Emotional Vandalism vs. Freedom Of Speech: Will The Malice That Embodies Fred Phelps Prevail?

Note: On Wednesday, Oct. 6th, the Supreme Court of The United States will hear oral arguments in the case of Snyder vs. Westboro Baptist Church.

Fred Phelps has now gotten exactly what he's always wanted: notoriety. From the time he threw the first punch at an attendee of  a revival (at age 17, his first preaching gig was to a Mormon group and someone didn't exactly agree with him), he's always courted fame. Fame through controversy. Fame through hate.

I've followed Fred's trail for over 14 years. The first time I encountered Phelps was as a book publicist for Fr. Daniel Helmeniak, author of the book, What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality. Helmeniak is an eminent Jesuit scholar who knew about Phelps and his homophobic rantings, so I was able to get Daniel on a radio show in Kansas City, MO. with Phelps debating him on the subject. Phelps was in the studio while Daniel was on a phone hook-up.

The interview was a typical Phelpsian circus with the Phelps clan picketing the radio station (allegedly for broaching the subject of homosexuality). During the interview, Daniel played the sweet, but thoroughly academic professional, politely asking Phelps which "pages" his Biblical sitings were on (knowing full well that Phelps had made them up). Frustrated Phelps grew impatient when the time came for questions from listeners who seemed to share Daniel's knowledge and sophistication. He stormed out of the station in less than twenty minutes. The host, however, kept Daniel on - for a full 90 minutes  - because the call lines were heating up (the program had only been scheduled for thirty minutes).

Phelps deemed the radio spot a "success." He's a hit-and-run publicity man.

A year after Daniel's interview, I came across an unpublished manuscript attached to a deposition as Exhibit A in a court case. It was an unauthorized biography of Fred Phelps. I read all 140 pages overnight.

To label Fred Phelps as evil is ridiculous, simply because, much like any real monster, Phelps' persona is beyond labeling. If Phelps' soul can be labeled anything, the closest definition would be grotesque: it is misshapen, hideous in its deformity; repulsive. Visually, it is like The Elephant Man, but without the slightest trace of humanity. And while Hitler had a disfigured conscience, Fred Phelps seems to have no conscience at all. He delights in both hating and being hated. He is a true egotist.

And as such, he hungers not for blood, but for publicity.

It is true that he used his exemplary speaking skills to defend civil rights cases. However, upon close examination, his oratory was meant to focus only on himself: one of the breaches of ethics he was cited for  in his disbarment was that if a client couldn't pay Fred's fees after losing a case, he would automatically turn around and sue the client. So very many of these cases came up, it was rumored that Phelps's primary income was derived from these turnabouts. 

For the last half century, Fred Phelps and his clan have alternated between bizarre soap opera and embarrassing nuisance for Topeka, KS: addiction to amphetamines, charges of a Fagin operation (involving the Phelps children), beatings, starvation, threats of knee-capping (with a .48), severe whippings, extortion, insidious and violent revenge on colleagues and neighbors, thwarted flights to freedom - all emanating from the martinet  who refused to give his children Christmas presents, demanded that all of them have law degrees, chose their spouses ... and made them believe he was their only portal to heaven. 

There are times when hatred makes a person either crazy or stupid. Hatred is, after all, a very negating emotion, canceling out anything positive. Hatred is man's most insipid emotion simply because it is so counter to survival. In the eyes of America, Fred Phelps has not only done things out of pure hatred,  but a total disregard for any form of reason: call Phelps insane and he will laugh. Call him stupid, however, and he will rage. Perhaps the reason why Phelps and has brood have pressed on so doggedly on the Snyder case is because Phelps will prove to everyone that he is not stupid: everyone will know him and listen, whereas nobody listens to an idiot.

The Snyder Case

While many people deem the upcoming Supreme Court case to be one of horrifically poor taste vs. freedom of speech, instead it can be argued that it is really a case that stretches the limits as to how much harm a person can inflict on another and still hide behind the premise of free speech. To the rest of the country, Phelps actions were even worse than what he had intended to do at Mathew Shepard's funeral - dance on his grave. Fred and his family posse fully intended to cause as much emotional harm and stress as possible to the Snyder family. 

This is where the claim of emotional vandalism comes in.

Every invitation to a funeral begins with the phrase "For those wishing to pay their respects..." The invitation is not open to those who want to desecrate the grave or to dance upon it. The funeral, therefore, is not simply open to the public as the Phelps family contends. In this case, the Snyder family paid for a respectful funeral, during which the bereaved would be comforted by the presence of friends, not enemies. The funeral and the proceedings were the property of the Snyder family. The Phelps family's intent was to mar the funeral proceedings by making entrance and exit from the funeral a fearsome, distasteful affair. They desecrated the funeral with malice aforethought. Emotional vandalism. Willful intent to damage or destroy another persons property.

So far, I haven't seen that particular angle to the prosecution, and since it has not been proffered, it cannot be introduced into this case. In my humble opinion, I fail to see why it should not have been. There must have been a reason why it was not.

The Responsibility of The Christian Right: Don't bet on it.

Although the case of Snyder vs. Phelps will not be heard before the Supreme Court until Wednesday, October 6, the prospects for Al Snyder look grim. Chief Justice Roberts on freedom of speech: "It's certainly the responsibility of the Supreme Court to uphold freedom of speech, even when it's unpopular." 

We must all brace ourselves for the imbecilic grins of the Phelps clan. 

We must also brace ourselves for the slightly muted cheers of our Rightwing Christian friends such as the Family Research Council, the American Family Association, the Southern Baptist Convention, and in particular, people like Tony Perkins, Bryan Fischer and Lou Engle. In addition, all those who say "we're not like Phelps" but who do absolutely nothing to chastise Phelps for his obviously un-Christian demeanor. These people, with all their righteousness at-the-ready, who bray and bloviate about morals and family values will not use one ounce of courage to tell the nation that Fred Phelps' free speech is not worthy to be heard by the dullest of the dull. This sector of our country has a moment to prove themselves to be worthy of their purported religion. They will, however, either cheer, whimper ... or remain silent.

Remember.

Author's note: 

This article is based upon personal experience, Fact-Archive.com, wikipedia.com, and Exhibit A of  PETITION FOR DECLARATORY RELIEF (Pursuant to K.S.A. Chapter 60-1701 et. seq.) as requested by Jon Bell, June 2, 1994.)

What Do You Call 410,000 Lawyers And A Federal Judge In Favor Of Marriage Equality?

A Start?

No, Just Serious Wounds to the ADF, the FRC, the AFA, the ACLJ 

(and all the other homophobic acronyms you can think of )

"RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges state, territorial, and tribal governments to eliminate all of their legal barriers to civil marriage between two persons of the same sex who are otherwise eligible to marry."

First, the ruling of Judge Vaughn Walker, now this! OMG! The American Bar Association has just de facto legalized same-sex marriage! The largest and most influential group of legal eagles in the nation (and possibly the world) has come out with a resolution urging all governments to legalize gay marriage. It's mind-boggling! And the timing must have been intended (the Right will call it "conspiratorial"). 410,000 members! How many will resign in protest/disgust?

According to the ADF, that group of bumbling legal eagles (more like legal chickens) people are already starting to turn in their memberships, but, after all, it doesn't speak for many lawyers. Huh? ONE THIRD of U.S. lawyers are members.

“The fact that ADF and other lawyers disagree with ABA on a number of controversial issues demonstrates the gross inaccuracy of ABA’s claim that it speaks for the U.S. legal profession,” remarked ADF Senior Legal Counsel Doug Napier, who resigned from the ABA because of its stance on controversial political issues.

It must have been the word "urges" that got to them.

Anyway, the ABA is still the largest professional organization for lawyers in the country -- and the largest voluntary professional association in the world. And the ABA has one tiny modicum of clout: it accredits law schools. Did the ABA accredit Liberty University School of Law (Jerry Falwell's pet project) or Regent University Law School (Pat Robertson's territory - which buried over 150 of its graduates in George Bush's Department of Justice)? Yes, both are accredited by the ABA.

BUT (and it's a big one) the goal of the ABA is to "Eliminate bias in the legal profession and the justice system" and "Work for just laws, including human rights, and a fair legal process." 

The ABA also requires that all students at ABA-approved schools take an ethics course in professional responsibility.*

Ooops. It may be hard to prove that, say, Regent University Law School's graduates are not professionally responsible or ethical, but the ADF doesn't look like it has that kind of reputation. Especially if it is willing to have "junk science experts" testify in an important trial.

And in endorsing the right of gays to marry, the ABA is stating that it is working toward its goals of "eliminating bias" and working laws concerning human rights. So what will the ethics courses at Liberty and Regent look like from now on? They'll have to practice their rhetorical skills in finding some loophole.

It has just recently been discovered, for example, that Matt Barber, an ever-enlightened dean of Liberty will go to extreme lengths to demonize homosexuality: below is his seminar on arcrotomophilia (sexual attraction to amputees) and its evil link to ENDA. If you're amazed at what Barber can get away with, write to the ABA about Liberty's accreditation.

Hmmm, I wonder how many "philias" they'll be teaching that ALL/MOST gays have? How about: 

Nasophilia (noses) Somnophilia (sleeping people) Macrophilia (giants) Lactophilia (breast milk) Emetophilia (vomit) or the ever popular Ursusagalmatophilia (teddy bears).** Of course, Barber probably figurers that if you can spell it, you must have it. (Teabaggers are so very dull)

The California Seesaw

Considering the up-'n-down situation of same-sex marriage in California, it ought to qualify as a ride in an amusement park: it's on again...well, sort of. It's not clear. Walker declared the stay to be voided on Aug. 18th, PENDING no ability to appeal. If you've been following the trial and its decision, you know that the ABILITY to appeal is in question. The supersonic dimwit defense team of ADF will try to finagle the appeal, but they must have a solid reason, like allowing gay marriage will cause bloodshed (maybe theirs, from Tony Perkins, Bryan Fischer, etc.). Personally, I would love to see them appeal if not for anything but to see them make idiots out of themselves again. I could sell tickets! But an appeal could draw things out for another year, making SSM a hotbutton issue for November. Besides, just how much authority does a "proponent" for a group related to the state proposition have? The Christian Right will make it look like another needless nailbiter and another cause to outs "activist" judges.

Speaking of which...

Walker said on Thursday that ban proponents didn't convince him that anyone would be harmed by allowing same-sex marriages to resume...

Finally, Walker said it also appeared doubtful that the opponents of the ban have any right to appeal his decision striking down a state law that he said should have been defended by either Schwarzenegger and Brown, who both refused to do so.

Judge Walker has taken it on the chin from critics before (even from gays - consider the "Gay Olympics" fracas), but this time he is to be commended just for hanging in there and not stooping to react to critics, like Tony Perkins of the FRC:

The decision to shove Proposition 8 aside so quickly only heaps more outrage on a judge who should have never been allowed to consider the case in the first place. By lifting the "stay" on marriage licenses, he's attempting to plunge the state- and, by extension, the country--into deeper legal chaos just to satisfy his own radical agenda.

...and the following who practically considers him to be the Anti-Christ:

Suzyrice.com:

How Walker’s animus about Christ and Christianity was relevant to his considerations, as to the Constitution, of Proposition 8 shall be left to psychiatrists to determine, but, clearly Judge Walker used the opportunity before him to launch his personal hatred of “society,” about “heterosexuals,” about “the majority (in his ruling, Walker defined “the majority” as society and heterosexuals) and about Christianity.

But let's look at the situation this way: we scored the ABA, a federal judge (appointed by Reagan, btw), the governor of California and the Attorney General of California in a matter of weeks. Our side is beginning to look a bit heavier than theirs right now. 

They don't like it, but...tough.

* wikipedia: Typically, this is an upper-level course; most students take it in the 2L year. This requirement was added after the Watergate scandal, which seriously damaged the public image of the profession because President Richard Nixon and most of his alleged cohorts were lawyers. The ABA desired to demonstrate that the legal profession could regulate itself and hoped to prevent direct federal regulation of the profession.

**For a list of some more "philias" go to wikipedia's page.

Riding The Train To Homophobia: Those Tickets Cost A Lot, Don't They, Tony?

Putting A Train In The Doghouse

Two hundred fifty thousand dollars - sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But not if you're in the travel business - or the bigot business.

Fifteen years ago, I was able to get some pretty remarkable local advertising for SF's AIDS Emergency Fund. The market value for transit posters and production of 4 black & white public service announcements: $350,000. In 1995 dollars. In a local market.

According to FRC's Tony Perkins, however, this amount is an absolute fortune of taxpayers' money going out to advance the "homosexual agenda."

FRC Action

If there was ever proof that the Obama Administration has gone off the rails, it's Amtrak. For the first time in the train service's history, Amtrak has decided to spend a quarter-million dollars recruiting homosexual passengers. As you may know, Amtrak isn't a private business. This is a government-run business, meaning that this $250,000 is taken directly from taxpayers' pockets. In a very real sense, this ad campaign is a federal endorsement of homosexual behavior -- one of the most serious public health threats in America.

Whoa! Tony! Do you mean that Amtrack is going to turn into one big rolling bathhouse? Hmmm.

I don't think so. Even though Perkins thinks that every LGBT person is one big horny STD, one tiny piece of outreach to get gay dollars is not going to cause an influx of drag queens sipping martinis in the Vista Dome lounge. Point of fact: Amtrak should be so lucky! I know plenty of wonderful girls who could liven up that dreary run to Topeka!

Of course, Amtrak is really not so innocent or naive: for years it has bucked the market trends in following Perkins' homophobic ideology, but to put it in a more Biblical perspective:, "They saw the Light!":
 

Openly Gay Marketing:

Says Darlene Abubakar, the director of national advertising for Amtrak, “Most all of the major airlines, hotels and others in the travel and tourism industry target the LGBT market segment. Amtrak ’s goal is to raise the level of awareness of the benefits of train travel and increase consideration and ridership amongst this segment.”

And $250k is small change to the FRC. Promoting "Family Values" and lobbying for same costs over $30 million per year. FRC employs over 200 people and has satellites in all fifty states. FRC is a lobbying organization and, unless I've missed something, politicians still don't give discounts.

And all of Lou Engle's trips to the "Dark Continent" add up (not to mention keeping him odor-free with Right Guard!).

Another ridiculous rant. Another ridiculous headline. Another ridiculous case of fear-mongering.

 

Two hundred fifty thousand dollars - sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But not if you're in the travel business - or the bigot business.

Fifteen years ago, I was able to get some pretty remarkable local advertising for SF's AIDS Emergency Fund. The market value for transit posters and production of 4 black & white public service announcements: $350,000. In 1995 dollars. In a local market.

According to FRC's Tony Perkins, however, this amount is an absolute fortune of taxpayers' money going out to advance the "homosexual agenda."

FRC Action

If there was ever proof that the Obama Administration has gone off the rails, it's Amtrak. For the first time in the train service's history, Amtrak has decided to spend a quarter-million dollars recruiting homosexual passengers. As you may know, Amtrak isn't a private business. This is a government-run business, meaning that this $250,000 is taken directly from taxpayers' pockets. In a very real sense, this ad campaign is a federal endorsement of homosexual behavior -- one of the most serious public health threats in America.

Whoa! Tony! Do you mean that Amtrack is going to turn into one big rolling bathhouse? Hmmm.

I don't think so. Even though Perkins thinks that every LGBT person is one big horny STD, one tiny piece of outreach to get gay dollars is not going to cause an influx of drag queens sipping martinis in the Vista Dome lounge. Point of fact: Amtrak should be so lucky! I know plenty of wonderful girls who could liven up that dreary run to Topeka!

Of course, Amtrak is really not so innocent or naive: for years it has bucked the market trends in following Perkins' homophobic ideology, but to put it in a more Biblical perspective:, "They saw the Light!":

Openly Gay Marketing:

Says Darlene Abubakar, the director of national advertising for Amtrak, "Most all of the major airlines, hotels and others in the travel and tourism industry target the LGBT market segment. Amtrak 's goal is to raise the level of awareness of the benefits of train travel and increase consideration and ridership amongst this segment."

And $250k is small change to the FRC. Promoting "Family Values" and lobbying for same costs over $20 million per year. FRC employs over 200 people and has satellites in all fifty states. FRC is a lobbying organization and, unless I've missed something, politicians still don't give discounts.

The Council's Finances

While I couldn't get the 2009 data on the FRC, I was able to come up with some for 2007: $12,758,000 in revenue. And what, pray tell, was it spent on?

1. Mailing out copies of its 425 (mostly) anti-gay "findings"

2. Printing and shipping out 105,000 "educational" materials.

3. Publishing it's monthly newsletter and mailing to 150,000 homes.

4. Producing its weekly radio show, Washington Weekly. It also produces a daily "Commentary" aired on three 300 stations.

In addition, the FRC now hosts the extremely expensive Values Voter Summit. The speakers' fees are eye-popping when you consider that right-wing icons like Mike Huckabee, Ann Coulter(geist), Sean Hannity and heavy-hitting intellectual Stephen Baldwin (actually D-list-actor-brother-of famous-actor).

And all of Lou Engle's trips to the "Dark Continent" add up (not to mention keeping him odor-free with Right Guard!).

wikipedia:

In their report Funding the Culture Wars, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy^[18] lists the Family Research Council as one of the leading organizations funding the activities of the conservative movement. As a non-profit organization, FRC is completely dependent on donations from supporters.

Of course, the FRC screamed "Donations, Please!!"  while ragging the administration on a piddling $250k:

Yet Washington is targeting the demographically small homosexual population-probably because marketing surveys suggest it is also one of the richest. So let's be honest. This Administration is more interested in riding the gravy train than getting the culture back on track.

Another ridiculous rant. Another ridiculous headline. Another ridiculous case of fear-mongering.

A Conspiracy Waiting To Happen: Erik Prince, The CIA, Tony Perkins, The ACLJ and ... Africa

Blackwater's "Indiana Jones" May Soldier For 

Right-Wing Christianity In Africa 

When I was a kid, my father tried to translate the family name  - Vojir - to me (from Czech): "It means a kind of paid soldier. A Hessian. A soldier of fortune." Ah, "soldier of fortune" was great way to put it, I thought. I didn't press any further. I was satisfied. Glamorous. Mysterious. Sophisticated. It was only when I was in college that I realized that the meaning was closely related to the term "mercenary." Somehow, "mercenary" isn't as glamorous.

So I sit here a "mercenary," writing about Erik Prince, today's undisputed king of mercenaries. Of Blackwater infamy. A man whose "soldiers" are feared more in Iraq and Afghanistan than any U.S. military force. A man with extremely close ties to Family Research Council and Focus on the Family. OK, I'll stop channeling Rachel Maddow, but you get my drift.

And the makings for a conspiracy just might be in this bit of news:

Jeremy Scahill, The Nation:

Sources close to Blackwater and its secretive owner Erik Prince claim that the embattled head of the world's most infamous mercenary firm is planning to move to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Middle Eastern nation, a major hub for the US war industry, has no extradition treaty with the United States. In April, five of Prince's top deputies were hit with a fifteen-count indictment by a federal grand jury on conspiracy, weapons and obstruction of justice charges. Among those indicted were Prince's longtime number-two man, former Blackwater president Gary Jackson, former vice presidents William Matthews and Ana Bundy and Prince's former legal counsel Andrew Howell. 

Prince's move is like a Midwest tornado watch: the conditions are ripe for something to happen. Could it be a conscious conspiracy or just a re-grouping?

Most of the media have translated the move as a protection against prosecution for crimes, including the alleged murder of an informant inside Blackwater. This could very well be. But is it the only reason? Let's look at Erik's closest relations, friends and allies: 

For starters, Erik Prince's father, Edgar Prince, used a great deal of his auto parts fortune to fund both Focus on the Family and The Family Research Council.

Else Prince Broekhuizen  - Erik's mother - gave a whopping $450,000 to California's Prop 8 campaign. After the death of Edgar Prince, she married her pastor, Ren Broehuizen. She was also a member of the secretive Council on National Policy.* The CNP was founded by author Tim LaHaye (the Left Behind series). Elsa Prince is also a major contributor and board member of The Family Research Council. Of course, because of major contributions, the FRC runs its mass printing facility out of Holland, MI. (Prince's home).

Betsy DeVos - sister of Erik -  was chairman of the Republican Party for the State of Michigan. Her husband, Jim DeVos is heir to the Amway fortune and attempted a run for Governor of Michigan. Betsy is also chairman of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. The Institute's mission is to "promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles." Some of its members are, like Marvin Orlasky, dedicated to demonizing the beliefs of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Joseph E. Schmitz was special assistant to Attorney General Edwin Meese, then Inspector General of the Department of Defense under George H.W. Bush. Before his resignation, he recused himself from the investigation of Blackwater Worldwide in order to take a position for the Prince Group (holding company of Blackwater). Non-related tidbit: Schmitz's sister is the (in)famous Mary Kay Letourneau who was convicted of having sexual relations with a minor (then a 12-year-old boy whom she later married). 

As head of the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation, Prince has funded The Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, Christian Freedom International, the Republican Party, The Alliance Defense Fund, Calvin College, the Haggai Institute (India), the Michigan Family Forum, the Free Congress Foundation, Gospel Communications International, and The Education Freedom Fund, and the Knights of Columbus (now considered a prime funder of anti-gay initiatives).

Add to this powerful group Jack Abramoff, the CIA, Chuck Colson, Gary Bauer, Holland Coors, Tim LaHaye, Ollie North, Dick Chaney, Ralph Reed and a bevy of Reconstructionists all paying homage to R.J. Rushdooney.**

For a more in-depth (and head-spinning) treatment of Erik Prince's associations, go to the interactive graphic at Muckety. The reader will be amazed at the political-religious-corporate web in which Prince negotiates liaisons and subterfuge. 

Then there's Prince's undoubtedly nefarious relationship with the CIA:

From the National Post:

WASHINGTON -- The CIA in 2004 hired contractors from the private security firm Blackwater USA as part of a secret program to track and assassinate senior al-Qaeda figures, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Blackwater helped with planning, training and surveillance in a program on which the Central Intelligence Agency spent several million dollars without capturing or killing any militants, the newspaper reported, quoting former and current U.S. officials.

Anchored with the CIA, extreme Religious Right institutions and a continent ripe for theocracy, Prince's residence in Dubai  may be both convenient and prescient: armed support for conflicts within "emerging Christian nations" would bolster Reconstructionist evangelism, support ideologies such as criminalizing homosexuality,*** and counter any threats posed  by Islam.Watch the second clip below to discern if Erik Prince is not eager to go to Africa. It was recorded on Oct. 16, 2007 during the preliminary investigations of Blackwater. Prince chooses words very carefully, so look at his demeanor and ask yourself if he really wants to be a peacekeeper as Rose tries to suggest, or a Soldier for Christ, enabling the extreme Religious Right gain a very strong foothold in Africa.

After announcing the sale of Blackwater, Erik Prince was asked what he would do for a living:

(Think Progress)

Prince said he is instead “going to teach high school.” “History and economics,” he said. “I may even coach wrestling. Hey, Indiana Jones taught school, too.”

But not in Dubai. 

UPDATE:

News has arrived pertaining to the presence of the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice - a legal defense team formed by Pat Robertson) in Zimbabwe. The ACLJ has been instrumental in Zimbabwe's efforts to draft a new constitution. Zimbabwe is now the new Uganda.

Footnotes:

* The Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University considers the Council for National Policy a leading force in the Dominionist movement. TheocracyWatch, a CRESP project, describes it as "an umbrella organization of right-wing leaders who gather regularly to plot strategy, share ideas and fund causes and candidates to advance the theocratic agenda."

**Rousas John Rushdoony (April 25, 1916 – February 8, 2001) was a Calvinist philosopher, historian, and theologian and is widely credited as the father of Christian Reconstructionism and an inspiration for the modern Christian homeschool movement. His prolific writings have exerted considerable influence on the Christian right.

***Already the Republican Party 2010 Platform for the State of Texas promotes the criminalization of gays and the felony conviction of anyone who marries same-sex couples.

DADT May Be Repealed, But NOT Violent Homophobia: The Gay Blood Libel Of Fischer, Lively, et al Has Just Begun!

The Christian Right Has Ratcheted Up The Hate 
- Big Time!

The House voted to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell on the day the 1000th US soldier was killed in Afghanistan, making the day bittersweet, in a sense, for the military: if ithe impending repeal had been sooner (or if it had not been enacted at all), would the addition of over 14,000 highly skilled servicemen have prevented that death?

According to some people, there will been MORE deaths caused by openly gay soldiers. The reasoning may be considered bizarre, but it clings to elements of the Christian Right like hate clings to violence.

There is no doubt that the months-long progress of the repeal has brought out the worst in people: situations like the pending legislation in Uganda demonstrated what the CR is capable of fomenting, and just days ago the Gay Blood Libel* was utilized to crush the repeal.

Hitler discovered that he could not get straight soldiers to be savage and brutal and vicious enough to carry out his orders, but that homosexual soldiers basically had no limits.

- Bryan Fischer, American Family Association

A PERSONAL NOTE

I am not a true gay rights activist, I ashamed to say. Today's LGBT community has enough problems without including my insubstantial my rants as part of its cause. I wish to God I were one. I just can't work hard enough: in perspective I haven't accomplished nearly as much as so many who work night and day to help us gain respect, acceptance and security.

So this article is not coming from an activist, but from a person who is just adding his voice to the chorus.
 

When I first heard the term "gay agenda" I was dumbfounded. Even after years of being out, I had never heard the term before. I fancied myself as a well-read, urbane gay man, so I wondered how I had missed that one. Once, in about 1978, I saw a documentary titled "Gay Power, Gay Politics." Some today would have given it the term "mockumentary," but believe me, the producers thought too much of themselves for anything to be tongue-in-cheek. The title said one thing, but the content was just a make-shift polemic on men cruising in public areas. How they ever arrived at the title is anybody's guess. It also hinted at a "gay agenda," so I suppose the term may have stemmed from this specious piece. And because there were people who wanted to believe that gays were mindlessly promiscuous men with evil intentions, the "gay agenda" took hold and slowly, stealthfully, grew.

Thirty-two years of demonstrating our proverbial worth should have eaten away at that nonsense, but the "Gay Blood Libel" thrived, albeit in the most insanely homophobic pockets of America's Christendom. Why it thrived is rather obvious: there are people who need to hate ... anyone. People like Fred Phelps bask in infamy because their obsession gives them a kind of celebrity status. The means of its growth is a bit more complex: twisted reasoning backed up by specious "research" and half-truths marketed to create sensational reactions.

Perhaps the most outstanding attempt at the Gay Blood Libel is The Pink Swastika, by Scott Lively and Kevin Abrams (Veritas Aeterna Press, 2002, $39.95, paperback, 1st edition 1995). This book sets off alarms (unintended) even before perusing it:

1. It's self-published. There are some really wonderful self-published books in the mainstream book market, but there are also some truly dreadful books self-published simply because no reputable publisher would publish them.

2. The list price of $24.95 for a paperback book is outrageous. Only the most biased readers would pay it to add to their "collection."

3. Pink Swastika is virtually out of print: major retailers like Barnes & Noble can only obtain used copies at prices much higher than the "listed" price (as high as $39.95 - for "collectors"). Perhaps Lively utilizes a print-on-demand process, but that means he hasn't the funds to do a decent print run.

4. The endorsements include people like R.J. Rushdoony, the founder of Reconstructionism and the Council of National Policy:

The Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy at Cornell University considers the Council for National Policy a leading force in the Dominionist movement. TheocracyWatch, a CRESP project, describes it as "an umbrella organization of right-wing leaders who gather regularly to plot strategy, share ideas and fund causes and candidates to advance the theocratic agenda." ·

5. The reviews of the book are so polarized that the category of "people who bought this book also bought" features titles such as The Pink Triangle: The Nazi War Against Homosexuals, by Richard Plant and Marx and Satan, by Richard Wormbrand.

From one review:

This book presents an excellent overview of the degenerate sexual practices that were at the heart of the NAZI ideology and the lives of its highest ranking members. Lively makes a fascinating tie that binds the origins of modern German militarism (from Fred.t Great to Hitler) to the murderous and pederastic society of ancient Sparta.

INCENDIARY RHETORIC AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN HATE

"...we were scrupulous in our documentation of homosexuals as the true inventors of Nazism and the guiding force behind many Nazi atrocities."

- Forward, The Pink Swastika, 4th Edition

The Pink Swastika has been in the news recently, because author Scott Lively,* now head of Abiding Truth Minitries has found venues to promote its ideals: Uganda and DADT. Lively was one of the instigators of the "Kill the gays" bill in Uganda during his speeches and presentations in Kampala last year. He is, of course, backpedaling about his influence since the bill gained international notoriety, and has promoted the bill only "in parts."

Another of Lively's organizations, Watchmen on the Wall, based in Riga, Latvia, caused concern for the LGBT community of Sacramento, California when it was determined that one gay man's death was due to the assault of some "Watchmen." The group continues to appear at gay events and celebrations with a menaciing presence.

The ever-imaginative Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association has also taken up the Gay Blood Libel standard:

Homosexuality gave us Adolph Hitler, and homosexuals in the military gave us the Brown Shirts, the Nazi war machine and six million dead Jews. Gays in the military is an experiment that has been tried and found disastrously and tragically wanting. Maybe it's time for Congress to learn a lesson from history.

Of course, it's possible that both Scott Lively and Bryan Fischer were inspired by His Holiness, Pat Robertson:

Many of those people involved with Adolph Hitler were Satanists, many of them were homosexuals--the two things seem to go together.-- The 700 Club, 1/21/93

In the last several weeks, the venom of the (Christian) Right seems to have reached a new level beyond mere moral-mindedness. Maybe Andrew Sullivan was right when he wrote that the imminant repeal of DADT has made them desperate. Witness the latest:

 - The FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL "report" on homosexuals in the military says that "gay rape" will increase if DADT is repealed. Unfortunately, if you look at their "findings," they'd have a hard time proving it.

 - A punk rock ministry backed by Rep. MICHELE BACHMANN says that executing gays is MORAL. And its pastor, Bradlee Dean tells people that “On average, they [gays] molest 117 people before they’re found out." The group is called YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CANNOT HIDE. It has boasted about its presence at Republican events.

 - And according to the group, America’s Survival the repeal of DADT will endanger our troops with more disease-tainted gay blood.

 - Immediately after the news of DADT's probable repeal came out, the American Family Association's ONE NEWS NOW intentionally edited the AP script to include it's idea that

Congress has given in to pressure from gay activists and the White House ...

 - The Family Research Council has declared its solidarity with WATCHMEN ON THE WALL. It will join 400 pastors to ostensibly "pray" and meet with Congressmen and Senators about continuing DADT.

Keith Olberman talked to Dan Savage regarding these new developments in the anti-gay movement (see below). Typically, Olberman takes the stand that these are "idiots." They are, of course, but discounting them could be deadly: it's evident that taking lives is not beyond them.

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* The Blood Libel was a slander against Jews in Europe that lasted several hundred years: Jews killed Christian children to drink their blood during evil and sacrilegious rituals.

**Irony: Lively holds a Certificate in Human Rights from the International Institute of Human Rights. The tenets of the Institute are based on The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which, according to Lively, do not apply to homosexuals because they are not human.