Alarming News: 'We do not claim the right to speak for every American, but we do claim the right to speak'

August 14, 2005

'We do not claim the right to speak for every American, but we do claim the right to speak'

Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council, said the above line to great applause. Some of the bloggers at this event are uncomfortable with the combined religious and political message. Maybe it's because I'm Jewish but I don't feel any awkwardness. These are people who are guided by their faith and, of course, they're going to want to promote their ideas to the public. They have a right. I think the bigger concern among the bloggers is that the Christian message is muddled with politics, as opposed to the political message being muddle by Christianity. I don't have a dog in this fight, Christians need to decide for themselves whether engaging in politics will hurt their main message or whether it is the obvious extention of their goals.

Jim Daly, from Focus on the Family, said that rights are not given by government but given by G-d and joked that the ACLU would've taken the founding fathers to court. It's a good point, we are not given human rights by men.

Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, mentions the Kelo decision as an overreach of the Court. His major point is that the court should be sensitive to the want of the majority.

Tom Delay is on now. Many of the protesters outside were carrying anti-Delay signs. Captain Ed wonders if there will be a rogue protesters inside during Delay's talk. So far, no sign of any.

Delay is on the idea of separation of powers. Powers to make laws is vested in Congress. Courts are limited to interpretation. Federal courts seem to have forgotten this. Rights are invented. Long-standing values are found to be unconstitutional. He talks to respect for judges but says this respect does not grant the powers judges have assumed in recent years. 'Elections are the cornerstone of democracy.' 'We're here to protect the Constitution so that it can keep protecting us'.

More live-blogging coming up, I'm going to take a little walk around.

Comments

That's funny, because the FRC and Focus on the Family don't think that gays have the right to Free Speech. In fact, they're doing everything in their power to have gays be silenced.

These groups are the organizations behind the move to burn the books in every library that dare to put gay people in a positive light.

So sorry - I have zero tolerance for these evil people. I will be a very happy person when they finally drop dead.

Posted by: Downtown Lad at August 14, 2005 11:52 PM

I always found it hilarious that someone as fanatically anti-gay as Tony Perkins has the same first and last name as the gay actor who died of AIDS

Posted by: Steve at August 15, 2005 12:40 AM

No one is trying to shut gays up. What people want is for their school aged children to not be told that these behaviors are okay. such as books like "what makes a family" taht are being given to six year olds. I dont care who speaks the people gettin shut up and jaield are christians. In phiildelphia chritinas were jailed because they protested a homosexual event. they were charged with "ethnic intimidation". Also we are not a democracy we are a republic.

Posted by: shari at August 15, 2005 04:09 AM

I thought I saw Alice the other day! Or maybe it was Justice Souter –skipping in Wonderland, immune to and above the laws he passes.

Posted by: Kira Zalan at August 15, 2005 12:36 PM

Maybe it's because I'm Jewish but I don't feel any awkwardness
Don't worry Karol, it's only a matter of time before you begin to feel the awkwardness from promoting Christo-Fascists like Tony Perkins and James Dobson. These men and their followers want nothing more than a Christianized U.S. in which all other religions are given second class status...and they also believe that it is necessary to convert Jews before the Rapture. Watch your back.

Posted by: Brad at August 17, 2005 11:35 AM

Yeah, Brad, fundamentalist Christians are the big concern to me. And not the Islamic fanatics who consider me both little and big Satan (being both Jewish and American, a winning combo) and want me dead. No, my big worry is that Christians want me to go to heaven when I die.

Posted by: Karol at August 17, 2005 11:38 AM

Actually, Karol, I think the fundamentalist Christians want you to go to Limbo with the unbaptized babies and the virtuous pagans when you die. But I'm not sure, so you should check with your creepy new friends about that.

I'm curious, tho'---why suddenly bring up Islamic fanatics in answer to a comment about Christian fanatics?

I will admit that the Christian fanatics are not...I repeat, NOT...as bad as the Islamic fanatics these days. But that's like saying elephantiasis is not as bad as inoperable brain cancer. It's true...but smart people would avoid them both.

Posted by: Don Myers at August 17, 2005 04:21 PM

'not as bad as'? Not in the same category at all as... One group is flying planes into buildings, the other wants to end what it considers a murderous practice, abortion.

And, honestly, if I don't believe in an afterlife (and I don't) what do I care what people of another religion 'want' for me?

Posted by: Karol at August 17, 2005 04:38 PM

Karol, your creepy new friends want to do a lot more than just take away your right to control your own body.

And they'll happily kill people they disagree with.

Since your only defense of the Christian fanatics is a matter of scale, let me point out that---historically speaking---the Islamic facists are still playing catch up.

But you're still dodging my question, Karol: why suddenly bring up Islamic fanatics in answer to a comment about Christian fanatics?

Your hateful new friends spent the weekend talking about how much they loathe gays, women, evolution, gays, science, the media, an independant judiciary, and gays.

When did their fellow fanatics enter into the discussion?

Posted by: Don Myers at August 17, 2005 05:37 PM

Your hateful new friends spent the weekend talking about how much they loathe gays, women, evolution, gays, science, the media, an independant judiciary, and gays.

Uh, no they didn't. Haven't you read my liveblog?

Posted by: Karol at August 17, 2005 05:43 PM

Yes, Karol, I did read your liveblog.

Then I read a few other accounts to find out what you left out, which could be charitably described as "a whole motherfuckin' hell of a lot."

After you fail to mention all the hateful gay-bashing and science-denying, you use your own lies of omission as evidence that there was no gay-bashing and science-denying.

That is, when you're not screaming "Muslims!" and "9/11!" in a poorly-executed attempt to change the subject.

So let me ask you straight out---were you there to drum up business? Are you planning to earn some bucks teaching your creepy new pals how to be evasive and disengenious?

Posted by: Don Myers at August 17, 2005 09:07 PM