Tolerance In Action

The tolerance of the left rears it's ugly head again. This time in response to a resounding rejection by the voters. As a result of the passage of Prop. 8 by California voters, the GLBT community has gone off....on Mormon Temples across the country. Whether it is here in Utah, or California, or Seattle or in Colorado the people who demand that the rest of the world accept their "alternate lifestyles" are now engaging in the very same type of activity that brought hate crimes legislation to the lexicon. The following story was related to me by a friend. This happened to someone he knows who was in Los Angeles on Election Day.

As additional information for those who missed the news, I was at the temple assisting in the security efforts and it was quite an experience. Our temple is safe and no damage was done on the grounds.It was a site I never expected to see. At one point we had let in about 20 police vehicles through the gates because they were afraid their vehicles would be damaged as civilian cars were being vandalized. I removed the Utah plates from my truck just so I could drive through the mess and park blocks away. Two full squads of LAPD in riot gear set up their base inside the temple grounds while SWAT vehicles and hundreds of officers followed the crowds run up Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards. I've heard that the crowd was estimated to be over 2,500. The officers inside the temple grounds made a line on the front lawn by the fence. At one point, with 7 news and police helicopters overhead, the crowd began to climb the fence and it looked like there was going to be a lot of trouble.

We had, it seemed, a good fourth of a Polynesian ward there so it could have gotten very interesting very fast. While I was there, I was not aware of anyone actually breaching the fence, but we were asked to move far across the parking lot as they were anticipating the need to shoot tear gas canisters. I never thought I would see the day when police officers would sit perched on the spire of our temple as lookouts.

All of this happened at about 7:30 PM. It should be remembered that most likely many of the law enforcement were not in favor of our stance on Proposition 8, but nevertheless, the men and women were there doing their duty and protecting our property. For that we are grateful. And yes, there was an incident with some of our members who had gone to remove the protest signs from the front fence. One of the protesters did initiate physical contact with one of our sisters so the details are uncertain as to whether the response was fully justified. The lesson to be learned is that it's important to anticipate and avoid such confrontational situations.

Remember the world is watching our reaction and the media is everywhere. In the end, when we keep our cool, the video footage speaks the truth regarding which side is really intolerant and appears hateful when we simply do not respond or do so in a loving and controlled manner.

No matter your feelings about the Mormon Church (and I am no Mormon so I have no "dog" in this fight) they have the same rights to preach issues to their flock as the Catholic Church, the Baptist Church (where I belong) or any other church has. IF their flock goes out and acts on that teaching that is also their rights! As long as the Church is not advocating for or against a specific candidate they are well within their rights do to what they did.

If the GLBT community wants to be upset they should be upset at the voters of California. WE THE PEOPLE in California spoke - if the GLBT community does not like that maybe they should move to Massachusetts or something. But taking out their electoral loss is just as hate filled as anything they accuse others who do not approve of their "alternative lifestyles" of being.

The most what???

Remember during campaign 2006 how we heard how the Democrats were going to get rid of Congressional perks and clean up the "culture of corruption" in DC. While others have been focusing the House, I thought I would bring your attention to a story out of the Senate that is getting little play.

"On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton was challenged by the press about the Clinton family's acceptance of more than $900,000 in free private travel from Infousa, a company linked to scamming the elderly.
Her reply? She said that she had complied with all Senate ethics rules and reimbursed the company for the amount of a first class air ticket — usually about 1 percent of the cost of the luxurious private jet travel. According to Hillary, "Those were the rules. You'll have to ask someone else if it's good policy."

Now when the Republicans were in charge, did we accept that excuse from them? NO - we demanded resignations and restitution. Meanwhile, what do we hear from the Democrats and the media? Crickets....

So while Mrs. Clinton is standing on the floor of the Senate decrying executive pay and "obscene" oil company profits, she accepts lavish gifts from "her" corporate executive.

Typical....

How does it feel?

For the last couple of years, we have heard the calls....the calls for death to Americans and death to the Jews. Well now the rolls have been reversed.

"The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) today said it received a letter threatening Muslims in the Detroit area. The letter, which contained violent pro-Israel and Islamophobic rhetoric and imagery, stated in part: "Our goal is to terminate all Muslums(sic) in the greater Detroit area...and we will kill you first!"

Now I am in no way condoning this threat at all. However considering that Hamas and Hezbollah and the Palestinian Authority, organizations that have long been funded by CAIR have been saying this very same thing for years. So, in all honesty, they should not be surprised that they are not on the receiving end of the same kinds of treatment that they have dished out over the years.

What gets me is the double standard. They are aghast that someone would threaten them and they are totally unaware when those that they support do the same thing.

I'm sorry, until CAIR quit supporting groups that advocate death to others, I'm not going to get that worked up when they themselves are threatened.

Two way streets

I don't normally fisk Star Tribune letters to the editor because there are others who do it so much better. However, this one just blew my mind.

"'THE POPE AND THE WITCH'
It's only a play
As someone who received 12 years of Catholic education, one of the principles I was taught was tolerance. I also have a strong belief in looking at oneself with a critical eye. Some self-deprecating humor never hurts either.
It seems to me that Catholics in an uproar over the play "The Pope and the Witch" miss these points.

R.S. Minneapolis"

I wonder, if R.S. held the same point of view last year when the Danish newspaper Jyllans-Posten published a set of cartoons that were seen as insulting to Islam. I seem to recall many, like R.S., who chastised the editors at Jyllans-Posten for not being "sensitive" to the feelings of the Muslims....

Nope - no double standard here...

Exorcism Time

Have you noticed that any time anyone disagrees with, challenges the position of or in general disrespects a Democratic Party candidate, that Democrat or his/her campaign immediately calls for the other party to "renounce" the comments.The latest came just this week. First, Hillary Clinton's campaing called for Barack Obama to personally "renounce" the statements of Obama supporter (and former Clintonian) David Geffen.

"Sen. Hillary Clinton's spokesman called on Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to renounce comments made by Hollywood executive David Geffen that were sharply critical of the New York Democrat and her husband, former President Bill Clinton."

Since when is a candidate "responsible" for a supporters comments? I mean really....

Wednesday Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the White House to demand that President Bush renounce the comments that VP Cheney said while abroad.

"I hope the president will repudiate and distance himself from the vice president's remarks," Pelosi said. She said she tried to complain about Cheney to President Bush but could not reach him."

The Democrats use the term "renouce" in the same manner that the Max Von Sydow character in the movie "The Exorcist" used the Bible to drive demons out of Linda Blair's character. Apparently the Dems think that someone who disagrees with them is demon posessed. If it weren't for the pesky demon Converatism you would understand that "they" (the Democrats) only wanted to take care of us poor, incompetent fools in flyover country.

They simply don't "get" how anyone could have a different opinion than theirs. Well here is a hint...we humans have free will and that free will leads to a number of opinions. That is something that the Democrats need to learn to accept and deal with.