Sometimes, I’m so distracted by how batshit crazy the right-wingers have become that I forget how utterly despicable they can be.
To appropriate an old Henny Youngman joke (google him), “Take Eric Miller. Please. Take him.”
Miller–who makes a comfortable living pretending that bigotry is religion–has a new “Urgent Legislative Alert” that will be distributed Sunday to the network of far-right churches that support his salary (thinly disguised as membership dues to his organization, Advance America).
The “Urgent Alert” has a banner headline: “BMV Approves Pro-Homosexual License Plate!” In only slightly smaller font is “Help Protect Children-Revoke License Plate Now!” This is followed by the usual sanctimony, text piously bemoaning the harm to children that will be caused if the Indiana Youth Group receives the “seal of approval” that issuance of a license plate would imply. What is truly disgusting is the assertion, which is repeated three times in the text of the flyer, that IYG “targets” children as young as twelve.
Well, yes indeed it does. It has to, thanks to people like Eric Miller.
IYG is an organization that only exists because people like Miller cause so much pain to so many young people who don’t have the wherewithal to fight back, or even understand what the fight is really about. It is an organization that opens its arms to young, vulnerable, hurting kids –too many of whom have been thrown out of their homes by parents who care less for their own flesh and blood than for the illusory security offered by a rigid, punitive, unChristian theology.
IYG “targets” these teenagers by providing them with acceptance, a healing message and a safe place to figure things out. The message is simple: no matter what hateful people say, you are a valuable human being who simply happens to love differently. Being different is neither right nor wrong–it’s just different. So don’t hurt yourself, don’t hate yourself, and please don’t kill yourself.
That’s the “pro-homosexual” message Eric Miller finds so offensive.
I could point out that what Miller wants the State to do is unconstitutional–he wants the State to deny IYG the equal protection of the laws–but I’m sure he knows that. He just doesn’t care–just as he doesn’t care if the children he is helping to hound and demean, the children he is targeting, end up physically or emotionally damaged or dead as a result of the attitudes he is promoting.
We certainly should lock up our twelve-year-olds–not to “protect” them from IYG, but to keep them away from heartless bigots like Eric Miller.
We have at least one who is just as bad. He’s Stacey Campfield (R-TN) from somewhere in the mountains of East Tennessee. He’s going around spreading stories about HIV/AIDS originating when an African man had sex with a monkey. He’s got a couple more real zingers similar to that one, too. My guess is that he’s also a card-carrying member of the Flat Earth Society.
Well said.
Eric Miller has been a hate monger for as long as I can remember – that is a long, long time as I am really old.
He created the model for keeping certain spineless legislators in line many years ago – the model that Grover Norquist has recently honed to perfection.
Governor Mitch Daniels will have to sign into law the bill which would breach the state’s contract with IYG and the other organizations concerning their specialty license plates. Miller’s flyer specifically says that the other organizations are worthy but Indiana Youth Group is not. Perhaps Mitch should be reminded by as many people as possible of his statement about “cooling it” on the social issues, and take the step of distancing himself form this hateful and divisive stuff by vetoing the bill. Or at least publicly distancing himself and his administration from Miller’s venom. And Speaker Bosma, who did the right thing in passing out Girl Scout cookies to show his disagreement with Representative Morris’ diatribe against that organization, ought not to likewise have difficulty in saying he wants no part in what Miller is spreading. We’re all ears, Mitch and Brian…….
Thank you, Sheila. You are the example that other so-called “Christians” should aspire to.
Mazel Tov, Sheila. Again.
Don’s right. Anyone within earshot of the Capitol shojld descend on the governor’s office wiht mail, calls, visits, whatever works. He’ll have to sign any legislation.
It’s time for him to prove he’s tolerant.
Ah yes, the liberal brand of hate, intolerance, and heartless bigotry. Such a judgmental attitude. What happened to cultural pluralism? Eric Miller doesn’t have the right to try and shape a society that comports with his beliefs without Ms. Kennedy’s brand of slanderous bigotry and intolerance? Non-Christian people like Ms. Kennedy indict themselves with their own words.
PoliticoMonk: Eric Miller has every right under the First Amendment to put out his screeds. Only you know why it was necessary to label Sheila as a non-Christian. “What happene to cultural plurism:”. Nothing. But I suggest that you Google or consult Wikipedia on the subject of “Dominionism”. It explains the beliefs and aims of such as Eric Miller and his cohorts that it is their duty to pass laws that enforce their own version of Christianity upon a culturally diverse population. They yell and moan about their religious freedoms being trampled, but when any unpopular minority religions are involved, they are the first to proclaim that such supression is the will of God.
Being a Christian, I have never understood why so many want to cram Christianity down the throats of others to the extent of negating all other religions and sendng missionairies to foreign countries. Share our beliefs while learning the true meaning of and accepting other religions is the true meaning of religious freedom…including Atheism. And that comment should start another fight. Eric Miller is a bigot in the truest sense of the word and does NOT represent Christianity or anything that resembles religious belief. He represents baseless hatred and nothing more. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right of all American citizens; including fools.
When is the media going to point out that the radical, Christian right is our own form of the Taliban!! They want less Government intervention into business and more Government intervention into our private lives.
People can no longer make their own decisions. If a person believes it is a sin to use birth control then everyone working for a company has no right to have insurance coverage for birth control. This is also discrimination against women as male erectile medication can still be covered even though there is no assurance that a male will have sex only withing a heterosexual married relationship.
The Girl Scouts are brainwashing girls to be lesbians, but the Tea Party is not brainwashing the public with their lies.
Please see articles in last week’s Indianapolis publication NUVO on politics and religion. Our Constitutional rights to not having a national religion are being abused!!!!!!!!!!!!
Abortion rights and same-sex marriage have again topped the need to put people back to work and take care of the poor. These people are ignoring that Christ insisted that caring for the poor is our first duty—not preserving the wealth of the rich. What did he tell the rich young ruler?
SELL ALL THAT YOU HAVE … AND FOLLOW ME!
I support the work of IYG and even though I am not gay, I would consider getting one of their license plates.
On the other hand, I have personally been on the receiving end of enough venom spewed hatred from bat-shit crazy left wingers that would drive some to suicide.
And on yet another hand, I’ve received an outpouring of love and acceptance from those alleged crazy right wingers.
The bottom line is that individuals within both groups are equally capable of hatred and love. Both democrats and republicans are up to their eyeballs in hate-filled whackos on both sides its just that partisan bloggers don’t point out the faults in their own houses.
Truer words were never spoken, Madam.
From Politicomonk:
“Ah yes, the liberal brand of hate, intolerance, and heartless bigotry. Such a judgmental attitude. What happened to cultural pluralism? Eric Miller doesn’t have the right to try and shape a society that comports with his beliefs without Ms. Kennedy’s brand of slanderous bigotry and intolerance? Non-Christian people like Ms. Kennedy indict themselves with their own words.”
You got it wrong Bub. It is EXACTLY this brand of bigotry and nonsense which truly EDUCATED people like Sheila and myself fight daily. This is the same hateful CRAP that so-called “Christians” have been preaching for centuries; Eric Miller included. And, in case you didn’t get the message, bub, it ain’t working much any mo’.