Family Research Council’s Peter Sprigg does not appear quite ready to accept gays serving the country in the military. On Hardball, he not only opposed the elimination of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy but argued that all gays should be arrested as criminals.
Here is the exchange:
Matthews: Do you think we should outlaw gay behavior?
Sprigg: Well, I think certainly..
Matthews: I’m just asking, should we outlaw gay behavior?
Sprigg: I think the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas which overturned the sodomy laws in this country was wrongly decided. I think there would be a place in this country for criminal sanctions against homosexual behavior.
Matthews: So we should outlaw gay behavior?
Sprigg: YES!
It is astonishing that our religious right has so much difficulty with the leaders in Iran and other countries when they hold views that seem in line with those of people like Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, here. Not only would Sprigg bar gay Americans from fighting for their country, but would arrest them. This includes presumably arresting heroes who have been decorated for bravery in combat. He might want to visit the grave site of Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich (1943–1988).
Sprigg has a particular problem with Lawrence v. Texas where the Supreme Court struck down laws that criminalized homosexual relations between consenting adults. Of course, limitations on religion — including acts of entanglement of church and state — are horrific and unacceptable, but it is perfectly acceptable to declare millions of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to be criminals because of their private consensual relations.
“ThirtyPercenter
“The anti-homosexual neoconservative talking point that claims homosexuality is nurture and not nature.”
So the neocons are the exclusive provenance of that “talking point”?” -Pinandpuller
No I hear there’s a few on the left still dumb enough to try to sell that nonsense.
Why do you ask?
Canadian Eh
“Perhaps they have never met siblings who were nutured by the same parents and yet have different sexual tendencies.”
“Scientists have yet to find the genetic markers for Hetorosexuality, Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Addictions, Schizophrenia, Bi-Polar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorder, most cancers, heart disease, stroke, height, hair colour, eye colour etc etc etc”
I think that it’s safe to say that without Heterosexuality-there wouldn’t be genetic markers to study in the first place.
I don’t think either view has a preponderance of the evidence-it looks more like a combination of several factors to me.
ThirtyPercenter
“The anti-homosexual neoconservative talking point that claims homosexuality is nurture and not nature.”
So the neocons are the exclusive provenance of that “talking point”?
C.Everett Kook
“okay, I’ll bite, how do you go about keeping homosexuality rare?
sounds rather problematic and a little troubling”
Well, if it is genetic it would tend to be a self-limiting characteristic.
OTOH I was just trying to get in touch with my liberal side.
ThirtyPercenter
“oh well, I guess with the Nazi’s and their condemnation of homosexuality”
If you’re trying to breed a master race it seems like homosexuality would be counterproductive-just from a practical standpoint.
OTOH if you start a war with Europe and put millions of productive, patriotic citizens who could, among other things, potentially be soldiers in death camps you’re probably just a homicidal bigot.
Maggie Knowles
“I wonder what Sally Hemings would have thought about this quote by her slave master? Would you argue that you can’t rape a 3/5ths human which is your property?”
I think Hemming’s offspring have been able to narrow down their progenitor to a male Jefferson but not to Thomas specifically.
You know, your statement sounds a lot like a NOW gal talking about marraige.
Duh
“I understand how castration can effect the sex life of a man, but I don’t understand the half-inch diameter hole in the cartilage of a womens nose thing.”
I think in Aboriginal circles it was a sign of a loose woman.
ThirtyPercenter
“We’ll put em to work….because..you know….works makes you free.”
Are you familiar with The Hitchikers Guide to The Galaxy et al?
I’m referring to the scene where Ford and Arthur are on the ship where the captain stays in the bathtub nonstop?
The ship’s planet of origin put all the middle caste in a ship and sent them to crashland: Middle-managers, hairdressers, telephone sanatizers etc.
The upper and lower caste ended up exterminated by a virus spread by dirty telephones.
Maggie Knowles:
Either Jefferson was a total fool and hypocrite who condemned that which he practiced (sex or rape of Hemming) or he made these statements with a clear conscience knowing he hadn’t (at least at the time of his comments) had sex with her.
If he ever did, which doesn’t seem to be the case.
Mike S
You know, Mike, I tend to agree with your post, having had similar experiences with family, friends, coworkers and a really tall Thai hitchiker.
I do differ with you a bit on origins, however. I don’t think it’s a straight genetic thing. For instance-people who go to prison and take up same-sex relationships with benefits and come out to resume their “normal” patterns.
Frankly-fundi religious types aren’t the only ones who think that people can turn the other way. Gay people proposition straight people with wives and families. They also, at times, have wives and families so the genetic component isn’t quite as cut and dry as you suggest.
Also, as long as abortion on demand is around I wouldn’t go pushing that genetic research too far. I am against sex-selected as well as sexual orientation-selected abortions just in case you were interested.
Childish puns…bragging about my sexual exploits…hmmmmmmmmmm
Rule #1 for gay Jews: Don’t take your date to Red Lobster.
Well Swartmore mom,
I guess he knew better than any of us in “How to Handle that Demon which Resided in Him” sorry I could not resist.
It is called gay conversion therapy. Ted Haggard in Colorado was another one of those anti-gay ministers that got caught.
wow…out all day and it took me forever to get to the comment box.
Gynes: Oh yes, I agree. Jefferson was wrong about some serious matters. He wound up regretting his firm support of the French Revolution in which many thousands of innocent people were tortured and brutally murdered. He knew he made a grave error. Not only were people murdered, but a great nation was dismembered and the wealth of its citizens plundered.
It only goes to show that geniuses are as imperfect and flawed as the rest of us. My point about Jefferson was the commonplace attitude customary of the American legal ethic and moral tradition.
AY
” He did leave out animals, you think he had a pet ewe?”
I hear Jefferson had a few black sheep in his family.
when homosexuality is outlawed only outlaws will have homosexuals
Swartmore mom,
I suppose that works. So what ever happened to Happy Jim Bakker? Or was that a single “k” Baker?
Play The Leader, Poke The Leader, Ply The Leader, Praise The Leader, Plump The Leader what ever comes out of my smart assed mouth next….
Many fundamentalist christian congregations force young people who are gay into counseling in order to switch them back to not being gay.
Eccokie,
It is generally those that are most vehement about a subject who are not resolved within themselves.
empire cookie:
who forces gay people to undergo therapy? that would be messed up.