The Continuing Attack on Normality

First of all, you may ask, what is "normal?" Well, I consider it to be the accepted mores and norms of a society that have been in place for generations. They include the civil rights guaranteed by historical antecedent (e.g., the Magna Carta, the Constitution), and the basic pillars upon which civilized society is based, especially marriage, the family, and faith. Even more basic is the fundamental difference between men and women and the conventions that have been established around that difference, not to mention the traditional roles of parents and their children. Now, a certain segment of our society is hell bent on turning society "upside down." (Note: I am focusing on the US although this has been happening in Europe as well.)

The evidence of this is overwhelming. Every day the news contains at least one story about "progressives" attacking those who support traditional marriage, faith-based institutions who refuse to cave in to their demands, atheists demanding God be removed from every facet of public life, and so on. What set me off recently was the following:

I read recently that a couple in New Mexico who run a photography business and refused to photograph a "wedding" of a gay couple because it ran contrary to their religious beliefs and were fined over $6000:

"The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled Thursday against a photographer who declined to use her artistic expression to communicate the story of a same-sex ceremony. In a concurrence accompanying the opinion, one of the justices wrote that the photographer and her husband, Elaine and Jonathan Huguenin, “now are compelled by law to compromise the very religious beliefs that inspire their lives,” adding “it is the price of citizenship.” (Source - http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/5537, 22 Aug 2013).

Imagine that - we must now "compromise" our religious beliefs as "the price of citizenship." And this is just the tip of the iceberg. This is not the first time I have seen stories like this and each time I come across one it makes my blood boil. Now let me say up front I am not a "homophobe," and I do not hate homosexuals. I do not care what they do in bed, nor do I care if they choose to live together and spend their lives together, with each "partner" having the same LEGAL rights as married people. I DO care if they call it "marriage" and if they are allowed to adopt children. I firmly believe marriage is between one man and one woman and children are best brought up in a traditional marriage. (I realize of course that is not always possible with divorce or death of a spouse -- my father died when I was young and my mother brought me up. I like to think she did a good job!)

Last year the head of the fast food company, Chick-Fil-A, stated he was against gay "marriage" (yes, I am going keep putting that into quotation marks and if that annoys you that's too bad!). Lo and behold he was the center of a firestorm of criticism and demands to boycott his business. The ultra-liberal mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, tried to ban Chick-Fil-A from doing business in Chicago:

"“Chick-Fil-A’s values are not Chicago values. They’re not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members. And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values . . .'” (Chicago Sun Times, 25 July 2012). So much for freedom of speech, eh Rahm? The American people had the last laugh though - TV commentator and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee declared August 1 "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day," and hundreds of thousands of people showed up to patronize their local Chick-Fil-A!

There are so many examples of the cancer that's eating away at our society it's almost mind-boggling. Here are a few:

 "Campus Pride, a gay rights advocacy group, released its annual list of the 'Top 25 LGBT Friendly Colleges and Universities' on Tuesday, which includes schools with gender-neutral bathrooms and a minor in 'queer studies.'" Western Center for Journalism, 24 Aug 2014 -- "Queer Studies" - I wonder what kind of career THAT will prepare you for. More on "gender-neutral" bathrooms later.


 "A 27-year veteran of the Utah Air National Guard was told to prepare for retirement because he disagreed with gay marriage. Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio has the story of TSgt. Layne Wilson who was essentially thrown out of the military because of his resistance to gay marriage. Wilson wrote a letter to a chaplain at West Point expressing his distaste of a gay wedding that was held at the West Point Chapel. Apparently this chaplain tattled on Wilson to the brass and it wasn’t long before Lt. Col. Kevin Tobias sent Wilson an official reprimand letter. 'The military is trying to make examples of people who have religious beliefs that homosexual conduct in the military is wrong,' Starnes reported that John Wells, an attorney representing TSgt. Layne Wilson, said. 'The end game is to force conservative Christians out of the military.'” - Todd Starnes, Fox News Radio, 11 Jul 2013


 "A 2012 speech by Masha Gessen, an author and outspoken activist for the LGBT community, is just now going viral and it includes a theory that many supporters of traditional marriage have speculated about for years: The push for gay marriage has less to do with the right to marry – it is about diminishing and eventually destroying the institution of marriage and redefining the 'traditional family.' Gessen shared her views on the subject and very specifically stated; 'Gay marriage is a lie. Fighting for gay marriage generally involves lying about what we’re going to do with marriage when we get there. It’s a no-brainer that the institution of marriage should not exist.' (This statement is met with very loud applause.)" The Blaze, 29 Apr 2013


 California Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill allowing boys to use girls’ restrooms in all California public schools on 12 August. " Governor Brown signed the transgender bathroom bill that now permits students to “use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.” This law includes locker rooms, where there is real concern for privacy in showers and changing areas. This new law disregards students’ genuine need of privacy." Heritage Foundation, 19 Aug 2013


 "The Massachusetts Board of Education has outraged parents around the nation after announcing a proposal to accommodate transgendered students in a way that would essentially make schools gender-neutral. Fox News’ Todd Starnes is reporting that the Massachusetts Department of Education issued directives for handling transgender students that include allowing students to use the bathrooms of their choice and play on any sports team that corresponds to their perceived gender. Students who protest could face punishment." (Emphasis added.) Further in the story - " Students who are against sharing a bathroom or locker room with a member of the opposite sex will have no recourse but to accept the situation. As the guidelines state, being uncomfortable about it 'is not a reason to deny access to the transgender student.' In fact, the guidelines go so far as to say that any student who refuses to refer to a transgendered student by the name or sex they identify with could face punishment." www.womenofgrace.com, "wogblog," 13 Feb 2013


 " In June, Green River Community College in Washington state celebrated 'Gender Neutral Bathroom Week.' Those trying to redefine marriage take the position that there is no meaningful difference between a relationship involving two men or two women and a relationship with a man and a woman. Therefore, they argue that there is no meaningful difference between men and women in relationships. The move toward genderless bathrooms also asserts that it is improper to assume that gender represents a real and fixed difference between people." Further in the story: "At the end of last year, a Macy's employee in San Antonio lost her job because she attempted to keep a man dressed as a woman out of a woman's dressing room. Once we decide that gender is meaningless in one context, it raises some other questions as well. Should we eliminate Title IX, which forbids gender discrimination and requires women have the same access to opportunities as men? It would seem a bit obsolete now that we have realized men and women are actually the same. Should we eliminate boys and girls sports leagues lest we continue to reinforce the archaic notion of gender difference with our youths?" Townhall.com, 16 Oct 2012

The above examples are proof that certain elements in our country are trying to turn our society on its head. They envision a sort of social nihilism whereupon one thing is as good as another regardless of whether it is natural or not. The most fundamental part of the structure of a society is the family, i.e., father, mother, children. As I stated previously, this is not always possible or even desirable. But the "progressive" view of "family" is arcane to say the least. In fact, it could be said these people see no value in the concept of family at all.

The "gender-neutral" bathroom business seems like articles from "The Onion" or other satirical newspaper until one realizes this is all too real. Consider the last few words of the excerpt above on the Massachusetts situation: " . . .the guidelines go so far as to say that any student who refuses to refer to a transgendered student by the name or sex they identify with could face punishment." Punishment. So if your little girl does not like to see a boy pull out his penis and urinate in front of her and complains about it, she could be punished. When I was in school, even being caught in the wrong bathroom was grounds for suspension if not outright expulsion. Now such hooliganism is actually encouraged. If a boy thinks he's really a girl (or vice versa), he/she needs the services of a good psychiatrist, not access to the girls/boys bathroom!

There have also been stories of "parents" trying to bring up children as "gender-neutral" or some such stupidity, or trying to turn boys into girls or girls into boys. To say this is denying nature is an understatement of the highest order and can only lead to confusion and probably severe problems later in life. I will go so far as to say that parents who try to manipulate the natural sexual identity of their children should have the children removed from their custody.

I will not get into the "war against God" that organizations like the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" are waging. Suffice it to say that attempts to ban religion from virtually aspect of public life are legion. (For an excellent article on this phenomenon, check out " Religious Liberty and Expression Under Attack: Restoring America’s First Freedoms" by Jay Alan Sekolow, Heritage Foundation website, 1 Oct 2012. Recommended!)

The consequences of some of these seemingly ridiculous examples of "political correctness" run amuck can (and probably will) be serious indeed. For one thing there will be lawsuits of every variety as each "aggrieved" party decides to sue for their "rights" to be upheld. (When, by the way, will we get serious tort reform in this country and put a brake on much of this nonsense? Probably not as long as we keep electing lawyers to public office!) The societal implications are mind-boggling - men are no longer men, women are no longer women, marry whomever (or whatever) you want, trample on the rights of traditionalists, religious people, and anybody that dares to question the progressive doctrine (and it is a doctrine just as much as religious scripture is).

It should seem obvious from all of the above that the pillars of western civilization are being eaten away by the "termites" of the ultra-left. The question is why are the rest of us letting this happen? Are we so cowed by these people that we can no longer stand up and say "Stop! Enough!" In 1996, the distinguished jurist Robert Bork wrote a book about the decline of western culture entitled " Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline" - we are no longer slouching - we are galloping.

Think about all this the next time you go to vote, and act accordingly. By the way, I'm sure some of the comments will contend this is "hate speech" and I'm a "hater" and so forth. Take them for what they're worth: nothing.

By now everybody is probably aware of the numerous attacks on Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson for his Bible-based views on homosexuality. Apparently, according to the gay/lesbian hate group "GLAAD," his preference for female anatomy over male is "vile." Imagine that. Militant "gay" groups are trying to silence anyone who does not enthusiastically embrace the homosexual agenda. Now who is being intolerant?