Pennsylvania State Sen. John Eichelberger (R) has refused to apologize after a statement that the public has allowed gays to exist. Eichelberger is pushing a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and made the statement after being asked by Sen. Daylin Leach (D) who gays should be treated.
During a June 19 radio debate, Eichelberger called same-sex marriage “dysfunctional” and insisted that it would lead to “polygamy, marrying younger people.” It is assumed that these were meant to be two separate “evils” and not polygamous marriages with younger people. Of course, this does not explain Strom Thurmond, a bible-belt Republican, who married younger women despite being as old as Australopithecus.
The real kicker came with this exchange:
Leach: Should our only policy towards [same-sex] couples be one of punishment, to somehow prove that they’ve done something wrong?
Eichelberger: They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation.
Of course, it is the good people of the 30th district of Pennsylvania that allow Sen. Eichelberger to exist.
For the story, click here.
On the surface, Sen. Leach’s statement is insultingly stupid, but the deeper questions it raises are deadly serious, with more than a whiff of the Master Race and Biblical Reconstructionism. Did he imply that we also allow mentally challenged people to live, even though they may be a drag on their families and society?
Obviously, this man lacks the intellectual and moral depth to have considered the grim historical significance of one group claiming to grant to another the right to draw a breath. Not only should such a patently dim-witted politician apologize, he should resign from office and vanish from public view.
a very troubling comment. but not surprising. most likely a Christian conservative. They are very scarry, I assume he means the government allows them to exist. Rights do not confer from government or from God. Rights are confered on man because of his nature as a rational being. They are inborn if you will. The idea that God or government allows something to exist is indecent at best and evil at worst. This man and his cohorts are supremely arrogant either in devinig Gods will or putting the full force and power of government in motion against an individual.
At a minimum this man should be forced from office for his statement and all that it implies. He is not a friend of liberty.
Buddha,
Thank-you for the link; such good news!
Happy Independence Day Alaska!
ohhh yeah.
And this off topic but just in:
Sarah Palin resigns as Gov.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannyn-moore/sarah-palin-resigns-as-al_b_225515.html
Bob,
“the only question remaining is who ‘allows’ him to exist?”
Xenu, perhaps?
seamus! Is this guy your doing?
Having accepted the premise that he lives in a world where existence is ‘allowed’ by the grace of certain members of society, the only question remaining is who ‘allows’ him to exist?
he’s an ass, a bigoted ass and a lot off people here are trying to sweep his words under the rug.
shame on them.
Many years ago, before Stonewall, I remember a Republican Congressman who stated that we can’t legalize homosexuality because then everyone would become homosexual. A more Freudian
Slip I’ve never seen. As the decades go by, however, the ignorance abates, but much still remains. Some of it in the State of Pennsylvania.
Just looking at his photo, I can tell he’s gay and probably a pedophile. Keep an eye on your kids when that one’s around.
We’re allowing them to exist implies “we” could change “our” minds about that.
By his “reasoning” marriage of any kind is itself, the slippery slope leading to his alleged concerns. To my knowledge, most of his concerns are committed by heterosexuals (but heh, who’s worried about that fact).
As to dysfunctional, a little viagra will fix that problem. He shouldn’t worry so much.
Did G-d come back to the state of Pennsylvania? I missed that headline. I even think it might be newsworthy.
Being gay isn’t a choice and it isn’t a right granted by government fiat. It’s biology.
On the other hand, being a partisan hack is something “we allow to exist”. It’s a choice.
Maybe as a society we need to assert that kind of behavior is just as egregious as homophobia or racism or sexism or zealotry.
Yeah.
I like the sound of that better.
“We allow hateful small minded fascists to exist.”
That’s more accurate, Senator. For you’re sake, you and your like minded Neocon cohorts in the Federal system are relying on the assumption that we as a society will allow YOUR divisive and hateful existence in government service to continue ad infinitum.
That’s a bad assumption you’ve got there, sport. Excuse me, where are my manners? That’s a bad assumption you’ve got there, State Senator Sport.
“We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do.”
Uhhh, no, you’re not.
I suppose that one should be happy that he is stupid enough to say what he thinks so that come election time at least the result will be an honest expression of how the voters in his particular district feel and think.