Let us look at a press release put out by Restore America and promoted by Stacy Harp in response to the Know your Neighbor campaign. At first when I read the press release, all I saw was the same ole rhetoric I always see, but then something stuck out for me. The headlines say “declaring war” but no where did the Know thy Neighbor people or their affiliated groups use “war” language. They didn’t have that language in their press release or their interviews. That language comes right from the anti-gay Christian group.
It continues in very subtle ways, just little snippets of “war” or “violence” references in their press release. I would think most people would read past this stuff, but I didn’t. I think this is how it is done. This is how the call to arms and violence against gays is done. They use the subtle language suggestions like they did in paragraph 4 of the press release:
“Gloves Off! Americans have had enough. Forcing acceptance of their sexual behavior against our will, at the price of our right to make moral distinctions as families and communities, has now become more than most Americans can tolerate.”
Combine these words with the headline of declaring war. “gloves off” is most certainly a term of violence. The phrase is followed by the normal “gays are forcing things against your will” and “Moral distinctions” as if gays are immoral. So what is the response to this from the Restore America people….
“By this tactic, the homosexual lobby and their sympathizers are asking for a confrontation that they alone seek, and now appears necessary.”
- First they declare war (but accuse the gay people of doing it, but the gay group never used such terms of violence or war)
- Then they explain to the readers how gays are bad, not moral and forcing things on people. The enemy images are clear here.
- and in that they say “gloves off”…..
- they claim “confrontation” is necessary.
I am shocked that they can’t understand why I call it hate speech. They don’t understand how this leads to violence. Are they blind?
So what did the gay folks do this time to provoke this so called “war”? They decide to make public records accessible to the public. And this is war…how? Disagree maybe…offend maybe….but WAR? No one declared war but Restore America.
Here is the real call to arms as Restore America writes:
“No more Placating, Appeasing, or Pacifying! The days of appeasing, placating and pacifying the homosexual community are over. It doesn’t work.”
So what does work? What does this statement mean? What do statements like this say to sick minds who are threatened by gays? This is the call to violence against homosexuals. “Confrontation”, “War”, “Gloves off”, “America’s had enough” are terms that not only invoke violence, but also fear. These types of press releases do scare me. They should scare everyone.
Afterthought: (Added @ 5:35pm) I thought on the drive home from work about a statement made by Stacy Harp who so proudly supported this press release:
“Again for the millionth time, I have never advocated violence, death or any such thing to come to homosexuals. My desire is that homosexuals, like Joe, are set free from their life of sin, so that they do not spend an eternity in hell.”
Yes, Stacy you have helped to advocate violence. As soon as you open your eyes to what is happening when you follow the leader, you will see the leader is walking you into a wall.
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August 23rd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
I’ve always wondered what part of American history they want “restored”–the time when women did not have rights? The time when black people were slaves? Or the mythic 1950 America of the white mom and white dad and their 3 white children, all living in white suburbia?
I once got into a discussion on a campus once with someone who was harkening back to the ‘good old days.’ Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t figure out when the good old days really were, other than in his imagination…
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:07 pm
It’s hard to tell sometimes if they are manipulative or delusional - I reckon it’s a bit of both.
August 24th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Let me see if I understand this, the Know Thy Neighbor group says they intend to publish the addresses of those who sign the anti-gay petitions. And yet Ms. Harp and company don’t want their addresses published. I have to ask why not? Why are they afraid of this being a matter of public record? Is it perhaps the fact that it might really cost them something? That supporting what they say they hold so dear might actually require them to reveal their true feelings? That their neighbors would find out the truth about their views on gays and lesbians? That they would no longer have be able to hide? That gays and lesbians in Oregon might just learn what their neighbors say behind their backs? Sounds like the problem is Oregon is not homosexuality but a lack of integrity on the part of some Oregonians when it comes to the fact that they are anti-gay.
Well I’ll tell you what I see in all this, when it really matters, when it could really cost them something, they aren’t willing to stand up and be counted.
they are cowards and bullies.
Well I think I know why, it’s called cowardice. They talk about being right, but when it comes to potentially costing them something: reputation, job, even life, they aren’t willing to stand up and take the heat. All the while claiming that others need to stand up and be counted.
August 26th, 2007 at 6:42 am
“My desire is that homosexuals, like Joe, are set free from their life of sin, so that they do not spend an eternity in hell.”
Shouldn’t her desire be that NO ONE spends an eternity in hell?
August 27th, 2007 at 11:51 am
I’m not a Christian. I don’t believe in God and I don’t believe in hell.
What business is it of Stacy’s to be the sole arbiter of who goes to hell or not? Isn’t that God’s job to determine that?
Has Bush created a new cabinet position of “Homeland Hell Bent Sinners” and put Stacy in charge of it?
Stacy needs to mind her own business and since she believes in hell so much, she should be taking steps to ensure that she doesn’t end up going there instead.
Or perhaps her religion teaches her that the more souls you save from damnation, the more points you score for yourself. So, heaven and hell is just one big national past time and she’s the quarterback for her team?
I’m happy with my life, really. So, Stacy, leave me the hell alone!