Minnesota Viking Chris Kluwe issues smackdown to anti-gay bigot (legal, controversial, speech)

[pch1013]

... who by the way is a Democrat, so don't drag partisan politics into this.

Here's the NC-17 version (warning -- contains foul language).

And here's the cleaned-up version, with hilarious euphemisms inserted in place of the naughty words.

Bravo, Chris!

[StillwaterTownie]

Wow, I wish more people would tell off politicians like that ever so eloquently whether using foul lanquage, or not.

[jghorton]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Wow, I wish more people would tell off politicians like that ever so eloquently whether using foul lanquage, or not.

So, let's see; there is only one acceptable position on this and anyone else is a bigot that deserves to be 'smacked' or shouted down in as foul a manner as the shouter deems necessary. Does that about sum up your thinking?

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by jghorton

So, let's see; there is only one acceptable position on this and anyone else is a bigot that deserves to be 'smacked' or shouted down in as foul a manner as the shouter deems necessary. Does that about sum up your thinking?

Football players who speak out about controversial issues ought to be silenced by their team management. Does that about sum up your thinking?

(the backstory is that Kluwe was writing in defense of Baltimore Raven Brendan Ayanbadejo, who spoke out in favor of Maryland's pending ballot initiative to recognize same-sex marriage; the aforementioned Maryland politician, Emmett Burns, then demanded that the Ravens censure him for speaking his mind.)

[RonnieinDallas]

Originally Posted by jghorton

So, let's see; there is only one acceptable position on this and anyone else is a bigot that deserves to be 'smacked' or shouted down in as foul a manner as the shouter deems necessary. Does that about sum up your thinking?

Pretty much...

I've yet to hear a reasonable reason to be against it.

[Dale Cooper]

Originally Posted by jghorton

So, let's see; there is only one acceptable position on this and anyone else is a bigot that deserves to be 'smacked' or shouted down in as foul a manner as the shouter deems necessary. Does that about sum up your thinking?

Or put more succinctly: If you don't agree with me, you're a bigot.

[The Dissenter]

It is sad that a punter (the lowest prestige position in football) had to say this but I applaud it nonetheless. Ownage never read so good.

[SoCalbound12]

To Mr. Kluwe:

[DiogenesofJackson]

Originally Posted by pch1013

Football players who speak out about controversial issues ought to be silenced by their team management.

That's the issue that's going on here. The Vikes' punter is actually wrong on point 1. The first amendment applies to federal governments abridging the freedom of speech, not private businesses. Moreover, the first amendment, thanks to the fourteenth amendment, applies to state and local governments abridging the freedom of speech.

The first amendment does not apply to employers, who can strip Americans of all their rights once somebody agrees to work for them and become their employee. This is why it's so strange for me to hear from so many Americans that the government is taking away their rights, when in actuality, it's your employer who probably takes away more of the Bill of Rights protections than does government. And employers can do this legally (unless you're employed by an arm of the government, military notwithstanding).

Other than that, I agree with what the football player had to say. If anti-gay marriage people were really about "freedom" as they say they are, then they'd support legalizing gay marriage.

[yeahboy79]

Originally Posted by jghorton

So, let's see; there is only one acceptable position on this and anyone else is a bigot that deserves to be 'smacked' or shouted down in as foul a manner as the shouter deems necessary. Does that about sum up your thinking?

honestly...yes. There were people against abolishing slavery. They were wrong. There were people against integrating schools. They were wrong. There were people against allowing women to vote. They were wrong. and now, in the year 2012, we still have bigoted people denying rights and happiness to a group of people. They ARE wrong and deserve to be called out on it. This really should be the simplist of issues right now and I can't even believe that it's a debate. 50 years from now, when gay marriage is legal, history is going to look back in shock of how so many bigoted people could be elected to public office and represent the people in such a despicable manner on this issue.