Silent assent / LJWorld.com

Letters to the Editor

February 6, 2006

To the editor:

The sudden furor over illegal surveillance and other violations of supposedly guaranteed constitutional and civil rights rings loudly hollow. Because the truth is that for 200-plus years without interruption, such violations have been perpetrated against minority citizens and partisans of unpopular political persuasions. That's been true nationally and locally.

One immutable truth about the protection of the constitutional and civil rights of American citizens is that that protection is conditional. The primary condition for protection is that the citizen be a heterosexual white male. Another condition is that one's political and/or social speech may not be offensive to the heterosexual white males in power.

Fred Phelps embodies this truth. Phelps has flourished because he has been tolerated here in Kansas for all these years. If his message of hate and intolerance had been directed at rich, powerful white males, he'd have been silenced a long time ago by legal or social action. But because he is a white heterosexual male whose fear and loathing of homosexuals is, to a degree, shared by most Kansans, he has enjoyed a fair hearing in the courts and no widespread social movement ever developed to isolate and drive him underground.

In fact, some who are now speaking up for Phelps' rights have in the past been complacently silent or indignantly vocal when they tacitly or actively approved of silencing "offensive" speech. In that respect, pronouncements of our duty to tolerate even speech that's offensive sound like rationalizations for supporting Phelps' message.

Mike Cuenca,

Lawrence

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blue73harley (anonymous) says…

Put your race card away Cuenca. Phelps is offensive to most white hetro males. Check the general population of the Patriot Guard for one example.
February 6, 2006 at 6:50 a.m.
mefirst (anonymous) says…

The Patriot GUard didn't give two hoots about Phelps protesting gays' funerals. It's only when they started protesting soldiers' funerals that the heroic (ahem) Patriot Guard stepped in.
February 6, 2006 at 11:58 a.m.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…

mefirst - that was just one example. Another I could name would be the crowds of primarily white people that are constantly offended by Phred's protests at the Lied Center. And I see no rush of white males who are interested in joining Phred's cause. I see no objective evidence to support the claim that Phred's message of hate is supported by the majority of white males. In fact, this claim is just plain stupid. The only reason Phred is allowed to get away with this sh$t is a little something called the First Amendment. But I guess you could blame a bunch of hetro white guys for that, too.
February 6, 2006 at 12:37 p.m.
moderationman (anonymous) says…

Fred Phelps is tolerated because deep down, the majority of Kansans feel like he does, but are afraid to voice their support. Witness the Marriage Amendment. That vote was nothing more than a vindication of Phelps and his family's beliefs. The outrage that many of us feel about the spying of the Bush administration is because we are white, Christian, heterosexuals who don't want our every move or mouse click logged, because we are imperfect. Minorities have put up with this for a long time. Now that its our turn, we don't like it; and rightly so.
February 6, 2006 at 12:40 p.m.
Defender (anonymous) says…

Sorry rightthinker, I have to correct your post. What you meant to say was 'The president I have voted for twice now is bombarded hourly with truth, which he finds offensive'
February 6, 2006 at 3:31 p.m.
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…

Indeed, the letter writer's assertion that constitutional protections are conditional rings true. It is the true promise of America and every citizen's duty to ensure that constitutional protections are applied to all. There is a way to go, but things are improving (the regression of the past 5 years notwithstanding).

It is also my suspicion that Phelps would not be allowed to do what he does if he were attacking white, christian values. However, we must face facts that Kansas is dominated by right-wing fundamentalist christians and they set the tone for the state.
February 6, 2006 at 6:26 p.m.
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…

rightthinker, your posts are hilarious. Keep up the comedy.
February 6, 2006 at 6:27 p.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

Your views are pretty repugnant, too, c-man. Can't see why you don't want to snuggle up to these strange bedfellows.
February 6, 2006 at 10:21 p.m.
Defender (anonymous) says…

rightthinker:

" the good part for you misguided libs"

Wrong, I'm not a lib, but that is what you call anyone that disagrees with you. Just shows your ignorance.

"We don't have a lying sociopath prez..."

Bullcrap. Just shows your ignorance.
February 7, 2006 at 7:28 a.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

Arbeit macht frei, nicht wahr?
February 7, 2006 at 8:39 a.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

Ich verstehe Auschwitz. Du, wahrscheinlich, hast ein ganz anderes Verstaendtnis dafuer.
February 7, 2006 at 9:05 a.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

Ich sterbe vor Lachen.
February 7, 2006 at 9:21 a.m.
Ember (anonymous) says…

And today, of all days, my universal translator decides to go on the fritz.
February 7, 2006 at 9:24 a.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

C-man thinks the holocaust was a joke. I think he works for the president of Iran.
February 7, 2006 at 9:27 a.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

Your black-and-white strawman depiction of my positions serves only your simplistic view of the world. It's not the basis upon which any useful discussion can be had.
February 7, 2006 at 10:45 a.m.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…

Iran has the regime it has as a direct result of US and British meddling there, all for the sake of controlling its oil resources.

But I don't understand why you don't like your Aryan brothers there, C-man.
February 7, 2006 at 3:09 p.m.
75x55 (anonymous) says…

My, the paranoia runs rampant in there parts. On both sides.
February 8, 2006 at 10:11 a.m.