USA Today LTTE - I'm annoyed...

[WillParkinson]

I'm typing the letter verbatim since I'm unable to find it on the USA Today Website....

"Irony of Hate"
I don't live in California and wasn't aware until after the election of Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage (Post-Prop 8, thousands join protest, News, Nov. 14).

Doesn't anyone see the irony of a website called Californians Against Hate publishing names of proposition supporters? After demonstrations, some supporters of the ban, such as the artistic director of a Sacramento musical theater, resigned. Aren't these people using hate against people whom they have accused of hate? When did it become OK to persecute others for their beliefs? It reminds me of the irony of "pro-life" people killing doctors and nurses at abortion clinics.

Nobody should know this better than a group named Californians Against Hate. Hate solves nothing.

---

I'm putting together my reply. I'll try to post it later today.

[machI]

1. It is up on a blog now

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/11/irony-of-hate.html

got to be logged in to comment.

[WillParkinson]

2. I did, and thank you!

My comments:

Californians Against Hate published the names of those supporters in order to let people know that they were against equal rights for all. How is it hate to let me know that my dollars might be spent better somewhere else? How is it hate to let me know that people who willingly take my money will have no problems denying me rights? How is it hate to speak out against those who voted against me?

You're right about one thing. It's wrong to persecute others for their beliefs. Like voting on the rights of those who believe that they are equal in the eyes of the law. That is the ultimate persecution. Stripping them of their rights and denying them and their families equal status under the law.

[bluedawg12]

5. Well done.

[bliss_eternal]

3. Geez--

what don't these people get? There's a difference between making a choice based on one's hatred (and fear)of others versus holding people accountable for that choice. Did they seriously expect people to just sit by and allow this to happen and do nothing?

:crazy:

[yardwork]

10. Apparently they expected us to support the businesses that took away our rights

because if we don't support them instead of gay-friendly businesses then we're filled with hate. Like abortion clinic bombers. Or something like that.

Anyway, how dare we choose not to spend our money on them or their businesses! They have a right to our money! After all, we're only queers.

[MikeE]

4. I don't get how

...some people can even compare this to bombing family planning clinics. The gay community and its supporters are just choosing to patronize those businesses who are supportive and not to do business with those who are not.

[bluedawg12]

6. The RW has used - and is using - boycotts as a tool.

The fracas on the family is now creating a blacklist of stores that refuse their demand to use the word Christmas in their holiday signage.

Good point: non-violent protest does not compare to the other examples cited.

[WillParkinson]

7. Not many comments, but one of them is vile....

"My name is on the donor list and I hope they do boycott my business. I'd rather not do business with them or have them around my customers' children. If I put a sign up to tell them they're not welcome, I'd be sued.

But, now they're threatening to boycott?

Make my day."

But remember, it has nothing to do with hate.

[yardwork]

9. I'd like to help ensure that gay people and their supporters never go near his business.

Did he sign his name?

[WillParkinson]

11. Make my day...

But don't know who I am. No, he didn't.

[yardwork]

12. Coward. Figures.

[bluedawg12]

13. Hot air from a windbag-bigot. He should have left his name

and business address if he really meant he wanted to be boycotted. :evilgrin:

[yardwork]

8. Yeah, boycotting businesses is definitely the same as shooting people.

:eyes:

[AntiFascist]

14. Persecute others for their beliefs?!

This is only a boycott, imagine bombing and killing 100,000s of innocent people.

[bluedawg12]

15. Loving that metaphor: equating a legal debate about civil rights for gays

into a debate about their beliefs.

Neat trick and revealing. THEY try to codify their personal beliefs into the arena of civil law and then cry religious persecution. Sneaky the way they move back and forth and conflate their brand of religion with justice.

If they choose to leave the realm of the Church and venture into legal matters, then they should expect their legal stance to be questioned.

[AntiFascist]

16. They have a lot in common with wealthy right-wing Libertarians...

there is a definite line that gets crossed when your own "civil liberties" become so extreme that they begin to impose on groups of other people.

First of all, crying persecution because we are imposing a boycott is equivalent to saying that we are obligated to buy their products. Well, sorry, but I'm only obligated to pay taxes.

Second, crying persecution because we are not allowing them to define marriage based on their religious beliefs is equivalent to saying that their religion demands theocratic rule over everyone else. Well, sorry once again, but that goes against everything many of us believe that this country should stand for. I wonder if they were paying attention when we were calling them "the American Taliban"?

[RetiredTrotskyite]

17. Happy Holidays, Dobson!!!

It always amazes me that these religious nuts actually believe the shit they are spewing. It is so tiresome to hear them whine when they are the ones who have voted away our rights. I am really getting sick and tired of the theocracy that is the United States these days.

Man I WISH I had a store so Dobson could pull his crap and see how far it gets him. Screw you AND your fucking Christmas! There are other religions in this country besides Christianity...why the hell is it only Christmas that is supposed to be mentioned? When I was still working at Wal-Mart, I would say "Happy Holidays"....screw these Christian nuts!

[bluedawg12]

19. If they wanted to fight a real war they could start with poverty, domestic violence,

child abuse. Real issues that place real lives at risk and not this lame pitch about the cultural war on the "secularists." That is, in and of itself, a joke in a nation that is around 80% Church going.

If one wanted to experience the real meaning of Christmas, should one expect to find it in aisle 12 at wally-mart? Give us a break! Faux battles and pretend generals.

[bluedawg12]

18. They're immune to comparison's to theocracies

because this campaign of theirs works so well at the level of their foot soldiers, err sorry, I mean their base. :rofl:

They also cleverly by-passed the judicial system even after the high Court ruling, by bringing it back to the battle for hearts and minds (propaganda) and then that they hoisted that hideous Prop8Hate and a slim majority saluted it.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

20. It Probably Won't Do Any Good, But...

I put up my two cents' worth.

All you who are so self-righteous in your "morality" make me sick! It's fine to spew your hateful opinions about gay and lesbian people around ("My name is on the donor list and I hope they do boycott my business. I'd rather not do business with them or have them around my customers' children. If I put a sign up to tell them they're not welcome, I'd be sued.

But, now they're threatening to boycott?

Make my day".),

but it's not OK for gay, lesbians and other queer folk to boycott those who voted to take their rights away? And I notice the old canard about not wanting gay people around your customers' children....we don't have to be around them to influence them. Some of those children will undoubtedly turn out to be gay...are you going to visit the same hate on them that you do the rest of the LGBT community?

LGBT people are sick and tired of YOUR nonsense regarding marriage and we are not taking it sitting down any more!!!