Family Research Council's Tony Perkins Links Secret Service Prostitution Scandal with Repeal of 'DADT'
Family Research Council president Tony Perkins discussed the "growing number of top Republicans who are donating to pro-gay causes" with right-wing radio host Janet Mefferd yesterday. Mefferd noted "the extent to which the GOP doesn’t want to fight on this issue anymore" and Perkins asserted it is causing a breakdown in moral order evidenced by the Secret Service prostitution scandal and the repeal of 'DADT', Right Wing Watch reports:
Said Perkins:
Just for a moment step back and look at the implications of this, over the weekend we saw the news of the President’s Secret Service detail in Colombia and the issue of them hiring prostitutes and now the White House is outraged about that. Actually in a meeting this morning my staff asked, ‘why should the President be upset’? It was actually legal; it was legal there to do that, so why should we be upset? Well, the fact is we intuitively know it’s wrong, there’s a moral law against that.
The same is true for what the President has done to the military enforcing open homosexuality in our military. You can change the law but you can’t change the moral law that’s behind it. You can change the positive law, the law that is created by man, but you can’t change the moral law, it’s wrong. So what you have is you have a total breakdown and you can’t pick and choose. Morality is not a smorgasbord; you can’t pick what you want. I think you’re absolutely right, this is a fundamental issue going forward because if we say ‘let them do what we want,’ what’s next? You cannot maintain moral order if you are willing to allow a few things to slide.
Audio over at Right Wing Watch.
A lame excuse from Mr. Lame himself.
Posted by: Peter | Apr 17, 2012 1:23:40 PM
I cry when I read about young kids (as i once was) being bullied by overbearing teens at their schools.
Then I read the hate of this slime kunt Perkins, who twists even his own self righteousness into a bat to beat everyone else......and I firmly hold that it is the poison of these racist homophobes that supports the mach culture that allows oppression in schools.
You are guilty ,Perkins, more guilty of immorality than those you preach against.
Posted by: JackFknTwist | Apr 17, 2012 1:52:10 PM
@ LITTLEKIWI :
My favourite thing about being gay ?; pissing off straights.......all the time.
Posted by: JackFknTwist | Apr 17, 2012 1:58:18 PM
I'm always puzzled by the "stereotypical gays make us look bad!" comments. I consider myself "classically gay", many others feel free to throw their own labels onto me - but here's the reality: there aint a single straight person in my life that doesn't support our community, 100%.
friends. family. co-workers. acquaintances. *new*-acquaintances.
if "gay stereotypes" are so bad, and I'm what some of you consider a "stereotypical gay" then how come none of the straight people i interact with on daily basis, and see regularly in life, are in any way shape or form anti-gay? not only are they not anti-gay, they're actively and vocally PRO-LGBT.
clearly i'm doing something right.
Posted by: LittleKiwi | Apr 17, 2012 2:03:14 PM
I'm sorry, Rick, but I cannot agree. I believe that individualism is preferable to a herd mentality. How can we help others if we are not comfortable and secure in ourselves?
As for Feminism, I'm not sure how you arrive at the advocacy of a group's social and economic equality as being individualistic. I will say this, however: any time women are freed from the tribal and/or religious slavery prevalent in many of today's societies, such as withholding contraception, ritual mutilation and forced pregnancy, you will see an immediate rise in the standard of living of the settlement, village, town, what have you. So, I fail to see how this supports your comment.
Otherwise, I think there are quite strong ethical & moral standards in this country and in this community. The problem, as I see it, is the assumption that such standards require a religious foundation since a secular society cannot provide a moral compass and that simply isn't true.
Posted by: Tim Tondreault | Apr 17, 2012 2:06:35 PM
I understand what one of the commentors was trying to say that Tony Perkin's logic "tracks" when you follow his argument, because there are many in this world who believe nothing moral ever changes. Therefore, within that sphere of thought, the comments do have a certain logic and reasoning to them.
Of course, anyone who looks beyond their own nose is well aware that the dictates of morality change, and can change dramatically, in a short period of time within any individual, group or society as a whole. Less than 60 years ago, it was a moral sin for a woman not to be married and have children, and just under a 100 years ago women had no moral right to vote. These things, for the majority in our society, have changed and we would no longer consider a woman being single her entire life or exercising her right to vote as a moral wrong.
The fact is that there are people, ego-centric and personality-driven, who avoid and fight against any change of any kind in their lives, and for whom their viewpoint can't include anything other than themselves. They fail to recognize or see that even their own morality has changed over the years, and that the world they are trying desperately to retain has already changed around them. The Tony Perkins of 20 years ago would not have accepted certain realities that today are now quite commonplace and morally approved by himself and society, but you'd be hard pressed to ever get him to admit it.
Posted by: Keith | Apr 17, 2012 2:20:45 PM
Ever since "Psycho" I haven't liked this guy!
Posted by: John | Apr 17, 2012 2:28:38 PM
@KEITH : So you're saying he's a psycho right ?
@JOHN : Ha ha ha ....yours is the best comment.
Posted by: JackFknTwist | Apr 17, 2012 2:44:19 PM
The wrong was the Secret Service Agent not paying the $47 fee to the prostitute.
To hear these right wingers go off the deepend you would think none of them had ever used the services of a prostitute, although it is usually a male prostitute when they get caught.Maybe that is why they are so irrate, it was women and not men the agents were using.
The security issue is a whole different question which has nothing to do with prostitution.
Posted by: Swiminbuff | Apr 17, 2012 3:20:38 PM
@SWIMINBUFF :
You are right......but Perkins is so deluded he doesn't see the security issue as being sufficiently useful to his obsessions.......so he jerks off on the "morality ".
Posted by: JackFknTwist | Apr 17, 2012 3:44:47 PM
Dear LittleKiwi, Yes I know it is 2012. I also know that in some states humans that are gay can be legally fired. I also know that in some states humans that are gay can legally be denied housing. So when I read the comment that people actually have no reason to be closeted and to be OUT can have no punishment or negative repercussion, I thought it was untrue. There are many trade-offs to being OUT or closeted. In my life I was in a position to be OUT and in a position to lose 2 jobs, but that was my choice. I am gay and I like being gay. I encourage people to be OUT. I advocate for equality. But all things in good time. I understand that some may see this as an excuse but I believe each person must weigh the reality of this society and their situation and live their own life making decisions on their OUTness when they can but they need to do this in the most informed manner as possible. In the mean time I can carry the extra weight of someone who is not OUT or only partially OUT because as a gay man I'm not only FABULOUS, I'm fabulously strong. Sometimes the "baby gays" need shelter and as an adult I can be patient and nurturing until they can stand tall proud and OUT. Love ya. It's 2012.
Posted by: Nigel | Apr 17, 2012 3:59:12 PM
the reality, Nigel, is that the reason it's "hard" to Come Out is because too many people give excuses not to. We adults have a responsibility, we both understand this.
but people have been coming out for decades, in times far more unforgiving and understanding than today. they too could have shrugged their shoulders and said "oh, i can't. it's too hard, i can't come out because __________________." They chose not to. And we're all here today because of that active adult choice.
the movement gains no traction when people only think about themselves. Closet Culture only ensures that Closet Culture continues. Yes, in good time, in your own time. but that means being real - and not just thinking about yourself. You don't get to "the right time" when you continue to tell yourself excuses not to do the right thing.
the weight should be on the shoulders of adults, not the children.
Posted by: LittleKiwi | Apr 17, 2012 4:07:33 PM
So, his staff is all in favor of prostitution.... interesting.
Posted by: BobN | Apr 17, 2012 7:37:45 PM
Tony Perkins is so howl at the moon crazy that fewer and fewer Americans listen to anything he has to say, except mabye for comic relief. We really are blessed to have enemies like him and his ilk.
Posted by: jack | Apr 17, 2012 8:50:07 PM
Tony Perkins's comments are an embarassment to all conservatives. The leaders of the Right really need to think before they speak. What is he going to blame the gays for next - the mold in his basement?
Posted by: Mary | Apr 17, 2012 9:11:29 PM
Prostitution is the oldest job for humankind, even Jesus had his do
Posted by: Jake | Apr 17, 2012 11:50:58 PM
let's call a spade a spade, Tony Perkins doesn't like President Obama because President Obama is an intelligent black man. The secret service has absolutely nothing to do with the President...and I am certain that it has gone on before, it just wasn't broadcast...besides who cares what they do as long as the protect the president when he is there!
Don't ask don't tell has nothing to do with this whatsoever... gays have always existed in the military... just now they can tell people and they don't have to lie!! Get over it Tony find a new cause ... like hmmm here's one, children going hungry or homelessness!!
Posted by: tommyboy | Apr 18, 2012 10:13:33 AM
His logic is so off the wall. There was no law written saying do whatever you want. No moral law was broken, lack of professional conduct was the problem.
Ending DADT addressed the moral laws that are broken when you deny human beings the right of solace and human companionship. Keeping it would have required us to treat gay people as less than people and deny them compassion. What is MORAL is HIGHLY subjective and the reason we can't use religion to make laws.
Straight AND gay people have sex. A lot of the times, the people we have sex with are also the people who support us. DADT acknowledged that and stopped penalizing people for that. As usual, the military asked BOTH straight and gay people to DO THEIR job. BE a professional. Sexual orientation does not hinder judgement. Stupidity and un-professionalism does..
Posted by: renee | Apr 19, 2012 12:05:08 AM