05/22/2007
SF Chronicle Cites Hate Group Leader Sans Background
Without making any note of his background, or that in the 80's he said that "extermination of homosexuals" might be a necessary remedy for the AIDS crisis, the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Family Research Institute Director Paul Cameron in an article about gays being asked to adopt foster children.
San Francisco's Family and Children Services is set to begin a billboard/ad campaign (below, right) in an effort to recruit more same-sex couples to adopt and care for foster children, realizing what effective parents they can be: "In San Francisco, gay men and lesbians already adopt a large share of the foster children who are not adopted by relatives -- 88 percent since last July, for example, according to Dan Kelly with the Human Services Department."
Apparently attempting to present an "alternative" perspective, reporter Ilene Lelchuk dredges up the Focus on the Family position, without any qualifiers:
Reports Lelchuk: "Focus on the Family's objection to same-sex parents is grounded in interpretation of biblical scripture and research by Paul Cameron, director of the Family Research Institute in Colorado. Cameron says gays and lesbians are unfit parents, are more likely to molest children of their same sex, switch partners frequently, have shorter life expectancies and cause their children embarrassment and social difficulties. 'Any child that can be adopted into a married-mother-and-father family, that's the gold standard,' Cameron said. 'An orphanage would be the second choice, and then a single woman.'"
According to AmericaBlog, "[Cameron] was kicked out of the American Psychological Association, and was publicly rebuked by the Nebraska Psychological Association and the American Sociological Association. And he has been called the leader of a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, America's number one civil rights organization for tracking the klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists."
Lelchuk declined to note that Cameron's "research" has been debunked numerous times, but appears to present him as a legitimate expert on the issue. Read more here.
Presenting this without any qualifiers is an affront to same-sex couples, like the Stewart-Whites of San Francisco, who have committed themselves to adopting and raising foster children in need.
AmericaBlog notes: "a sloppy, offensive, and dangerous gaffe".
SF Chronicle quotes known hate group as legitimate expert claiming gays molest kids [americablog]
S.F.'s same-sex couples asked to adopt foster kids [sf chronicle]
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The Stewart-Whites of SF: Real Family Values [tr]
Posted 11:21 AM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Adoption, Gay Parents, JAmes Dobson, News, Paul Cameron | Permalink
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JOSH, wow, what a classic example of accusing a person of doing something AT THE VERY SAME TIME that one is doing it himself. Heaping sarcasm and mean-spiritedness into a complaint about another person’s sarcasm and perceived mean-spiritedness.
“Thanks, Zeke. We should really employ withering sarcasm to advance our goals. That'll show 'em.” --- Josh
“From your own comment: "I'm a spiritual (some would say religious) person." I suppose your spiritual practice extends to mean-spiritedness.
I am sure that will help you to change the world.” ---- Josh
Absolutely NO Sarcasm or mean-spiritedness there at all.
BRILLIANT!
Hypocrisy much?
For the record, I was sarcastic but I certainly wasn't mean spirited. I don’t, and never have, supported the ad hominem attacks by my friend Leland. That includes the ones he made here. I often agree with his opinion on a given topic while disagreeing completely with his delivery style. He will be the first to tell you so.
HERMESDC, thank you for your thoughtful response to the criticisms of the article and your comment. And no, I am not being sarcastic. Unlike JOSH, you are able to consider the possibility that your original comment failed to fully consider some of the criticisms being raised. I appreciate your acknowledging the fact that the reporter failed to meet basic journalistic standards as they pertain to citing sources.
Not acknowledging this fact, or in Josh's case, claiming that it wasn't the responsibility of a jounalist to disclose relevant information about her source, was the ONLY thing that I took issue with in your and Josh's comment.
Later, I took exception with JOSH's patronizing and condescending tone that he directed at people other than Leland. I understood why he resorted to that with Leland (fire fighting fire) but it didn't excuse talking down to others as if they were too stupid to understand the hidden disclosures in the article. It was then, and only then, that I resorted to sarcasm.
Posted by: Zeke | May 23, 2007 11:52:48 AM
Perhaps a little disclosure of my own is in order here.
I am a gay full time father who has had to put up with people reciting the "research" of Cameron to myself AND TO MY KID, for years. Contrary to JOSH'S claim, the average American doesn't seem to realize that this man is a homophobic religious quack. When a journalist quotes this man as a source without disclosing his background and the fact that he his quack "research" got him thrown out of the APA, and then someone here comes to the defense of the jounalist by claiming that the reader should know these things, forgive me if I take it personally and react passionately.
Anyone who has had their child come home from school crying because someone told him that his dad was a covert child molestor who was going to die young and abandon him, probably knows how personally Cameron's "research" can affect them.
Posted by: Zeke | May 23, 2007 12:00:47 PM
"...the Southern Poverty Law Center, America's number one civil rights organization for tracking the klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists."
This is hardly an accurate portrayal of the SPLC. In fact, the SPLC is somewhat of a joke that exists purely to drum up stories of hatred.
Paul Cameron, director of the Family Research Institute in Colorado is however a complete idiot and an embarassement to humanity. IMHO any group that has "family" in the title is most likely wrong, and also likely to attempt brainwashing, i.e. "Focus on the Family" and other groups.
As for journalistic ethics? As a journalist let me say that there are always unknown factors about sources. A proper editor should have asked, or checked up on this source. It's often difficult to know these things, and I'm sure it's not a mistake that was made intentionally or will be made again.
Posted by: Tabitha | May 28, 2007 6:58:45 PM