Republicans and rape comments appear to have an almost cyclic regularity with election periods. If you recall, the Republicans were in a strong position last elections when candidates started making bizarre and at times creepy comments — alienating voters and tipping the balance in the Senate.
Now, Republican Maine state Representative Lawrence Lockman appears to have lined up early in the rape theme line (as early as 1995) in addition to extreme statements regarding abortion and homosexuality is under fire for comments he’s made in the media regarding rape, abortion, and homosexuality.
An activist uncovered a press statement in 1995 in which Lockman reportedly says “If a woman has (the right to an abortion), why shouldn’t a man be free to use his superior strength to force himself on a woman? At least the rapist’s pursuit of sexual freedom doesn’t (in most cases) result in anyone’s death.” What is most remarkable about this statement — other than the statement itself — is that I find it virtually incomprehensible beyond treating rape as a casual analogy. Moreover, it is reported that this was in an actual press statement not some comment at a bar or unguarded email. He likewise said in a letter to Bangor News that “Clearly the practice of sodomy is learned behavior, and those addicted to this form of biologically-insane sex are at high risk for all manner of serious medical problems.”
He is also accused of once suggesting that the HIV virus can be spread through mosquitoes and bed sheets. He opposed HIV infected students attending school by saying “It’s peculiar that the government is telling health care workers that surfaces contaminated with bodily fluids should be thoroughly disinfected, but at the same time they are telling us that toilet seats have some magical property that they are able to resist viruses.” Lockman also reportedly asserted that liberals made AIDS epidemic worse by assuring “the public that the practice of sodomy is a legitimate alternative lifestyle, rather than a perverted and depraved crime against humanity.” He once warned that there could be a quota system on the way to require gays and lesbians in every workplace: “You can bet the rent money they will demand that employers set up goals and timetables to achieve 10 percent homosexual representation in the workforce and in government contracts.”
Lockman responded to the criticism by saying “I have always been passionate about my beliefs, and years ago I said things that I regret. I hold no animosity toward anyone by virtue of their gender or sexual orientation.” As long, presumably, that they do not use the toilets or engage in homosexual relations.
In his official bio, it states that
Lockman studied liberal arts at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia and Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California. He is a 1967 graduate of Philmont Christian Academy in Jenkintown, Pa.
He works as a Territory Manager in eastern and central Maine for National Write Your Congressman (nwyc.com), a non-partisan legislative research organization with members in all 50 states.
From 1992 to 2010, Lockman worked as a Territory Manager in eastern Maine for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), and qualified numerous times for NFIB’s prestigious President’s Club, as well as the biennial Small Business Summit in Washington, DC. Prior to his tenure at NFIB, Lockman was employed for 16 years at Diamond Occidental’s lumber mill in Passadumkeag.
However, he does say that he “regrets” the bit about rape.
rafflaw wrote “some here think making everyone equal is establishing special classes”
Take the following scenario after Obama is successful at making it illegal to discriminate against LGBTs:
– One LGBT, one redhead, and one albino apply for a job at a business in an at-will employment state.
– All are young, white men who do not fall into any other minority.
– All are qualified to perform the tasks of the job.
– There are three openings, i.e. all three could potentially be hired.
– The boss does not like LGBTs, redheads, or albinos and refuses to hire any of them.
– The boss is stupid and documents his bias.
– All three go to an attorney who specializes in employment law, where they are told that only the LGBT can file suit for discrimination.
Ergo, the LGBT has rights the others do not. QED.
Chuck Stanley wrote “As many as 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT … family rejection contributed to this disproportionate number of homeless LGBT youth”
Your blinders are screwed on so tight you cannot see the other obvious conclusions besides bias.
It is possible that, instead of nice LGBT boys being thrown into the street by heartless parents, the boys contributed to their own demise. Perhaps they stayed out late over-and-over-again in defiance of their parents’ requirements. Perhaps like some (percentage unknown) LGBTs, they made unprompted, sexually-suggestive remarks to other children and adults. Perhaps their behavior was often bizarre.
I knew a woman who took in foster children. She only had a few rules: no drinking, no stealing, no boys in the house, must come home every night, etc. She told them up front that one violation of the rules meant immediate departure. I met two of her girls, maybe 17-years-old. I don’t believe they were lesbians, but maybe they were. Both of them lasted one month because they refused to follow the simple rules.
I knew a guy who had a gay boy. Like Paul’s brother, he received regular counseling. I visited his house for unrelated reasons. I saw the boy’s room. It was the biggest pigsty I have ever seen, by far; I could not see what color the carpet was. His father, who was lefty and sympathetic, made comments regarding his son’s odd behavior, e.g. he was always pulling his pudsky. The boy left home after high school, not because his single father threw him out, but because he had to “find himself.”
P.S. ThinkProgress is as close to the political middle as the Heritage Foundation is on the other side.
Wow. I am amazed that some here think making everyone equal is establishing special classes!
Also, What Chuck and bettykath said.
Annie,
I think it can be argued that almost every major religion is misogynistic. Islam does not have a corner on that market.
TheSaucyMugwump at 2:56.
Thanks for proving the point, as Annie pointed out above. Every one of those examples you gave was about discrimination against the “different other.”
LGBT people are the “different other” in much of our culture. Homophobic statements and open advocacy of discrimination such as has been seen on this blog is a perfect example.
Or this. John MacArthur is the pastor of Grace Community Church in the San Fernando Valley. About a week ago, he got a letter from a parent asking for advice on the best way to cope with their adult child coming out as gay. His advice to the parents? Disown them. Cut your own child out of your life. They must “repent” in order to be accepted as a member of the family again.
From Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/12/515641/study-40-percent-of-homeless-youth-are-lgbt-family-rejection-is-leading-cause/
Chuck – one of my gay brothers ran away from home 5 times and he was fully accepted at home. No one cared, except that he kept trying to wear my mother’s wedding dress, which became an issue. He finally left for good at 18. During this period he was getting weekly counseling from a psychologist.
Meant to put, “You nailed it”.
Darren Smith wrote “if an employee provides a valuable contribution to the company I couldn’t care less what they look like or what they do on their own time”
So you agree that Brendan Eich got a raw deal.
Darren, You nailed. I would like to add, if people and other business’ don’t like the practices of a person or business, then don’t deal with them. It’s quite simple if you leave the govt. out of it.
Maybe I am missing something but from a business point of view any good paying customer is worthwhile, regardless of sexual orientation or other demographics.
From an employer point of view there are plenty of other issues more pressing than keeping track of what goes on in an employee’s bedroom. Also, if an employee provides a valuable contribution to the company I couldn’t care less what they look like or what they do on their own time.
This dood rapes sensibility.
Thank you for saying that out loud, Mr. Lockman.
You should have followed the advice of Mark Twain who wisely said: “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
Saucy, vs. the monopolized corrupt system we have now? Yes. I always find it weird that libs who love evolution and natural selection, can’t handle it in the market place. They would rather our govt. play god.
Jim22 wrote “Every example you presented has the govt. messing with the market”
You believe that a major crash every 10-15 years is good. Whatever.
Annie wrote “let’s not dismiss discrimination against sexual orientation”
I’m not saying people do not experience discrimination. I’m saying we cannot continue to create special protection for certain groups. It’s neither sustainable nor fair to the people who are not protected.
I also do not accept the liberal hysteria that LGBTs experience exceptional hate. Every time an LGBT kills himself, we see pages of stories regarding how we should implement all sorts of laws to end the problem. However, redheads also kill themselves because of hate, yet there are no presidents demanding special rights. Albinos in Africa are often hacked apart and/or killed because witch doctors believe their body parts are magical. Are redheads and albinos less deserving than LGBTs?
BBC News:
Living in fear: Tanzania’s albinos
Burundi albino boy ‘dismembered’
Kenyan jailed for trying to sell albino
Albino killers ‘should be hanged’
Irish Central:
Parents believe Irish teenager was ‘bullied to death’ over her red hair
Daily Mail:
Ginger schoolboy, 14, who dyed his hair brown ‘in a bid to stop being bullied’ is found hanged in his bedroom by his father
Max-1 shrieked “YOur homophobia”
Ah, the usual lefty tactic of calling someone a racist, Islamophobe, or homophobe to end a disagreement. George W. Bush would be so proud that you have adopted his tactic of “everyone is either with me or against me.”
Saucy,
Certainly, discrimination against women is not as bad as in the past, neither is discrimination based on color, yet both persist to this day in some degree. Now let’s not dismiss discrimination against sexual orientation, just because discrimination persists against white males, women and blacks, disabled, and age. 6 wrongs don’t make a right.
Suacy, You again are proving my point. Every example you presented has the govt. messing with the market. The Fed Reserve being one of the worst.
Annie wrote “Having said that are you trying to say”
No, nothing of the kind. I do not dispute that women were second-class citizens in the past. However, I do dispute that today things are just as bad as they were in the past. In the corporations in which I worked, my managers actively sought out blacks and women. One manager actually said out loud that he wished he could hire another African-American. Perhaps it was the city, but I saw no discrimination that way.
Isn’t the nursing field composed of 90+% women?
Employment law is what my daughter’s specialty as an attorney. From what she has told me and in my own experience in a whistleblower retaliation discrimination suit, employment discrimination is VERY tough to prove.
Disgusting! If he’s actually sorry then he will publicly apologize for and repudiate each and every one of those statements that he originally made. If statements that one regrets are made in a public forum, they need to be specifically and openly addressed in a public forum.
TheSaucyMugwump (@TheSaucyMugwump)
YOur homophobia speak loudly about you and the homosexuals you hate.
PERIOD!
Ever been fired for being “STRAIGHT”?
It’s NOT a “special right” to be protected from being fired from your employer…
… Traditionally, that “special right” has been reserved for those that ride in the front of your bus!