2. One may always recant; however, the accountability remains

for the damage strewn about . . . period. For example, prisons are full of remorseful ppl.

And this is not a *straight* or *gay* issue; instead it's about common sense and rational thinking.

.

[Liberal Veteran]

8. Exactly...it's why making amends is part of the twelve step.

It's part of the healing and forgiveness process.

[jonnyblitz]

3. no kidding!!

I agree 100%. some of the lame excuses by the apologists are really fucking PATHETIC and they try to turn the tables and make us out to be the bad guys!!! some of these supposed progressives make me SICK! The vile crap people will put up with because its a fucking sports person is amazing!!! what utter ASSHOLES!

right on anyways. :thumbsup:

[Bronco69]

4. What if Jerry Falwell was on his death bed

and said that he was sorry for all of the mean and nasty things he has done over the years toward gay people? The damage has been done, and Reggie White helped!

[henslee]

5. Not gay. But your fight is my fight. Civil rights are civil rights..

After 2004, fuck it -- time to call everyone out on everything.

[jonnyblitz]

16. cool

sadly, some of my fellow DU gays don't even agree. some passive christian (so they keep telling us) "embrace your enemy" philosophy. they are deluded. IMHO.

[Maat]

23. I second that statement, Henslee!

I'm pro-human-rights. There is no excuse for being in any other camp in this day and age.

[Moloch]

6. Here Here!

:toast: you are absolutely right. Did White apologize for his homophobic remarks or the racist ones he made later?

[Liberal Veteran]

7. Not to mention all we have are second-hand accounts of apologies.

He found all the time in the world to make his disgustingly bigotted statements and even recanted publically some of his racist statements he made, but never found the time to publically recant or apologize for his hateful words about gays.

[mitchtv]

20. He didn't recant on CBS the nigh the covered him

but rather re iterated his "objections" but who knows what agenda is being played out.

[xchrom]

9. and this is why as a group -- i don't trust

liberals, progressives, dems, etc any more than i trust conservatives.
maybe less -- i don't have to watch my back with conservatives.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. I agree

Interestingly enough, another semi-apologetic thread has popped up. It just baffles me to no end. It is OK to bash fags, because they don't really matter and G-d says it is OK. It is sad all around.

[Maat]

24. While I understand your feelings, it makes me sad.

It will do you good to realize that you are loved and supported by many. Please don't ignore that.

I would hope that you don't trust anyone automatically all of the time, but, if you are open enough to communicate with others (outside of a defined group) who support you, that will mean more love, unity and peace on this Earth, and that is what we need.

[Chovexani]

11. YES!!

So freaking sick of this...the horseshit that comes out of people's mouths in order to justify behavior by sports stars never ceases to amaze me. My sympathy in this situation goes to his kids who I hope to Goddess he managed to not somehow poison with his hate.

He could knock people over on a field over a goddamn ball. That somehow gives him a free pass to be a vile bigot? I don't understand this mentality.

Then again with some of the sentiments that have been expressed around here since the "election" I'm not surprised by the bigot apologists coming out of the woodwork now. After all if us uppity queer had just shut up then Kerry would have won. :eyes:

[libnnc]

12. Thank you...

for expressing every fucking thing I've been angry about for the last 10 years. You are right on the money. I am sick of heteros saying that they're not bigots, they just feel "unsure", uncomfortable, icky, whatever.... with gays/lesbians.

I make heteros "uncomfortable"? Tough cat shit. Guess what...heteros make ME uncomfortable.

I dont' have health insurance, cant get married to my lover, cant adopt kids, cant show public affection for each other (for risk of getting the shit beaten out of us), cant see her in the hospital if she's sick...when will straits wake up and realize the world is custom made for them?

Homophobic bigotry matters. So Your big strong, x-tian, hetero, homo hating male sports star kicked the bucket?

Cry me a fucking river.

:nuke:

[Technowitch]

13. How do I feel? Like moving to Canada, frankly.

[MountainLaurel]

14. You're not alone

My better half works at a think tank on immigration issues, and has a coworker who is on fellowship from a Canadian university. Recently she presented a brownbag talk on immigration from the U.S. to Canada, and the issue of gays immigrating or in some cases, seeking "persecuted persons" status as an asylum seeker. I was surprised to learn that there are actually nonprofits set up in Canada to support gays through the immigration process.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Interesting

All the threads in GD about this issue were just locked! Seems we hit a raw nerve (not with the mods, but with some DUers). Here I thought the homophobia was subsiding after the election...whoops, I was wrong. Seems it is OK to a few DUers to bash gays, as long as you don't criticize them for doing so, because then YOU are the bigot! :eyes:

This has been VERY eye-opening to say the least!

[jonnyblitz]

17. they are crawlin outta the woodwork...

seems like we pesky gays are ruining some of their football sportshero fantasies. if read that stupid "dancing on graves" meme one more fucking time...grrrrr

[Lisaben2619]

18. Welcome to my world--LOL!

Here in Wisconsin the Packers are the lead story on every front page of every newspaper in the state and every tv news. On Christmas Eve, there were churches that had to change their worship services schedules because the Packer game time changed. That's moral values for ya!

[livinginphotographs]

19. He's a football player, what do you expect?

If he was Reggie-the-bus-driving-homophobe, people wouldn't be so forgiving. Celebrity is like an instant get-out-of-jail card in our society, and liberals are just as much to blame as anyone.

Personally, I don't wish death on anyone, but while feeling for his family, I could really care less if the homophobic son of a bitch died, except for sympathy for the family.

This crap about him having a miraculous transformation is so phoney, I would think it wouldn't be so hard to see through. Just like if George Bush said, "Oh, golly gee, sorry for killing all those Iraqi civilians," it wouldn't be instantly forgiveable, neither is this.

Just like Reagan: I mourned for a family, I didn't mourn the sack of shit that was the man.

[mitchtv]

21. glad you can mourn for their families

it is heartening. I am now and older man, and have had that sympathy beat out of me.

[Ian David]

27. Reggie White saw SOME of the light before he died

From Salon.com

<snip>

He even proselytized to those he was beating on the field; he was known to warn opposing linemen, "Jesus coming, I hope you're ready," before proceeding to demolish them on his way to the quarterback.

<snip>

Just four days before his death, "White said he felt 'prostituted' by those who encouraged him to capitalize on his football fame to promote religion. It is hard to imagine a more blunt and damning repudiation than what White issued."

<snip>

The retired White was repentant about his infamous address before the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1998. ESPN's Andrea Kremer reports that White told her in a recent, as-yet-unaired interview that he regretted the disparaging stereotypes he had made about various ethnic groups.

But it was not clear from Kremer's reports whether White felt repentant about the ugly anti-gay remarks he had included in the ill-informed address.

In the immediate aftermath of the speech, White had been somewhat apologetic about the ethnic remarks. But he stubbornly refused to back away from his blatant homophobia.

Had his recent journey led him to a more enlightened position on homosexuality? Given White's record on the issue, it's hard to give him the benefit of the doubt.

<snip>

Reggie White was on a promising path. It is tragic that death blocked him just as he was getting started.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

About the writer
Tom Krattenmaker is a Philadelphia-area writer. He is working on a book about Christianity in professional sports.
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[Solly Mack]

22. Yup

Like I said in another RW thread

"I can't turn the other cheek if I'm strung up dead on a fence post in Wyoming"

it's not hate...it's not christian bashing...it's calling a bigot a bigot.

"taking the words back" didn't take the damage back

[Maat]

25. Hi! It's me - law student and Mom (LawStudentMom)

just need to tell you that my hubby and daughter love your fish symbol.

As to human rights, all I can say is that I understand how you guys feel, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm behind you 100%.

[Solly Mack]

26. Thank you! I ordered one for my car and couldn't wait for it to arrive

so I stuck it here. :)