The New Face of Hatred by Leonard Pitts

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   Ralph Deedsposted 13 years ago

   On June of 1963, after a tumultuous spring of demonstrations in Birmingham, Ala., John F. Kennedy said an odd thing.
   
   In a meeting at the White House, the president told civil rights leaders they ought not be too hard on Bull Connor. Connor, he said with a grin, "has done as much for civil rights as Abraham Lincoln."
   
   Theophilus Eugene Connor, of course, was commissioner of public safety in Birmingham. When you see archival footage of children being menaced by police dogs or bowled over by water from fire hoses, you are seeing his handiwork.
   
   It had previously been possible for segregationists to wrap their cause in dry euphemism. They framed themselves as defenders of constitutional principle -- "states' rights." They argued that requiring businesses to serve African Americans violated private property rights. But that footage outraged the world, awakened the nation and hastened civil rights legislation.
   
   Every once in a while, the battle for human rights needs a Bull Connor. The battle against the bullying of gay kids may have just found one.
   
   Meet Clint McCance. Before he resigned under fire on Friday, he was vice president of the Midland School District in Arkansas, and he apparently felt put out by a call for people to wear purple as a means of highlighting the bullying problem in the wake of five recent suicides by gay teenagers. So he went on Facebook to vent.
   
   "Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE."
   
   As first reported by the Advocate, a magazine on gay issues, he went on to say: "I like that fags can't procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other AIDS and die. I would disown my kids if they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. ... Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs."
   
   
   Read more: The new face of hatred | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20101102/O … z148KFQzRN

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      Disappearingheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I'm a Brit so excuse my ignorance, but who is this bloke. Does he claim to be a Christian or something?
      
      If so then please don't put him up as an example of Christianiy in an attempt to stir up the same old argument that "God hates gays". See him as an individual that has made a complete knob of himself irrespective of what religious affiliations he might have. Even the athiests have their knobs but no one would suggest that all athiests are knobs would they.

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         Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         He claims to be a christian and the most common statement from other christians will be that he's not a true christian. This person was second in command at a school district responsible for teaching our kids. His hatred is born out of his religous beliefs. I place as much faith in the scriptures that declare that "god hates Fags" as most christians have in the scriptures that declare eating shellfish and wearing polyester are both hated by god. Sad thing about the future of this country is that this type of outright hatred of another is required to hold public office. No self respecting christian will vote for anyone who doesn't pretend to be as superstitous and superior as they do. I know one group of people who definately think all atheists are "knobs", the christians. No matter what I can accomplish for the good of humanity I am judged soley on the fact that I am an atheist. I'm not sure if I am a true atheist or not as the factors used for defining a "true" christian change with every one that attempts to describe one. I would ask a christian if they thought I was a "true" atheist but I would encounter the same problem with inconsistancy.

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            Disappearingheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            You do have a culture of extremes in America don't you. In the UK polititians are hounded by the press for the tiniest misdemeanors until they are forced to resign. This has the result that no polititian would dare stand on a forum of extremist views; religious, race or anything else. Except of course the British National Party, but they are considered a bunch of racist half-wits.
            
            As a believer in Christ, I also find the American church rather bizarre. It seems to be populated with a bunch of right wing fundamentalists who cannot see people as people for who they are. Instead athiests are told that they are under satan's mind control, and as you say, once you have the 'athiest' label you are written off. They seem largely to bury their heads in their doctrines of sand and absolutely refuse to entertain the idea that they might have got it wrong.
            
            And we Europeans thought you lived in the free world, evidently not.

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               Stump Parrishposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               You made a statement that really caught my eye when you mentioned you are a believer in Christ. This could be the answer to what a true christian is. I don't have any problem with the christian religion or the teachings of Christ. The problems start when they stand up and scream, make room for the Christian, I'm comin thru to save the day.
               
               Perhaps all Christians are false Christians and the only true Christian is as you mentioned, simply a believer in Christ. Once you aplly the label of Christian to yourself you have removed all possibility of ever becoming one. Let's take that a step farther and declare that all Christians are in the employ of Satan. Only the followers of Christ are to be saved. Naw, they're confused enough as they are. I'll just sit back and wait for them to explode into flames from within.

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                  Disappearingheadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  As I've just mentioned in another post, I stopped calling myself a Christian because Christian means Christ like and who is like Christ? Errr nobody. I've never healed a blind man or fed a multitude with a tuna fish sandwich, so the moniker doesn't fit.
                  
                  Besides which the term Christian has been so abused by the church that the name of Christ has been brought into disrepute, and I don't want to be lumped in with a bunch of nutters. So I'm content to say I'm a believer in Christ and leave it at that.

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   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   disgusting. sadly, there are many who think as he does.

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