Two articulate, bright, free-speaking NFL football players “sack” a narrow-minded, bigoted Baltimore politician (above right) over a moronic anti-gay request to squelch free speech. (photo: deadspin.com)
If only politicians were as bright as football players
Chris Kluwe, punter for the Minnesota Vikings stood up for gay rights in Maryland (and everywhere) and wrote a letter that rips the veneer off a bigoted State legislator, Emmett Burns Jr., putting him on IR (injured reserve). And maybe out of office next election.
More than a jock. Chris Kluwe is one heterosexual stud who support gays, plays professional football, calls out politicians, is a good writer and a responsible citizen. (photo: OUT)
Chris Kluwe’s full letter is on deadspin.com. It’s a must read – clever, funny and with some crude but necessary language. It reveals the heart of hypocrisy, bigotry and ignorance that’s hiding in broad daylight in our governments. Elected officials like Burns (see others below), need to be exorcised from office, they are sick bastards (and there are a few twisted women too). What’s most amazing is that we elect them in the first place.
Quick background on Kluwe case
NFL linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (Baltimore Ravens) has spoken out in support of a Maryland ballot initiative that would legalize gay marriage. Then Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. wrote to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, urging him to “inhibit such expressions from your employee.” Chris Kluwe responded with his letter. Here is just the tail end of it (full version on deadspin.com).
In closing, I would like to say that I hope this letter, in some small way, causes you to reflect upon the magnitude of the colossal foot in mouth clusterfuck you so brazenly unleashed on a man whose only crime was speaking out for something he believed in. Best of luck in the next election; I’m fairly certain you might need it.
Sincerely,
Chris KluweP.S. I’ve also been vocal as hell about the issue of gay marriage so you can take your “I know of no other NFL player who has done what Mr. Ayanbadejo is doing” and shove it in your close-minded, totally lacking in empathy piehole and choke on it. Asshole.
I couldn’t have said it better
If this was an isolated incident – one dumb bigot – we might say good for Chris Kluwe and move on. But this is far more common than we realize and it’s indicative of the low-brow, knuckle-dragging, religious radicals we have making our laws. Here’s just a few examples:
Richard Mourdock, GOP Senate hopeful – hopefully now a long shot – in Indiana: This past week this imbecile said that a pregnancy resulting from rape is “something that God intended to happen.” What? A person running for the US Senate said that? Here’s more of the context in which this pea-brain demonstrated his ignorance in the full glory of god – his god. “I believe that life begins at conception. The only exception I have to have on abortion is in that case—of the life of the mother. I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”
Todd Akin, another GOP (surprised) Senate hopeful is running in Missouri and a few weeks ago he said that in the case of rape the female body had hormonal powers that would shut down the conception process during stressful sex. OMG! It is hard to believe that at this stage of evolution of the human intellect that there are still Neanderthals roaming the savannahs of the southern states mouthing these low-intelligent (that’s being generous) fairy tales.
There are some nuts in the northern plains too. Michele Bachmann who tried to get nominated as a GOP candidate for President of the United States, actually said during here candidacy that God caused an earthquake and hurricane in 2011 ” … to get the attention of politicians.” Guess what Michele, he failed. Although, I think if he had wanted to shake things up he could have done a better job. Like he did in Japan with both a quake and a tsunami – or maybe he doesn’t dislike Americans as much as Japanese.
Not long ago, in the Michigan legislature the majority GOP controlled government banned one of its female legislators because she used the word, vagina – while speaking about legislation on abortion laws (see earlier blog: Masters of the Uterus). Do they have no limits to their narrow-minded, chauvinistic, misogynistic stupidity? No.
Back to gays and football players
Brendon Ayanbadejo, a linebacker on the Baltimore football team, is supportive of the state’s Civil Marriage Protection Act, which, if passed, will let gay couples get a civil marriage license. It would go into effect Jan. 1, 2013. Emmett C. Burns Jr., who opposes the bill, wrote to Steve Bisciotti the owner of the Baltimore Ravens and asked him to intervene with Ayanbadejo. He said in his letter, “inhibit such expressions from your employee and that he be ordered to cease and desist such injurious actions.” You would think that any American lawmaker would understand the gravitas of the First Amendment and the universal acceptance of the freedom of speech. Not this asshole – to borrow Chris Kluwe’s most appropriate moniker. Chris Kluwe asked Burns: “… why do you hate freedom? Why do you hate the fact that other people want a chance to live their lives and be happy, even though they may believe in something different than you, or act different than you? How does gay marriage, in any way shape or form, affect your life?”
Apparently, Burns has some level of intelligence. He has a Phd, is ex-US Air Force, is a four-term member of the Maryland House and is a Baptist minister (that could be limiting). In addition, he is a black man who is old enough to remember the freedoms that Martin Luther King Jr. championed – and Burns benefited from – almost fifty years ago. And yet, he demonstrates the height of ignorance. How could he not know the value of freedom? Of opportunity for all? Whether black, white, brown, gay, male, female? Where does his stupidity and bigotry come from? His religion? He’s a Democrat, at least in label, so you would think there was a strain of liberalism running through his sclerotic brain and heart.
This is NOT the good book, it’s a bad book about the “Good Book” and the Constitution written by a Ted Weiland who compares the US Constitution to the Christian Bible. Yikes!
A bad book about the “Good Book”
Burns’ ignorance is the reality in more legislatures than we can imagine. And just so we are clear, he, and people like him, tend to be staunchly – myopically – religious. Nothing wrong with that unless you are a lawmaker who allows it to blur your thinking regarding the basic human values of freedom and opportunity. There’s even a book (left) that gives a point-by-point comparison of the Constitution and the Bible. So if they’re referencing the Bible, their book of moral laws, what about these maxims? “We are all god’s children” and we should, “Do unto others as we would have them do onto us.” How twisted does a supposedly bright person’s mind have to be to rationalize their religious dogma into a nation’s laws?
The founding fathers were adamant about separating church and state but perhaps the more salient question is: How do we separate religious zealots (idiots) from the state? How do we get rid of people like Burns, Mourdock, Akin, Bachmann and dozens more making our laws in their own image? Maybe we’re the stupid ones? Maybe we need a new vetting process before they can even run for office, one that “tests” religious fervor. Not beliefs, just the degree of fanaticism. Typically, we attribute fanatical thinking to Islamic extremists and yet, we have our own homegrown nuts right here in our own backyard – actually in our legislatures. A simple litmus test would do. Here are a few suggested questions we could ask these believers.
Questions for believers in, or running for, public office
Westboro Baptists pray for MORE American dead soldiers and say the Norwegian slaughter of 77 people was the work of God.
- Do you believe everything in your Bible or just that parts that suit your beliefs?
- Do you believe in miracles, UFOs, aliens, conspiracy theories and that only born-again Christians are God’s children (a small percentage of humans on the planet)?
- Do you believe Mormonism is a cult? (Too bad for Mitt if you do).
- In a recession do you think we should help poor people more by having the Pope cut his wardrobe budget, convert the Pope Mobile to solar energy and sell some Vatican tapestries?
- Do you believe Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13?
- Do you think Jesus was single (see earlier blog, Mother of Mary … did Jesus really have a wife)?
- Do you think Pastor Terry Jones should go ahead with his burning of Qurans?
- Do you believe the fruitcakes at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas have the right to free speech but football players don’t? (see earlier blog where Westbro church). Their members said that “God formed [Andres Breivik who slaughtered 77 Norwegians] and appointed him to punish Norway.”
If you answered yes to any of the above you cannot run for public office. And if you’re in office we’re voting you out – unless of course, we’re as bigoted as you.
