Need more reason to dislike the Tea Party?

[thistlechaser]

Tea Party leader says anti-gay bullying is "healthy peer pressure". Link leads to one of many sites reacting to it. I'm not linking to Rich Swier's original post saying that, because to read it you have to give the Tea Party access to information about yourself, and I'm certainly not willing to do that, not even basic things like where I'm from.

"Tea Party activist Rich Swier recently said of anti-LGBT bullying: "it is peer pressure and it is healthy." He went on to compare being gay to behaviors such as smoking, underage drinking and drug abuse."

From this site:

But, according to Swier, the anti-bullying campaign is nothing more than a sham by “radical gay activists.” He says that it’s all a part of the ever omnipotent “gay agenda” and its plan to indoctrinate school children into the so-called “homosexual lifestyle.”

They quote his original writing on it:

This is not bullying. It is peer pressure and is healthy. There are many bad behaviors such as smoking, under age drinking and drug abuse that are behaviors that cannot be condoned. Homosexuality falls into this category.

Homosexuality is simply bad behavior that youth see as such and rightly pressure their peers to stop it.

So depressing...

Comments

[giftofarthas.livejournal.com]

auntiesiannan posted this link earlier in the day and I about spat my drink out as I read it.

I mean really? REALLY? Who gets their rocks off on being cruel to anyone, no matter what their sexual orientation is? Oh wait...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think that might be who I got it from! Some A-name on my ... Oh, I still have my friendsfriends page open. *checks* Yep! auntiesiannan!

[peppygrowlithe.livejournal.com]

AAAAAAAH!

People like this exist!!

And have POWER!

AAAIIIEEEEE!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

And more power, if the Tea Party has anything to say about it. :|

[jazznut85.livejournal.com]

Reading this made me seriously sick to my stomach...not kidding. The funny thing is that in an act of desperation for "acceptance," I suckered myself into joining the cults of not just Christianity but also conservatism. The more and more I learned about conservatism, though, and their fringe group, the Tea Party, I learned just how against my true beliefs and what I stand for it all goes against.

Then again, what can you expect from the group who uses the same imagery as the Aryan Nations and other neo-nazi and hate groups? I am proud to say that I am an ex-conservative, and I believe that all of these f**kwads, who spew hate such as this, comparing being born gay to social problems such as teen drinking, etc, need to be removed from any positions of power. They made just as much sense as the homeless pan handling drunks on street corners.

Anyways, just added you on LJ to my f-list. Would love to be friends, get to know you.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Friended back, you seem like an interesting fellow!

I also have a "dark past", long ago I was an ultra-conservative person as well. I am so very thankful I grew out of that, that I matured enough to see how hateful that could be. I'm a much happier person now.

[jazznut85.livejournal.com]

Well, thank you for that! For the most part, I have just come to realize also that blogging is therapeutic, and that it can get a lot of negative feelings off of my chest, make me feel better.

And yeah, besides that, as well as realizing how hateful conservatives truly are, I, too, am much happier. Glad to have you on my f-list.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yep! I love blogging for that reason, as well as sharing nifty things I find around on the web. Anything to get folks talking, really!

Happy to have you, too!

[jazznut85.livejournal.com]

I get a lot of cool ideas for blog entries in strange places, and also some more unconventional places such as articles I read, books I get into, characters I can relate to or, more recently, something I hear being discussed on NPR, which I am an avid fan of.

Like you, I find myself getting on here a lot, too. This, and reading, nowadays, are my two main activities I find myself engaged in when I'm not working (I'm a produce guy at Wal-Mart here in town). Not only does it pay the bills, but it also allows me to treat myself to selections from our store's improving book section; seems like they're finally getting the program and catering to someone other than Bible thumpers, backwoods Republicans, and obsessors of vampire fiction. Not that there's anything wrong with the latter, but I like a little bit of romance, sci-fi or mystery mixed in with my vampire smut, thank you very much!

Anyways, off to work now with two cups of coffee in my system. Talk to you later, and I'll be blogging tonight when I get home.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think my journal is attracting produce guys! veloxe is one, too.

NPR is one of the two main stations I listen to, the other being a news radio one. I wish I could listen more on the weekends, but I don't drive as much then and only listen in my car. Did you know there's a TV show for This American Life? Hosted by Ira Glass as well. It runs on some station called Current TV.

Have a good day at work!

[jazznut85.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that there is a show for This American Life, actually. Then again, I watch very little TV and listen a lot more to the radio; NPR predominately on the air, but also the All Songs Considered online station, then the two college stations here which play some good stuff.

I have heard of Current TV, knowing that that's where Keith Olbermann went. Current TV, if I'm not mistaken, is owned by Al Gore.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I have heard of Current TV, knowing that that's where Keith Olbermann went. Current TV, if I'm not mistaken, is owned by Al Gore.

Huh! I had no idea, but I'd believe that.

I live alone, so I like keeping the TV on for background noise.

[jazznut85.livejournal.com]

I live with my parents, currently, but find myself needing something in the background at least, if not what I am actively listening to. I usually have one of the two college stations on, if not NPR on (usually most times before the late night when it becomes BBC World service...I like their commentary shows and other such news shows).

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I love BBC World service and the BBC news program. It's so interesting to hear about things from a non-Americancentric point of view!

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

On top of everything else that's so utterly wrong here, I'm darkly amused by how he thinks peer pressure is what *stops* teenagers from drinking and doing drugs. I'll bet the sky is green in his world too.

No, wait, it's black, because his head is so far up his ass that's all he can see. I hope he fades into obscurity forever.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

HA! Yes, I thought that, too. Because teens are nothing but smart people making good choices, and only want their peers to do the same!

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

What. No, that's not a question.

My boss tells me I'm not allowed to call the Tea Party a bunch of crazies anymore but seriously can I call them a bunch of crazies?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Why would your boss say that?!

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

Something about how they formed as a group to protest taxes. I don't think she realized that they were crazy.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

You need to send her this link!

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

Actually made a comment about crazy people and pointed at my computer with that page open, she read a little but then she had to go help a patron. =(

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oh, aww.

[quistie.livejournal.com]

So...let me get this straight. Peer pressure is a good thing? Or at least a good thing some of the time?

I'm half-expecting this guy to say something along the line of "Peer pressure is bad, mmmokay? Peer pressure leads to bad behaviors such as smoking, drug/alcohol abuse, and worst of all, being gay. But wait! You can also use peer pressure to keep people from smoking and from being gay! Peer pressure, it's so versatile!"

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha!

Logic: The Tea Party isn't big on it.