After hearing Pat Robertson talk about his views on homosexuality, it is even more shocking to find another political candidate, or rather, her husband, who has an even more extreme view on homosexuality. This isn’t a joke. If only it could be. If only it were possible to be a joke. Perhaps it could be parodied, but the fact is that this isn’t a joke. This is cold hard reality, and the reality is that Michele Bachmann is married to a person who is not only really prejudiced, he is outright sick in the head. Something is very wrong with this man. And she is the GOP’s big new girl in town, stealing away some of the thunder the Palin has had.
One really good question was asked recently on Hardball – why doesn’t Sarah Palin just admit that she isn’t running for President. She isn’t taking any steps toward making this a reality. She is just milking the money that she is getting for saying she might just run for President. And it’s all about the money for Palin. The books, the movie, the Palin PAC, all of it is to keep the revenue that has her inflated budget moving coming in. It isn’t about anything noble, and she won’t admit to that. But ironically enough, as dim-witted and genuinely unpleasant a character as Palin is, she is as nothing compared to the new GOP poster-model, Michele Bachmann.
There was a quote that went out by her husband, Marcus Bachmann, about his views on homosexuality. I will give you this quote in its entirety, so you can know just what kind of person this guy really is. Here it is –
We have to understand: barbarians need to be educated. They need to be disciplined. And just because somebody feels it or thinks it doesn’t mean that we’re supposed to go down that road. That’s what’s called a ‘sinful nature.’ And we have a responsibility as parents and as authority figures not to encourage such thoughts and feelings from moving into the action steps.”
This is a person who is related to a woman who wants to run this country. Marcus Bachmann could become the “First Husband” of the United States. If that thought doesn’t scare you a little bit after reading the quote above, it should. This is a guy who is saying outright that gays and lesbians are “barbarians” who need to be disciplined. He also believes that a gay person can be “cured” of their “illness” if they pray to Jesus they won’t be gay anymore. He tends to believe that a person who feels homosexual doesn’t have to act on it, and that makes it okay.
Do any of my LGBT readers feel just a LITTLE bit offended at that statement? They should. You all should. Gay or straight, you should feel offended when somebody comes on the air and says, “yeah, you may be born gay, but you don’t have to act on it! You can live a straight life. Isn’t that better?!” That’s right, you are being told that your biology means nothing, just ignore the fact that you’re gay, and everything will be alright. And it is all over this country.
“Straight camps” are a pretty common occurence. It is even infecting the youth these days. A hardcore religious parent doesn’t like the fact that their son likes other boys, they can send them away to be “cured” of what ails them. This is a sick and twisted paradigm that the modern religious community uses again and again in order to make people go against themselves. Whenever I hear a gay man, or a lesbian woman, or anything in-between say that they were “cured” I feel something inside of me get more than a little sick. It’s like hearing somebody tell you that they killed somebody in cold blood, for no reason. The problem is that people like Marcus Bachmann actually believe it.
Sure, Michele Bachmann is no ray of sunshine. She reminds me a little bit of Claudia from Silent Hill 3. She has that same cold-hearted smile that makes your skin crawl. She is openly against gay marriage (the stupidest thing in the world to be against). She has said that she believes being gay is a choice. Althought lately, she has gone rather quiet on that topic. When you are looking to be the President of this country, not talking about your bigotry really tends to help. The fact that she believes she is sent visions by God is bad enough. And she IS going to have to answer for this.
Keith Olbermann, my favorite political commentator, had a thought about gay marriage – it isn’t as big an issue anymore. Six states have no made it legal. I would bet a pretty penny that at least ten more have it legalized in the next few years. By the time I am 50, it will be an accepted part of this country’s way of doing things, the same as women being able to vote, and jobs not being able to discriminate on a person because they are black. It is just not that major anymore. Or rather, it shouldn’t be.
But the religious America that is fighting to keep itself vital in our country, even though more and more of the youth are realizing that it is nothing but smoke and mirrors are starting to walk away. The Catholic church is starting to realize how it is gradually going away. The fall of catholicism in Ireland is inspiring. Here in America, religion is becoming less and less a part of how this country is run, and rather it is about people trying to do the right thing.
But when we have people like Michele Bachmann who believes that LGBT people can be cured by prayer, and whose husband believes they are barbarians who need to be educated and disciplined. Not only are these two bigots, they are genuine scum. People should hate them. People should tell them to go away. Instead, they are legitimized by this country. They are legitimized by the people. That needs to end, if social progress is ever going to happen.
Until next time, a quote,
“It won’t destroy the democracy. It doesn’t destroy the family. It strengthens the institution of marriage, and it’s principle premise of fidelity. And it increases the number of people living in stable and loving homes!” -Keith Olbermann, Countdown with Keith Olbermann
Peace out,
Maverick