Do We Really Need To Study This One?
Reader Sher is right, we do need to see some studies of the impact of being raised by gay parents. The nonsensical lie that gay parents somehow damage children needs to be debunked. Any readers who know of such work are invited to send in comments or to email citations to Chris@Wonks Anonymous.com. They will be published.
Nevertheless, Wonks Anonymous does not consider this to be a crucial priority.
Wonks Anonymous is all in favor of studies because they tend to employ large numbers of wonks and also increase the demand for data programmers. Many decisions, however are simple enough to be made without a lots of surveys or statistics. Here are some obvious truths:
Wonks Anonymous will believe the opponents of gay families when Arkansas has no children waiting for homes.
Nevertheless, Wonks Anonymous does not consider this to be a crucial priority.
Wonks Anonymous is all in favor of studies because they tend to employ large numbers of wonks and also increase the demand for data programmers. Many decisions, however are simple enough to be made without a lots of surveys or statistics. Here are some obvious truths:
- No one has shown that children raised by gay parents are any more likely to be gay than children raised by straight parents or that children taught by gay teachers are any more likely to be gay or that children who have regular contact with gay people are any more likely to be molested. Straight men are still the world's foremost child abusers.
- No one has ever even dreamed of making the case that being raised by the foster care system, hopping from household to household in the care of families who are being paid to care for you and finally coming to maturity in a group home when the state washes its hands of you, does children anything but harm.
Wonks Anonymous will believe the opponents of gay families when Arkansas has no children waiting for homes.
Wonk, the data from these studies will prove - beyond debate- that the anti-gay marriage and adoption arguments are based on fear mongering and lies. You'll need to quote this data when going toe-to-toe with anti-gay groups. I'll say more about this in a moment.
People like us don't need a study to prove anything. HOWEVER, the majority of Americans don't pay attention to anything that doesn't directly affect their wallets or their health. They won't put an end to this form of discrimination until they see the damage caused by it. This is your next step in an effort to "wake up" the majority of Americans -the apathetic majority- who don't vote against anti-gay legislation.
I believe the gay community needs to create an organization with the size and scope of the Heritage Foundation. It's gotta be a well-funded, proactive and vocal think tank which will generate research and insert its views (as the Heritage Foundation does) in EVERY discussion about marriage, family and community.
Ok - stepping off my soapbox now. . . : )
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1) You're right, it is fear mongering...people fear a transference of the political views and ideologies harbored by most homosexuals. Those views are so radical, to most, as to be abhorrent (if their positions were not radical, we wouldn't know anything about your sexual choices...which is just the way we would like it).
Oh, yeah, most child predators (or any other criminal, for that matter) would HAVE to be heterosexual, since 98%-99% of men are not homosexuals, if only gross numbers are considered. Now if you want to do a precise statistical analysis, you'd probably find there is a slight increase in the level molesters amongst avowed homosexuals, since we know there those hiding in those ranks who will "do anything to anybody" (getting back to those radical views...on steroids...we know some of them believe we should be able to do what we want anywhere, at anytime, to anybody).
The ranks and file of homosexuals will deny this 'til the cows come home, but it is true...besides, who wouldn't deny that there is a criminal element giving them a bad name? But just because you don't want it to be so does not make it that way.
Normal people do not want anything done that might tend to legitimize the homosexual affliction. Why should we change our entire way of doing things to satisfy possibly 2% of people? Because they think they are a minority? I don't think so.....
I bet that you did not think that I would publish this but I did. Now, what radical political views would you have in mind? Libertarianism? Really you are not talking about the people who I know so well and I must conclude that you have taken some very bad drugs or are living in another universe.
By, the way should we ever have the misfortune to meet you would be smart to keep your own sectual preferences and, ignorant views on this subject carefully concealed. If you reveal them then I will have no choice but to cut you dead - socially that is. It's time for folks like you to start living in the closet.
-Wonks Anonymous
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Quite honestly, I did not believe my comments would make it beyond the great giga-space beyond my isp.
Drugs…never have, never will…universe, well, mine may be different from yours, I’m sure it is, but I am here to remind you that yours is not the only universe here on this planet…there are plenty of folks right here beside me who remain silent, as most good conservative folks do, but who internalize the painful losses we sustain to today’s popular social/political club named homosexuality. (If you find a place where homosexuality and politics are entirely separate, let me know, I wanna see that place.) We have lost friends, family, spouses, and children to this practice which many of us were taught was an abomination to God. Now some of us who may have drifted away from the church still remember those words…and those are the words used to describe the act of a man lying with a man…an abomination (object of extreme dislike, hate) to God. We were taught this from an early age. You cannot blame us for believing such acts are wrong. Just as we are learning that our tidal wave of decades of easy divorce may have been a huge mistake for the health of the American family, the U.S. economy, the individual, and the child, so, too, might we someday learn that most of the Biblical prohibitions, conjured up over dozens of centuries, will prove more healthy for the human condition whether one has a belief in a God or not.
The entire notion that anyone cares about a person's private sexual proclivities to the extent that those proclivities must be publicly sleeved, even pushed "in one's face" is, in and of itself, a radical social view, now politicized.
Former human modesty and concern for one’s public image would preclude such behavior by any decent human being, gay or straight. I know this is true; I had a gay Uncle who, although homosexual for his entire adult life, never found it necessary to even mention the fact. His friends, also older gay men, never found it necessary to advertise their gay-ness. They were homosexuals, no doubt, but that was it…otherwise they conducted themselves as “normal” (whatever that is, really) family members and friends. If they had a soapbox, they left it home. If they harbored agendas, they were decent enough to check those agendas at the door. They were friends first, accepted as family members, and sensitive to the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of other members of the family.
The “in your face” manner of today’s gays, environmentalists, anti-war-ists, or any other fringe group comes right out of the student protests and inner-city race riots of the 1960’s, which, by the way, I was around to witness. Personally, I believe these groups and tactics are directly and indirectly supported by groups hoping to see the United States fall and fail. Some used to call them communists, but now we are told we must not be so intolerant.
(to be continued)
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Most of you people did not see the leader of the world’s premier communist/socialist nation hammer his shoe on a table of the U.N. stating they would bury us and our grandchildren, or some such nonsense. That’s pretty powerful stuff to a twelve year old. I believe Ol’ Nikita meant what he said…and that those efforts continue today in myriad forms and fashions.
Getting back to the original conversation…people are still not comfortable thinking about little children learning about life from a person we still feel does not have solid grasp on life. We see this lack of a solid grasp evident in the simple fact that we have been made aware of that private side of that person’s life. This is a lesson many young teachers are having to learn first hand…they cannot be talking about or sharing their sexual lives with their (under-aged) students…the law does draw a line there. How many young, promising people have lost their careers far too early because they couldn’t keep their mouth shut and their breeches zipped/buttoned up? Society still has limits and likely will always.
You mentioned closet…that aspect of a person’s life may not belong in the closet, per se, but certainly should be left at home. This is the lesson today’s middle-aged, fat, bald, white man has had to learn…we can exhibit no aspect of sexuality openly anymore…no one cares, but if we did happen to, there are those ready to unleash the pre-arranged punishments unmercifully. When everyone else learns this (even the butt-crack/thong underwear crowd) we’ll be a uniform and “happy” society.
Dave
Remember hiding under your desk during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
-WA
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