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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Why it's important for this president to take a stand on gay rights
Posted by Jill | 7:21 PM
It's because right now he is helping contribute to a toxic stew of racism, anti-Semitism, and hatred of gays, helped along by the Usual Suspects of the right wing. How much vandalism, murder, and mayhem must we tolerate from these people in the name of "free speech"?

Tonight we have a guest post from regular commenter "skywind", who hails from Naples, Florida. I've written about Naples a few times. In some ways it seems like a moneyed Sun Belt idyll, with beautiful beaches and almost daily sunshine. It's sort of pretty in a soulless kind of way, populated like most of Florida is with gated communities, strip malls, chain restaurants, open-air malls done up like ersatz gardens or downtowns, and car dealerships, If you're retired, or are lucky enough to have a job or your own business, it can be a nice place to live, if you are OK with the climate. If you DO need a job, you are SOL, unless you work in landscaping, hospitality, health care or retail.

Most people who live in Naples have been pretty well blessed by the financial fates. It makes you wonder just why the hell they are so angry. For a peek at the local newspaper is a peek into the belly of the wingnut beast, as "skywind" reports:
This probably won’t make headlines on CNN, and I’m happy about that, because I’m ashamed of my hometown today. Hate is alive and well here, and I’m not much comforted by the fact that the person or persons who attacked Ruth Dorfman used glue and spray paint instead of a gun. Thanks to Jill for letting me write this, because I’m unbelievably saddened and sickened by it.

Ruth is a 64-year-old Jewish woman who relies on an oxygen tank to help her breathe. Her daughter is lesbian, and Ruth has been a vocal member of Naples PFLAG for years. Last Saturday, Ruth wrote a moving guest commentary in the Naples Daily News about the Second Annual PFLAG Interfaith Convocation at Unity of Naples Church. Late Monday or early Tuesday, someone glued a copy of the commentary to her garage door, along with similar articles and comments such as, “Does God hate? Yes…Gays…Jews…Democrats” The sides of Ruth’s garage were spray-painted with swastikas, and her American flag was damaged beyond repair. Upon finding the destruction, Ruth screamed and collapsed onto her driveway.

I challenge anyone to read this story and not see the pattern here. Violence is rising all around us, with guns and spray paint and the “hate talk establishment.”. People are dying. People are being terrorized. And it just keeps on and on and on.

If you can stand it, scroll through the comments at the online version of the story. Yes, there are messages of support for Ms. Dorfman and condemnation of the vandalism, but other comments make me want to cry:

Bear in mind that many of these so-called hate crimes are actually perpetrated by the " victim" as a way for them to gain notoriety and/or sympathy for their causes.

don't ask don't tell. most people don't want to hear about homosexual relationships. keep it to yourselves and stop trying to make everyone like the idea of two men kissing in public. stop trying to teach our kids that its normal. that's what pisses people off.

As far as gays are concerned I say "live and let die".

We don't know if this a hoax. It seems like a phony "hate crime" for attention.
I don't buy it. Some gay jewish guy may have done this.

Geez, don't you people understand? It's all a Democrat plot.

Our county prides itself on being a little piece of paradise. We have great weather, gorgeous beaches, and the highest per capita income in the state. Most of our public schools have superior ratings and our public services (though suffering from statewide cutbacks) are more than adequate to maintain our comfortable standard of living. But underneath all that, we’re heavily Republican, largely conservative and increasingly fundamentalist, courtesy of Ave Maria. The haters are out there, and they are getting louder and more dangerous. We need all the brave voices standing up for diversity, tolerance and peace that we can get. Now, sadly, we may have one less:

“Would this dissuade me? Possibly,” said Dorfman with a hint of sadness in her voice. “Right now I’m very frightened.”

I’m frightened, too, Ruth. And I’m very, very sorry this happened to you.


I am too. Because in Naples, Florida, the terrorists have won.

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