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Free Speech Not So Free When Discussing Gay Rights
Townhall.com ^ | May 15, 2014 | Cal Thomas

Posted on 05/15/2014 6:43:35 AM PDT by Kaslin

Once, Social Security was the "third rail" of politics. Touch it and face political death. Now it is homosexuality. Criticize anything gay people do and you risk ostracism, fines, suspension or loss of your livelihood.

Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted by a National Football League team -- the St. Louis Rams picked him 249th in the last round -- is being treated by the media and those in the gay rights movement as the equivalent of an early American pioneer.

Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones, apparently, didn't get the memo. Jones tweeted "OMG" and "horrible" after he saw Sam and his boyfriend kiss each other live on ESPN. His tweet was quickly taken down, but the political correctness police swooped in anyway. Jones has been fined and suspended. He's also being forced to attend "educational training" to get his "mind right," to borrow a phrase from the film "Cool Hand Luke." This sounds like the old communist "re-education" camps.

Dolphins Coach Joe Philbin called Jones' comment "inappropriate and unacceptable." Jones issued a statement that read like it had been written by a lawyer, apologizing for his "inappropriate" tweet and taking "full responsibility" for his comment.

How quickly things have changed from the recent experiences of Tim Tebow. When the quarterback heroically led the Denver Broncos to a playoff victory in 2012 and dropped to one knee, as he often did to express gratitude to God (a move that quickly became known as "Tebowing," which spawned countless YouTube parodies), he was widely ridiculed by many of the same entities that now defend Michael Sam, including some NFL players and even "Saturday Night Live," which in a skit had "Jesus" offering Tebow advice while sitting next to him on a locker room bench.

When the Broncos released Tebow, he was mocked again, not only for his faith, but for claiming to be a virgin who wanted to save himself for marriage. In an increasingly secular and licentious culture this sort of thinking and expression, apparently, must be silenced.

During Tebow's brief professional career, TV ratings spiked, jerseys and other gear with Tebow's name on it sold well and, according to Ad Age, "In terms of influence, Mr. Tebow is now in the top 40 of 3,000 celebs ... on par with Tom Hanks, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston and Steven Spielberg."

Yet, Tebow endured a sometimes silent and often shouted campaign to brand him in a negative way. He was called "polarizing." It was said he had "baggage," though his "bags" were considerably lighter than many other professional athletes who have had drug and alcohol problems, incidents with guns at strip clubs and numerous out-of-wedlock children.

The Nation's Dave Zirin revealed the secular left's real problem with Tebow when he wrote, "(Tebow) is a religious figure in a country that is uncomfortable talking (about) religion." Really? I would venture to guess there are probably more people attending church on Sunday mornings than attend NFL football games on Sunday afternoon. Such is the bias of those who hold disdain for people of strong faith because it apparently exposes flaws in themselves they prefer not to see.

After the Broncos cut Tebow, haters took to the comment page of The Huffington Post:

"Awwwww. I bet this makes the Baby Jesus weep. Tim should have prayed more."

"Hey Tim, are you getting the message now? Nothing fails like prayer."

"We're all going to h--l and we're excited about it. Don't be jealous."

"Where is your God now, Tebow?"

NFL players who joined in the mockery were not fined, disciplined or forced into education training camp. Such is the cultural double standard between the way Michael Sam is being treated and the experience of Tim Tebow. But what should one expect these days when anything goes, except for free speech critical of the LGBT crowd?


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: donjones; freespeech; homosexualagenda; michaelsam; nfl; reeducation; sam; sodomy; timtebow
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To: Kaslin

As the result of their differential treatment of Mr. Tebow and Ms. Sam, among other reasons, the NFL is now dead to me.


21 posted on 05/15/2014 7:20:01 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Shoot cops that shoot dogs.)
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Politically Correct
Is Another Term For Intolerance

Please Donate!

22 posted on 05/15/2014 7:25:49 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: jimt

Yep, I know what you mean.

Of course the liberals will say that, nobody would say anything if a player kissed a girlfriend or wife, on hearing the news of being selected in the draft.

And then we go round and round with that discussion as to whether it was get a room time the way they kissed, and would we say a heterosexual couple should get a room. This is how liberals debate about these things. They always draw equivalence to how we judge opposite sex couples.


23 posted on 05/15/2014 7:27:26 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Arm_Bears
As the result of their differential treatment of Mr. Tebow and Ms. Sam, among other reasons, the NFL is now dead to me.

Yep. I will still watch NCAA, which is much better anyway.

24 posted on 05/15/2014 7:47:17 AM PDT by Genoa (Starve the beast.)
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To: Genoa

ESPN runs college football. And they are ruining it.


25 posted on 05/15/2014 7:47:53 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator
ESPN runs college football. And they are ruining it.

Indeed they are. I'm actually old enough to remember when you knew what time games would kickoff before the start of the season (and before TV started dictating everything).

26 posted on 05/15/2014 7:54:02 AM PDT by Marathoner (What are we waiting for? Where are the Articles of Impeachment?)
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To: sickoflibs
But 'sexual orientation' is really just sexual desire which is invisible, so those laws protect selected behavior.>

Reminds me of the woman who sued a company for not hiring her because she had flat feet. When asked if the company had asked her about her feet she said, 'no'. When asked how they found out she had flat feet, she told them she volunteered the information in her first interview...

27 posted on 05/15/2014 8:10:57 AM PDT by GOPJ (Obama - when will you tell radical muslims to stop clinging to their guns & religion?)
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To: Kaslin

I thought The Constitution applied to everyone!


28 posted on 05/15/2014 8:21:56 AM PDT by upcountryhorseman (An old fashioned conservative)
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To: GOPJ
RE :”Reminds me of the woman who sued a company for not hiring her because she had flat feet. When asked if the company had asked her about her feet she said, ‘no’. When asked how they found out she had flat feet, she told them she volunteered the information in her first interview...”

Is that considered a protected handicap?

29 posted on 05/15/2014 8:29:01 AM PDT by sickoflibs (Obama : 'I never said that you can keep your doctor . Republicans lie about me ')
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To: Kaslin

The gay mind has many problem issues and homosexuality is only one part of it they are extremely vindictive lot they kill like no other the list is long.


30 posted on 05/15/2014 9:15:16 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: Texas Eagle

Sodomite wrongs,not “gay rights”.


31 posted on 05/15/2014 12:44:24 PM PDT by liberalism is suicide (Communism,fascism-no matter how you slice socialism, its still baloney)
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