Thursday, May 21, 2015

Josh Duggar resigns from the Family Research Council after incidents of past molestations resurface

Josh Duggar
This is NOT meant to be celebratory news. Just an observation regarding anti-gay lies and people who live in glass houses:

Josh Duggar, the eldest son of conservative icons Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting fame, has announced that he is resigning from his position at the Family Research Council following revelations that he molested several young girls, including some of his sisters according to TMZ, when he was a teenager.

In Touch magazine first published details from the 2006 police report that showed that when Duggar was 14 he confessed to his father that he had sexually molesting five young girls. But Jim Bob waited more than a year before alerting the police and his since tried to keep the felony investigation out of the public eye.

“Twelve years ago, as a young teenager, I acted inexcusably for which I am extremely sorry and deeply regret. I hurt others, including my family and close friends,” the now 27-year-old Josh Duggar told People magazine in a statement Thursday. “I confessed this to my parents who took several steps to help me address the situation. We spoke with the authorities where I confessed my wrongdoing, and my parents arranged for me and those affected by my actions to receive counseling. I understood that if I continued down this wrong road that I would end up ruining my life.” 

Duggars, as well as other members of his family were vocal regarding their stance against lgbt equality, particularly marriage equality.  According to the Huffington Post:

 The Duggar family has found themselves in the midst of several controversies surrounding LGBT issues. In August, Michelle Duggar narrated a robocall asking voters to oppose a bill aimed at strengthening protections for transgender residents of Fayetteville, Arkansas. And in November, the family allegedly removed photos of a same-sex couple kissing from their Facebook page.

Last year, Duggar led a rally against marriage equality in Arkansas when he said the following:

“Arkansans should not face the threat of fines or being sued for living out the deeply-held convictions of their faith. We have the First Amendment in this nation, and we have the right to live out our faith. The rally will send a strong reminder to Arkansas Supreme Court Justices that an overwhelming majority of voters, 75 percent, voted to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman,”

Right Wing Watch points out that in December of last year, he led a campaign to defeat a non-discrimination ordinance in Arkansas, claiming that it would threatened the safety of children.

I'm sure that there will be plenty of words. But as I said before, this is nothing to celebrate. Just a reminder that those who become so high and mighty that they see nothing wrong with scapegoating  others would be best served to remember what is hiding in their own dark closets before pointing the finger.
 

Sen Ted Cruz thinks gay marriages will become 'mandatory'

Editor's note - Due to computer problems,  today's news briefs were canceled.




Along with the vile allegiance to anti-gay discrimination, Sen. Ted Cruz turns a strange phrase in this video. Starting at .20, he mentions something about "mandatory gay marriages." It was not a mistake by Cruz but a deliberate talking point. According to Salon:

"Mandatory same-sex marriage” and “mandatory gay marriage” are actual terms that Ted Cruz has been running around warning the masses about. It is a staple of his talking points on the issue."

MSNBC  also noted that Cruz has been using the phrase "mandatory gay marriage" on numerous occasions.

Anti-gay groups, their spokespeople, and supporters are uniquely skilled in repeating phrases, memes, and claims designed to sway the public in their favor, but I don't see it happening here with Cruz's insistence on using the talking point of "mandatory gay marriages."

It's an idiotic phrase which does nothing to turn the public against marriage equality. I think it puts people in the opposite mindset because it implies that the opposition to marriage equality is getting hysterically paranoid.

You won't find many people who believe that pro-marriage equality laws will force people to enter same-sex marriages.  But you will find them questioning the intelligence of those who do.

Bryan Fischer enters drama queen territory and begins making space

As we get nearer to the Supreme Court's decision on marriage equality, the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer is getting more shriller with her his calls to alarm.

Sorry for the punctuation error there, but Fischer has totally entered "drama queen" territory and is now making space for himself: