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1

I am shocked that a university or college campus would promote the open discussion of religion, theology, and political beliefs.

Where were the minders with their uniforms? Were they on coffee break, or reading some radical book about free speech and all that?

Now, pass me that sarcasm tag, I seem to have forgotten where I misplaced it ...

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 28, 2008 11:17 AM
2

I didn't slam the University, Will, or suggest that the university did anything wrong in allowing Kern to speak. I was wondering why we've heard so little from religious groups -- Islamic ones, ecumenical ones -- about Kern's anti-Islamic tirades. That's all.

Posted by Dan Savage | March 28, 2008 11:23 AM
3

They'll just hold in their grievances, and eventually take them out on cartoonists.

Or sex columnists.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | March 28, 2008 11:46 AM
4

Well, this IS Oklahoma we are talking about. She is gonna be re-elected by a LANDSLIDE (In Oklahoma).

Posted by Clint | March 28, 2008 11:58 AM
5

It's funny how those morons don't know anything about the founding of this country.

Posted by keshmeshi | March 28, 2008 12:14 PM
6

It is interesting that she would choose to use the word "infidels", considering that in modern times we most often hear that term used by Muslim fundamentalists.

The more this woman talks, the more insane she sounds.

Posted by Jonathon | March 28, 2008 12:47 PM
7

Me thinks she has a bit of a Jewish problem...I hadn't looked for a transcript of the Q&A, but hopefully someone in Oklahoma is reading between the lines of her 'Christian' message

Posted by Shawn Fassett | March 28, 2008 12:48 PM
8

There is no outrage from Islam because they, unlike the gay community, do not feel the need to feed trolls. Let Sally Kern's words speak for themselves, and it will do more damage than bellicosely casting her as the enemy ever could.

Posted by Anonymous | March 28, 2008 12:57 PM
9

I'd imagine that given the state of hostility that exists between your average American and Muslims everywhere, Muslim groups have to triage their outrage. A redneck state legislator has to result in a statement on their website because they have to concentrate their real efforts on shutting Tom Tancredo the hell up.

Posted by Gitai | March 28, 2008 1:04 PM
10

Dan, just wondering -- do YOU hear from Muslim groups over YOUR anti-Islam tirades?

You and Sally could really bond over that stuff.

Posted by irony | March 28, 2008 1:16 PM
11

@3 wins.

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 28, 2008 1:39 PM
12

Hey, Mr. Anonymous @ #8.....

Speaking as a gay man, let me send a great big wet "f-ck you" re: your "feeding the trolls" comment. If you hadn't noticed, we've only been speaking up for the past 35 years or so, whereas the "trolls" have had 4000+ years to speak out against us. Give us a chance to catch up, eh?

And besides... Muslims "don't feel the need" to respond to people like Kern? Man, what rock have you been hiding under? Thousands of Muslims across the globe demonstrated because someone in Denmark drew a silly cartoon depicting Mohammed - protests in which several people were killed. Maybe CAIR isn't jumping on this one, but to be sure Muslims hold their own when it comes to responding to criticism and jibes from people like Kerns.

Kern's words do speak for themselves, but you have to remember that once upon a time her comments weren't considered unusual or out of order. It is only because the gay community has stood up for itself time and time again against people like Kerns that anyone outside of the gay community even cares about it. Silence = Death, remember?

Posted by Jonathon | March 28, 2008 1:44 PM
13

I totally get your point Jonathon - and I do think that stuff like Kern's BS needs to be addressed. But, there are a couple of things I would like to point out:

1) Perhaps for people who are devout Muslims there is a difference between having things said about you (hateful things to be sure) and actually seeing your prophet's image desecrated - one evoking a more visceral reaction. I am not religious myself but I can see a difference in magnitude.
2) Strategically, it probably doesn't do well to see Kern's statements as "the same old homophobia". The response of the Xian right to things like choice and gay rights is new and modern and needs to be fought as such. It is a different battle.

Posted by hmmmmm | March 28, 2008 2:17 PM
14

The reason we've heard nothing from Muslim groups is that Muslim groups are protected under federal law from discrimination, and are a protected class under the Hate Crimes laws. The see this woman for what she is, a Harlot. American Muslims don't get bent out of shape like Euro-Muslims because life is much better for them here.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn | March 28, 2008 2:25 PM
15

there is no muslem outrage because they would lose there voice in 4 hours if they yelled everytime there religion was denounced....this is normal talk for americans of all political stripes....muslems in america I'm mostly ok with
islam i find barberous and bloodthirsty

Posted by linus | March 28, 2008 2:34 PM
16

and should be desicrated as much as humanly possibal...like mormonism

Posted by linus | March 28, 2008 2:35 PM
17

I'm rather under the impression that Muslims don't protest because a) they try to keep themselves largely segregated from the overarching community to protect their children and b)they would all end up on the Fed's list in a second if they looked like they objected to something a white legislator was saying.

Posted by Kat | March 28, 2008 2:57 PM
18

Clearly, we need to keep Christians out of government.

Posted by Andy | March 28, 2008 4:59 PM
19

It seems that Sally Kern is using 'googling' as a valid form of 'proof'. Where are our tech-savy homos? Wouldn't it be great if we googled Sally Kern and came up with a picture of an elephant's ass?

Posted by James | March 28, 2008 5:03 PM
20

I'm an infidel and proud of it.

Posted by Johnny | March 29, 2008 5:03 AM
21

What really bugs me about woman like Sally Kern is that they don't follow their own religion. According to her God hates me because I'm gay, yet she is a woman in a position of power and she speaks with out a man asking her to. Why is it these people never seem to be able to follow their own rules, but yet the try to make me live in accordance to them. Hypocrites galore.

Posted by Heather | March 29, 2008 8:32 AM
22

Where in the Bible does it say "thou shalt elect thy officials by vote of the people?" Democracy- our system of government- is an outgrowth of the Greco-Roman tradition. It has nothing to do with religion. LERN2READ HISTORY, Sally!

Posted by Iris | March 31, 2008 3:24 PM
23

@22 Also, Northern Europe's oldest (though briefly interrupted, and thus not oldest continuous) democracy is Iceland, which was pagan when the Althing was first established.

Posted by christopher | April 1, 2008 7:46 AM

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