| Don Wildmon and the rest of the gang at the American Family Association will NOT be happy with this editorial by former AFA columnist Joe Murray.
 You might recall that some of Murray's columns were Blend-worthy because of their over-the-top homophobia. Actually, I wasn't so much offended by those columns as amused by his creativity -- he gets credit for adding Sodomy Squadron and Buggery Blitzkreig to the gay lexicon. Even bloggrrl Shakes Sis spent hours lovingly preparing a graphic to go with the post (left).
Today, Joe no longer works for the AFA, so now he can speak freely about how Don and Tim have handled the General Pace dustup. Murray is concerned that the knee-jerk response by the AFA in support of Pace's slur against gays and lesbians serving their country -- calling them "immoral," reflects an organization blinded by its homophobia. Its actions in response to the criticism of Pace reveals the AFA is hardly concerned with morals or Christian values.
From Murray's column Running At The Wrong Pace, in The Evening Bulletin: The American Family Association, a pro-family organization and former employer of this writer, sprung into action sending out this "action alert": "Homosexuals working to get Marine general punished for comments calling homosexual act immoral."
AFA then warned that the homosexual lobby "already forced [Pace] to back down a step," and urged supporters to defend Pace and "take a stand for our troops who cannot get involved in this political situation." AFA, like others, had pulled out its red herring.
This is not a political situation, but instead it is a situation where a high ranking official made comments that judged individuals, not ideas. Pace singled out gay soldiers during a time of war and told these men and women that they were immoral. His comments, as a military official, were over the line and not defensible.
AFA, like other "Christian" groups, chose to run to Pace's aid and such an act suggests borderline bigoted behavior from an organization claiming the mantle of Christianity. This is disturbing. I'm impressed with Murray's new approach; he openly questions the blanket bigotry and fear that the AFA is trying to generate that is not only hateful, but illogical if they truly care about soldiers, regardless of orientation.If troop safety is AFA's primary concern, and not fear-mongering, why hasn't AFA demanded Bush bring these soldiers home? Does it really think the "political situation" of gays in the military presents a greater harm to soldiers than the bullets flying in Baghdad or are other motives being subtly conveyed to an America populace who are already fearful, thanks to past action alerts, of the "homosexual agenda?"
Conservative groups had an opportunity to bring a sense of Christian compassion to this debate, but opted instead to scare supporters into believing homosexuals were trying to raise the rainbow flag over the Pentagon. This is not political activism based upon Christian principle; it is fear mongering based on the politics of man.
This is the siren song of the Chicken Little trick. By demonizing a whole group of individuals and characterizing them as storm troopers coming for the children of Main Street America, pleas for increased donations can be issued to fight this epic battle. Translation: Fill the coffers by fueling fear. Is this what family values have become? If so, we best be preparing our last will and testament. Wow. Thanks for taking down the AFA hate machine a few pegs, Joe. Don't expect any love letters postmarked from Tupelo (AFA HQ) in the mailbox.
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How horrible is the AFA? Aside from all the wingnuttery and bible beating on its web site and the dumb boycotts against Disney and Ford, it is an organization of truly misguided, hateful and dangerous people who have no problem placing gays and lesbians at risk of being on the receiving end of physical violence in places where it is not safe to be out.
The petty and vile behavior of Don and Tim Wildmon was exposed quite nicely in the documentary small town gay bar. In it, interviewees said that Tim Wildmon and the AFA had people scoping out a local bridge in a small town in Mississippi, taking down the tag numbers of people who were going over the bridge to go to the gay bar, which was far out of town, away so that people could socialize in privacy, since in rural America the closet is alive and well and necessary in many cases for your own safety.
The next day on his radio show, Don would read the tag numbers on the air. This, he said, "would keep people accountable." Evil does exist.
Hat tip, Nash. |
