Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, is on tape (as part of a prank) as stating that he was considering planting thugs in that state’s labor protests in order to foment violence (with the intent of undermining the public's First Amendment rights). I’m not that surprised a conservative would consider such an action or that he would rationalize it. After all, it’s part of the conservative authoritarian mindset. What I find obscene is that almost no one in the mainstream news considers this worthy of a sustained and prolonged investigation.
Later today, my reflections on Wisconsin in particular and US social policy in general will be posted at Subversify, the online magazine that actually has the cojones to publish anything I write and which offers an alternative and (yes) subversive, perspective from the corporate media.
The following entries are true…
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-=[ They Actually Said That ]=-
When the subject is punishment, the predicate is religion
“I personally object to vaccinating children against a disease that 100% preventable with proper sexual behavior.” -- Leslie Unruh, director, National Abstinence Clearing House (link)
“If a woman wants to give birth to a healthy baby, Planned Parenthood kicks her out with a referral slip. After all, adoption is not where the money is.” -- Douglas Scott, president, Life Decisions International (link)
“The federal courts, and the Supreme Court in particular, have “systematically attacked Christianity.” -- Tony Perkins, president, Family Research Council (link)
“America must pursue a civil society that will democratically embrace its essential moral duties, including… caring for children born and unborn.” -- Proclamation of President George W. Bush, declaring January 18th “Sanctity of Life Day” (link)
“Course materials and instruction relating to sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases should include emphasis, provided in a factual manner and from a public health perspective, that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense.” -- Texas Health and Safety Code 163.002 (link)
“The Parents Television Council does not censor. The First Amendment was instituted to guarantee precisely the type of activities pursued by the PTC: free speech and disseminating information.” -- Parents Television Council, which pressures the government to remove “objectionable” TV shows from the air (link)
“Hardcore pornography, or material depicting actual sex acts, promotes the idea that human beings can be sexually used and abused without consequences. If we tolerate pornographic material that encourages people to indulge their darkest sexual fantasies, we cannot act surprised when millions do so in real life as well.” -- Daniel Weiss, media analyst for Focus on the Family: “Porn Feeds Human Trafficking,” Denver Post, Op-Ed, January 27, 2006
“We need to yell it to the top of the rooftops that these condoms we’re sending down to you don’t protect you… [You] have a false sense of security. So I think we’re sending the wrong message when we use taxpayer dollars to give condoms out to these kids and we don’t tell them ‘By the way, you’ll probably be dead at age 24 by cervical cancer. But we’re giving you condoms, so go do your thing.’ To me, abstinence is the only way.” -- Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA), at Congressional Hearing on Cervical Cancer and HPV (link)
“When two people of the same sex… adopt children… I think what you have in many respects is state-sanctioned child abuse.” -- Radio Host Janet Parshall, on CNN’S Larry King Live (link)
Porn users “giver lame justification for their behavior like: ‘It’s harmless,’ or ‘Everybody’s doing it’ By doing this they ignore the effect their problem is having on people around them. This behavior is not OK, it’s not even almost OK. This habit is a perverse and ridiculous intrusion into [a] relationship.” -- Dr. Phil McGraw (link)
“[Journalists and politicians like you] are in what we call the reality-based community, people who believe that solutions emerge from the judicious study of discernible reality. That’s not the way the real world works anymore.” -- Senior advisor to President Bush, in conversation with journalist David Susskind (link)
“I’m always a little irritated when I hear the criticism of abstinence, because abstinence is absolutely 100 percent effective in eradicating a sexually transmitted disease.” -- Former First Lady Laura Bush, apparently utterly clueless to the fact that abstinence fails in 88% of teens who pledge it (link)
If the public can be convinced that condoms offer certain -- or nearly certain -- protection from pregnancies and STDs, then the [proponents] can argue that the only thing holding people back from free sexual expression is outdated, irrelevant religious restrictions.” -- Focus on the Family, on why they must discourage trust in condoms (link)
Finally...
“This is just a short note to express my heartfelt thanks to you and the entire staff of Focus on the Family fro your help and support during the past few challenging months. I would also greratly appreciate it if you would convey any appreciation to the good people from all parts of the country who wrote to tell me that they were praying for me and for my family during this period. As long as I serve on the Supreme Court I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed on me. I hope that we will have an opportunity to meet personally at some point in the future. In the meantime my entire family and I hope that you and the Focus on the Family staff know how much we appreciate all that you have done.” -- supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, to James Dobson after Alito had been confirmed to the Supreme Court (link)
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Yes, these resourceful idiots actually did say all of the above.
My name is Eddie and I’m in recovery from civilization…
Update: I've added a couple more quotes and I've added links (where possible) to all the quotes above so that readers can gauge for themselves whether the comments are properly contextualized.
Man... I have the worst headache from this page... it is hard to believe that the people who made these comments were able to rise to the positions that they held at one time (or continue to hold) in society...
ReplyDelete... oh, m name is Mark and I too, am in recovery..!
ReplyDeleteI would agree that many of these statements were realatively stupid and should not have been said in the first place . . . but, we also have to be careful not to take things out of context. I would say that a few of these statements were made with much more thought then we are seeing them for and it would take a conversation with that person to understand what they were meaning. I often say stupid things and if someone was to quote just one phrase of something I've said then I could look really dumb. Not that I don't agree with where you are coming from I just wanted to play the devils advocate for a moments time.
ReplyDeleteBut, the statement by Janet Parshall on CNN, I've seen before and it totally pisses me off to the "enth" degree.
ReplyDeleteJanna: I usually link all my sources, but I was lazy this time (and in a rush). However, I can assure you that the people quoted here have said much worse and their comments weren't taken out of context. The majority of the people quoted in this post represent the first wave of sexual ignorance and sexual repression in this country. They are extremists, religious fundamentalists. But I appreciate your point.
ReplyDeleteImagine the headache I got from compliling this mess! LOL
ReplyDelete