OK...a couple of things here: The flack over Miami Dolphins Safety Don Jones tweet shortly after the Rams drafted Michael Sam---the NFLs first openly-gay player---is NOT a free speech issue. That only applies where the government is involved. That is an important distinction to remember. That having been said, there is plenty to be disturbed about here. The portions of Jones tweet cited are where he says OMG and Horrible. Its important to note that his tweet was not in reaction to Sam being drafted, but rather a response to a picture posted of Sam and his boyfriend kissing; with Sam licking cake off of his boyfriends face. Supporters of gay rights need to come to grips with the fact that most people have a reflexively negative reaction to seeing images like this. We have tried to be tolerant of the gay lifestyle...we ask that you be tolerant of us. But tolerance is no longer in the lexicon of the politically-correct. One needs go no further than the recent ouster of Mozillas new chairman, over nothing more than a modest contribution to a California ballot issue to oppose gay marriage. Perhaps most disturbing is the section of this brief article that says in order to be re-instated, Jones will have to undergo educational training. If that doesnt send a chill up your spine; youre not paying attention. It is the very definition of the Thought Police pejorative thats been talked about for some time. Images of Nazi uniforms and the Gestapo immediately come to mind. Again, Jones free speech is not being violated---only the government can do that. My purpose here is just to try, in a very small way, to stop the steady erosion of our ability to have an opinion. The same people who have longed championed tolerance and understanding are showing themselves to be the antithesis of that which they preach. Michael Sam could score some MAJOR points if he stepped up and asked the Dolphins and the NFL to NOT punish Jones. To publicly forgive him. To----you know----be tolerant. twitlonger/show/n_1s1nhp8
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 12:00:47 +0000