Tuesday, February 7, 2012

One Million Moms and Bill O'Reilly

JC Penney's hired Ellen de Generes as their official spokesperson. I think that's a good move. Ellen's smart, she's honest, she's probably so trustworthy she could sell ice to Eskimos. I can't think of a better representative for this traditional American store. In fact, I can't think of a better role model for young women than Ellen.

But the One Million Moms activist group aren't happy mommies. They object to the fact that Ellen is gay, and that whenever Ellen appears in a JC Penney commercial or in an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper, Ellen brings her "gayness" into the lives of the millions of children who belong to the one million moms who make up the group raising this protest.

Honestly, all that's missing is Marcus Bachmann.

Well, as the old saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day, and that old broken clock struck twice last night in the person of Bill O'Reilly. Bill addressed the issue that One Million Moms is actually demanding that JC Penney fire Ellen de Generes as their spokesperson, based entirely on the fact that she is gay.

This annoyed O'Reilly, who tried to get at least one of the one million moms to appear on The O'Reilly Factor and explain why they thought this private retail corporation should, basically, discriminate against de Generes, or, indeed, any employee or potential employee based on their lifestyle - but, as Bill said, all the million moms were busy. Instead, he got Sandy Riios of Culture Campaign and the lobby group Family Pac Federal to argue their case, with which he vehemently didn't agree.

I'm no fan of O'Reilly, but it was refreshing to hear someone associated with Fox News's brand of conservatism (which is anything but compassionate) speak up in defence of any person or corporation discriminating against an American (or anyone) based on their lifestyle. He went as far as calling One Million Mom's actions a witch hunt and something akin to McCarthyism.

You can watch his takedown below:-



O'Reilly makes sense. If people object to JC Penney's choice of spokesperson, all they need to do is withdraw their custom. Don't shop at JC Penney. Boycott the store. But, as he rightly stated, to deny a person a position in any walk of life based on their race, religion, colour, creed or lifestyle is totally against everything for which this country stands. These Rightwing defenders of "family values" (some of whom probably have LGBT family members) are just as wrong to call for the sacking of Ellen de Generes as are some on the Left who call for the sacking of Bill O'Reilly. If you're offended by O'Reilly or anyone on television, change the channel.

Shopping at JC Penney won't make you gay because they have a gay spokesperson. You're born that way. And for Ms Rios to remark that homosexual agendae are encroaching on more traditional family values, she's wrong. Gay people have always been with us. They are among us, they're part of our heritage and they're a part of us and who we are.

It's the 21st Century. Get over it.

1 comment:

  1. I heard about this on the news while waiting to pick up my daughter from school yesterday, and was horrified. I can not believe such intolerance can still exist in today's world. Shocking! I hope these women consider that if people held on to prejudices, then these women wouldn't be allowed to vote, much less form a public forum.

    A line that my six year old daughter came up with when we were discussing the facts of people who discriminate and spread hatred is " EVERYBODY ONLY". I am so proud to be raising a young women with that mentality....she and her peers are our hope
    Meg M, Greenwich, CT

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