We are the world’s ONLY superpower. We are rich beyond the imagination of half of the globe. We have a moral responsibility to take in these people, 50% of whom are children. Don’t give me your bullshit about safety, these are the most screened refugees we have entering our country.
There is no fully-informed, fact-based argument against allowing them in that is not rooted in selfishness and/or racism.
The crazies over at the American Family Association regularly send me their hysterically funny newsletters, always full of money-begging and fear-mongering. More often than not the back page will be an ad for some family value voters summit, plastered with photos of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, etc. I sometimes forget this is coming from a religious organization and not the RNC.
Last year AFA wanted me to boycott McDonald’s because the company refused to end it’s association with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. They sent me a cute little prewritten sticky note that I was to take to my local McDonald’s and stick on the money used to pay for my last McDonald’s meal. The note would inform the Manager that until McDonald’s stopped siding with moral corruption and became neutral in the “culture war” I simply could not in good conscience spend my hard-earned Christian dollars at the restaurant. Hilarious, right? Hilarious, odd, and scary, all swirled into one nightmarish little Neapolitan mix.
Needless to say, I never dropped off the note at McDonald’s. And the boycott was a total and complete bust, as McDonald’s stock went up nearly every single day that the boycott was active. Lots of gays drinking lots of iced coffees, yes, yes we did.
Jump to my latest mailing from AFA. GAP INC. IS EVIL! THEY WON’T SAY “CHRISTMAS” EXCLUSIVELY! Basically, I’m supposed to boycott all Gap Inc. stores (Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gap, etc.) until after Christmas the Holidays because they’re supposedly censoring “Christmas”. Unfortunately for the nonexistent credibility of the American Family Association, Gap actually has an ad out now that very obviously says “Christmas” loud and clear:
If you think I’m kidding, just click on the video and let it take you to the YouTube page and take a look at the comments. Here are a few of the crazies:
“More secular paganism to sell more cheap Chinese crap. The boycott will expand to any company who denies Christ.”
“This is supposed to appease those of us who are boycotting Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic. Just more moral and cultural relativism. Boycott not over.”
“Merry Christmas Gap, may you have no better sales than any other time of year…let’s go to Macy’s who has respect for tradition and values. Throw it all to the wind right? Why believe anything when its all "relative" to what "feels right" to whomever no matter what drugs they are on? ur ok im ok!”
“This is stupid. Do whatever feels right they say. I will not shop there. That feels right. First they refuse to use Christmas in their advertising now they throw it in with Solstice. Disrespectful! I will spend my Christmas dollars elsewhere. Merry Christmas!”
Those few comments are just from the selection made in the last hour, truly terrifying.
Now for the GAP win aspect of this post. It was just announced today that the profits of Gap Inc. were up 25% in the last quarter. The timing of AFA’s silly boycott could not have been better.
Now my fair-minded, non-crazy friends, I encourage you to pick up a few extra GAP gift cards this year for your friends and family. I know these AFA folk probably don’t normally shop at GAP anyway, but I think that regardless it couldn’t hurt for us to support GAP’s spirit of inclusiveness.
Family, friends…yes, you’re getting GAP gift cards. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
I just happened upon this video and it’s very fitting when considering my previous post. We must work harder to create safe havens for LGBT individuals around the world, until that day when all people are loved, accepted, and safe in their home.
I’ve been haunted lately by the images of teenagers Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni as they wept and waited for their execution, pleading for their lives. There are questions about their case, and whether or not they were executed for their consensual homosexual acts or not, but regardless, hundreds of people are executed in Iran and other places for simply being who they are.
There are people and organizations working to make change around the world. Please consider joining up with Amnesty International and making a recurring donation. When atrocities like these and in many other categories appear around the globe Amnesty is always there fighting for justice, peace, and human rights. I have the utmost respect and gratitude for Amnesty International, and if I’m lucky maybe someday I will work for them.