Monday, March 10, 2008
Responding to lawmaker’s anti-gay speech
Dearest Rep. Sally Kern,
I must congratulate you on your recent speech. In it you achieved levels of hatred, ignorance and intolerance I once thought unreachable, even by Oklahoma’s incredibly conservative standards. Kudos to you, ma’am.
All joking aside, I just thought I’d let you know that you have effectively made quite the fool of yourself.
This letter has taken me quite a while to write. I’m so mad I’ve been at a complete loss for words since the tape of your speech was released. But I have moved past anger and entered a state of confusion.
I want to know how you can compare homosexuality to cancer.
I want to know how you can ignore science and claim people choose homosexuality when there is clear evidence to the contrary.
According to the American Psychological Association Web site: “Human beings cannot choose to be either gay or straight. Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. Although we can choose whether to act on our feelings, psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.”
I want to know how you can claim to be such a good Christian while defying the Bible that tells you not to judge, to treat others as you want to be treated and to love the sinner and hate only the sin.
I want to know how you can hate other human beings for something that has absolutely no effect on you whatsoever.
Rep. Kern, if you’re reading this and still think what you said was the right thing, let me make my point clearer. Here are some of your original statements:
“You know, gays are infiltrating city councils. … Did you know that the city council of Eureka Springs is now controlled by gays? … They are winning elections.”
“One of my colleagues said ‘We don’t have a gay problem in our community’… well you know what, that is so dumb. If you have cancer in your little toe, do you just say that I’m going to forget about it since the rest of you is fine? It spreads! This stuff is deadly and it is spreading. It will destroy our young people and it will destroy this nation.”
I’m going to replace any reference to homosexuals with the word “Jew(s).” Again:
“One of my colleagues said ‘We don’t have a Jew problem in our community’… well you know what, that is so dumb. If you have cancer in your little toe, do you just say that I’m going to forget about it since the rest of you is fine? It spreads! This stuff is deadly and it is spreading. It will destroy our young people and it will destroy this nation.”
“You know, Jews are infiltrating city councils. … Did you know that the city council of Eureka Springs is now controlled by Jews? … They are winning elections.”
Honey, you sound like a homosexual-hating Hitler.
I haven’t even addressed this little nugget from your speech:
“I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam.”
Is there a minority group you don’t hate? I’d like to know.
I am also wondering if you’re aware that the United States is not a theocracy. If you weren’t, I highly suggest you look into doing some research on the separation of church and state.
As a journalist I am a firm believer in free speech and the First Amendment.
I know you have every right to say what you want and what you will, but as a representative of others, you have to be smart about running your mouth.
I know your comments certainly do not represent my views, and I wish you to stop speaking on my behalf.
I hope others are as inspired by your speech as I am and show their outrage at the polls in the next election. I will be sending money to your opponent’s campaign.
Thanks to you, Oklahoma is yet again the butt of jokes. I hope you’re as ashamed of yourself as we are of you.
In closing, I want to invite you to OSU for a screening of “For The Bible Tells Me So,” a documentary about the intersection of homosexuality and religion.
It will be shown in the Classroom Building in Room 313 at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. (And yes, there will probably be gay people there.)
I hope to see you Wednesday.
Loading ...
JC:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 3:33 am
“Is there a minority group you don’t hate? I’d like to know.”
That makes me laugh every time I read it.
John/Ca:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 11:31 am
This is a great column, thanks for writing it!
Kevin B. Thompsn:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 2:22 pm
To replace the word homosexual with Jew’s is simply a method to create a rise in your claim that this speech is hateful. This woman did not say she hated anyone. Instead of spreading gossip, perhaps you should try to disprove her comments. Like maybe, show how there is no agenda to promote the homosexual lifestyle in our educational system. Or, perhaps you could show how gays are not prone to deadly deceases? I am sure that you can think of a logical argument that is not based on trying to make the person into someone who is mean and ugly. Alternatively, maybe you cannot. I wonder…
Kevin B. Thompson
Jericho Riders
Storming the gates of Hell…
Skemono:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 3:09 pm
“To replace the word homosexual with Jew’s is simply a method to create a rise in your claim that this speech is hateful.”
It is hateful. How can you possibly think otherwise?
“This woman did not say she hated anyone.”
No, she just said that they’re a “cancer” and worse than terrorists. Clearly this means that she loves gays! Everyone loves cancer, right?
“Like maybe, show how there is no agenda to promote the homosexual lifestyle in our educational system.”
Well, given that there’s no such thing as a “homosexual lifestyle”, it would be impossible to promote one, therefore there is no agenda to do so. Next!
Although we do want to be treated with equality and respect. Y’know, like humans, instead of like cancer.
“Or, perhaps you could show how gays are not prone to deadly deceases?”
You mean like AIDS? Perhaps you’re unaware that globally the vast majority of people get AIDS via opposite-sex intercourse?
“I am sure that you can think of a logical argument that is not based on trying to make the person into someone who is mean and ugly.”
Of course we can. The question is: can you? Can Representative Kern? All evidence suggests otherwise.
Justin Akers:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 4:15 pm
It’s unfortunate that Kern’s rather mundane, ignorant speech is getting so much airtime, I noticed it was even on CNN’s International website today. I suppose I should be frightened and worried that a politician said something foolish, but I suppose I am too cynical to be surprised when politicians say or do something stupid.
Speaking of Cynicism: Rather than remarking further on Kern’s speech, I’d like to offer an anecdote instead . . .
Kern was my high school Government teacher. I had to take her American Government class my senior year in high school. Anyway, we had to write an essay saying who we thought the best President in the history of the U.S. was. In my essay, I claimed that William Howard Taft was the best President because he did extremely little while in office, and the less a politician does, the better. So, her comment on my essay was, “Justin, how did you become SO cnynical at such a young age?”
I have other Kern anecdotes, but that’s the only one I’m going to share at this time. I’m not taking any questions at this time. Perhaps I will be get back to you in short order.
Dale:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 10:23 pm
I truly hope someday that these hateful religious freaks are silenced. This country has become the laughing-stock of advanced international community because of these freaks.
Matt:
Comment on 10-Mar-08 at 11:14 pm
I think it’s important to stress Mrs. Kern’s right to free speech: despite the hatred and bigotry and overt stupidity clouding her statements, one can never forget her right to say it. I say that only in reply to the way the representative has cowered (cowardly) under a kind of misuse of the first amendment. She cries “free speech free speech” when she forgets that having the right to hold a belief about something does not grant one some kind of mind-armor that is immune to valid backlash.
Rick Schauer:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 6:40 am
Well, I guess the Catholic church is in big trouble down in ol’ Okie with all those gay priests…may as well shut’em down.
Amie:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 9:47 am
Nice column. I especially like the part where Kern says that she isn’t gay bashing and then compares gay people to terrorists. I’m pretty sure she thinks she could tell people that she isn’t breathing and still not understand why people are laughing at her. (”Look, I’m not breathing. I’m just saying, don’t breath.”)
The worst part of this, apart from her speech, is that people are taking this as an attack on free speech. She has the right to say what she wants, but so does everyone else in this country. Her right to free speech does not take precedence.
Furthermore, just because you are guaranteed free speech does not mean you are guaranteed a podium, and I mean specifically that calling for Kern’s resignation and silence as a state representative is not a 1st amendment violation.
BruceH:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 11:47 am
Furthermore, Kearn’s right to free speech does not include a right to protection from ridicule. Flame away!
Andrea:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 1:12 pm
I want to begin by saying “thank you” o’colly for covering this topic. As for Representative Kern, she certainly does have the “right to free speech” however, she delivered this speech while acting in the capacity of a government official. She refuses to apologize for her statements and Speaker of the House, Rep. Chris Benge, has STILL not issued a statement.
If her comments were made in any corporate workplace, they would be viewed as offensive, hostile, and harrassing - and rightly so! That employee would be swiftly marched into the human resources department, written up, and required to attend sensitivity training. Why should she be allowed to make these statements, while at work, and receive no reprimand?
Personally, I would love Sally Kern to resign her seat in our State’s Legislature, however, being my pragmatic self, am writing Rep. Benge and demanding a censure and sensitivity training, at minimum!
Collin:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 5:43 pm
this is so embarrassing. i’m not gay and live in oklahoma city and can’t believe what came out of her mouth.
i really hope that people don’t get the wrong idea about oklahoma cause its really not that bad. yes i know some jackass oklahomans obviously elected this crazy lady but i promise we’re not this bad. there are lots of good people here. lots of democrats, and lots of republicans that are accepting of all walks of life.
the thing that bothers me the most about her speech is the that she said that homosexuality is a possibly bigger threat than terrorism.
the funny thing is that if there is a threat bigger than terrorism, global warming, or Pres. Bush, than it has to be racism and bigotry. and it’s elected officials like Sally Kern that keep this type of thinking acceptable to weak-minded individuals.
Brent:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 8:18 pm
“Honey, you sound like a homosexual-hating Hitler.”
Nice to see Godwin’s Law in effect at the O’Colly.
JC:
Comment on 11-Mar-08 at 9:58 pm
Just in case I’m not the only one who didn’t know what Godwin’s Law was:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/legends/godwin/
Matt:
Comment on 13-Mar-08 at 1:39 pm
Breanne, excellent article and well researched. I graduated from Oklahoma State a couple years ago and now live in Chicago. A coworker at my company first told me about this story. I’m sad to report that Oklahoma is once again the punch line of really bad jokes. I’ve seen this article on CNN, in The Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune and on local TV.
Why do we keep electing these people to represent us? Oklahoma is one of the poorest and least educated states in the Union. Nutcases like Sally Kern have been setting our state back for decades, its time for someone to stand against them and move Oklahoma forward.
The thing that makes me the most upset is that people like Sally Kern have hijacked the Christian religion. I was raised in the Methodist church to love everyone, treat everyone with respect, to seek a good education and to respect the differences of others.
The God I know doesn’t hate anyone, and ONLY requires that you believe – nothing more. It is religious zealots like Kern who add on previsions to the Gospel, they would have people believe that to be a Christian you must speak, look and act like them. They do this to fulfill their own radical agenda, which is to control people and consolidate power. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if their “version” of God is so condemning, so filled with their hate – I don’t want to know him. I’m going to stick with the God I was raised with, and by the way – everyone is welcomed and loved just as they are.