Although it's flattering, it's a bit ironic to see that I'm nominated for a category with which I've taken issue over the years.
Not only that, despite my innumerable discussions of sexuality, and despite my advocacy of sexual freedom, it really isn't fair to consider Classical Values a LGBT Blog. I take issue with the category because I don't agree with categorizing people based on what they do with their genitalia. Why, it's one of the sacrosanct founding principles (choke!) of this blog! So it would be hypocritical of me to run for this, um, office. Furthermore, there are two other co-authors, and it would be even more presumptuous to assume that Justin or Dennis would want to "win" without asking them. Nor have I asked them, but neither have they asked me how the "campaign" is going (a campaign I hadn't heard about until yesterday).
What this means is that I am very flattered that someone nominated me, but I am unworthy of the honor, and I feel that I would only be doing the category a disservice by being elected to it. Bear that in mind if you vote for me.
However, considering that leading finalist Pam Spaulding is an advocate of the practice of "outing" (which I consider loathsome and have repeatedly condemned in a number of posts), I would urge that readers who disagree with outing to go and vote for someone who opposes the practice. Anyone. I see that at least five libertarianish gay candidates -- Boi from Troy, Gay Patriot, Gay Orbit, Brat Boy School, and Right Rainbow -- have total votes collectively far exceeding those of the "outing" advocate (who, BTW, attacks Hillary Clinton from the left).
(I also note that a much more outspokenly pro-outing candidate has thrown his weight behind Pam Spaulding, which may indicate a certain degree of organization, although I have no way of knowing these things.)
Elsewhere in her blog, Ms. Spaulding accuses the "Right" of ignoring this report of the beating of Kansas professor Paul Mirecki (allegedly for his outspoken opposition to Intelligent Design):
I'm sure those good "Christians" that opened the can of Whoop-Ass on the professor went home, dropped on their knees and prayed for forgiveness, right?
I agree with Shakes Sis on this one -- you won't see any outrage on the Right about this.
I disagree. I think most human beings -- right or left -- would be outraged. I think ID advocates would be especially outraged, because if true, something like this makes ID advocates look like fascists in the public eye, and hurts their cause.
I am as outraged as I would be if a group of ID opponents had beaten up an ID advocate, and now that I have read about the incident, I'm not going to ignore it. I'd like to know what happened. In a more recent story from the Lawrence Journal-World (the source cited in the blog above), Professor Mirecki is now "declin[ing] to clarify" reporters' questions about the incident:
“I got the hell beat out of me,” he told the Journal-World on Monday.
Key facts about the reported attack remained unclear Tuesday, including exactly where it happened. A report released by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said the location was “unknown” and listed it as south of 31st Street on either East 1400 Road or East 1500 Road.
Louisiana Street turns into East 1400 Road outside the city limits. Haskell Avenue becomes East 1500 Road.
Also, there was conflicting information about whether Mirecki reported it at the scene or at the hospital. In an interview Monday with the Journal-World, he said he called police from the side of the road, but sheriff’s officials said they were dispatched to the hospital.
Mirecki declined to clarify the discrepancy when asked about it Tuesday outside the sheriff’s office.
“I can; I just don’t want to,” he said.
The sheriff’s report, which is classified as an aggravated battery, says that Mirecki suffered minor injuries. It says the incident started about 6:20 a.m. and was reported about 6:40 a.m.
As to the suspects, all we know is the following:
two white men in their 30s or 40s, one with a red visor and wool gloves, both wearing jeans, and driving a large pickup truck.
That really doesn't narrow it down, does it? No license plate, not even the make or model of the truck.
But if the professor's memory is accurate, I think it's fair to assume the men were white bigots driving a "large pickup," isn't it?
And according to the above blogger, the "large pickup" of choice for bigots these days seems to be the Ford Klansman:
As the logo says, they're "Fundie Tough." (For Fundie Toughs, perhaps?)
Look, I abhor bigotry, and I think saying Intelligent Design equals fundamentalism equals the Taliban equals the Ku Klux Klan is bigotry, pure and simple. Might as well say that being gay equals the "Radical Homosexual Agenda" equals NAMBLA. (Or that being a gay conservative or gay libertarian equals "self loathing," for that matter....)
LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Two days after saying he was the victim of a roadside beating that may have been connected to a controversial creationism class, a religious studies professor has resigned from the University of Kansas.
Barbara Romzek, KU's interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said Wednesday that she had accepted Associate Professor Paul Mirecki's resignation as chair of the department of religious studies.
It's not completely clear to me why he resigned.
MORE: Michelle Malkin (whom I thank for linking this post) has a number of links to blog posts discussing the still-unfolding Mirecki matter.
Thank you gentlemen for the shared endorsement. I did not know I was in a competition against two "outing" advocates. You were right in your assumption that I am opposed to the practice. I am also a victim of the procedure. Thank you again for the shared endorsement.
The great thing about this competition is finding blogs of a high caliber such as yours.
Re Mirecki... he didn't get "the hell" beat out of him as he said, not if his injuries were minor. An attack like this is despicable, but like Clayton Cramer has noted, I'm not so sure Mirecki hasn't fudged this report. Not enough injury, not enough detail. Besides, any self-respecting "righties" surely would have filled him full of holes with their concealed-carry .50 caliber "choice of gang-bangers everywhere" terrorist rifles, wouldn't they? I mean, according to the all-tolerant, all-loving left, all those gun-freaks are racist fundies, and all those fundies are slavering trigger-happy gunnies, right?
tkdkerry · December 7, 2005 01:53 PM
Ethan thank you for coming. It was a pleasure to find your blog too!
It amazes me that someone could get attacked and have no better description than "two white males between 30 and 40". Were they heavy? Light? Goatees? Mustaches? Were they wearing ball caps? Jackets? Overalls? Jumpsuits?
I can understand not knowing what kind of pickup truck it was -- if the attack occured in the early morning, the headlights would have obscured it -- and for the lag of tags, Kansas has no tags on the front of the vehicle.
But still... there aren't that many people up at 6:30am. Farmers and commuters. Most of the farmers I know here in KS don't get up in the morning and go wait around in trucks for something exciting to happen, because they have more than enough to do, 365.
BadLiberal · December 8, 2005 01:42 PM
I finally voted in the contest after checking out two unfamiliar sites you suggested. Yet I voted for a site which also is libertarian-leaning but not among the 5 you listed: The Malcontent. Thanks for the tip to Ethan's blog, I just added it to my favorites (bookmarks).
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
Thank you gentlemen for the shared endorsement. I did not know I was in a competition against two "outing" advocates. You were right in your assumption that I am opposed to the practice. I am also a victim of the procedure. Thank you again for the shared endorsement.
The great thing about this competition is finding blogs of a high caliber such as yours.