Today Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is trailing badly in his campaign for the White House, sharply denounced President Obama’s decision to require that U.S. agencies abroad “promote and protect the human rights” of gay people in other countries. Gov. Perry’s stunning statements came on the same day that the Obama administration announced the new policy. The governor called the policy a “silly idea,” saying it is “not in America’s interests” and is part of President Obama’s alleged “war on traditional American values”:
“Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money.”
The governor said his position went beyond concerns related to national security interests:
“This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many [Americans] of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong. President Obama has again mistaken America’s tolerance for different lifestyles with an endorsement of those lifestyles. I will not make that mistake.”
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton discussed the administration’s new policy in a major speech about human rights in Geneva, Switzerland, today. From the Washington Post:
In her most direct challenge to nations with conservative cultural or religious mores, Clinton catalogued abuses such as targeted killings of gays, “corrective rape” of lesbians or forced hormone treatments. She likened the targeting of gays for mistreatment to “honor killings” of women, widow-burning or female genital mutilation, examples of practices the U.S. decries but has not penalized friends including Afghanistan for carrying out.
“Some people still defend those practices as part of a cultural tradition,” she said. “But violence toward women isn’t cultural; it’s criminal.”
She also compared the evolution of cultural attitudes toward homosexuality to the changing view of slavery.
“What was once justified as sanctioned by God is now properly reviled as an unconscionable violation of human rights,” she said.
Last month Gov. Perry signed a controversial anti-gay marriage pledge in Iowa that, among other things, claims that being gay is a health risk. Last summer, as he prepared to announce his bid for president, Gov. Perry asked the anti-gay hate group American Family Association to organize a prayer extravaganza in Houston. Six years ago he suggested that gay military veterans returning from the war in Iraq should maybe live somewhere other than Texas. (You can read more about Gov. Perry’s venomous anti-gay record here.)
Now Gov. Perry thinks that directing American agencies overseas to defend the basic human rights of gay people — such as the right to live and be from targeted brutality — is a “silly idea” and “not worth a dime.”
“What was once justified as sanctioned by God is now properly reviled as an unconscionable violation of human rights.”
Amen, sister!
Funny how bigots have been ending up on the wrong side of history lately…….
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and, under a just God, cannot long retain it.”–Abraham Lincoln, letter to H.L. Pierce, April 6, 1859. From the series Great Ideas of Western Man.
Clearly, Perry has no clue on anything. He’s a blank slate. He has no opinion on rights or gays or anything. He simply is an ignorant fool. So, I can’t get too worked up on what Perry says because he’s a complete moron with no considered opinion. Might as well ask a 2-year old as ask Perry about anything.
I had no idea until Perry took the national stage how completely and utterly stupid and ignorant he was. The fact that he is our governor is a complete embarrassment.
“THE LADY DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH METHINKS”
Queen Gertrude–‘Hamlet’
Doc Bill: It’s no surprise that you were in the dark about Perry, because that’s been his strategy, to hide in his rental mansion and make deals in the dark.
This is the old “whip up the family values to distract and try to get back in the spotlight” play from the standard GOP playbook.
At this point the best he can hope for is VP candidate, and I don’t think he’s on the top tier of applicants for that job. I really think he was running for VP from the get-go anyway, because it’s a job with nothing to do. That’s Perry’s speciality.
Speaking of taxpayers, it’s time we start adding up the cost of all his mismanagement and Texas GOP incompetence. Of course there will be litigation extending years into the future, but we can get started on a tally.
Sick Rick, aka Scary Perry may wind up as this country’s next Ted Haggard when the truth finally comes out of “the closet…….”
I used to say Rick Perry was smart enough to breathe on his own.
Now I’m starting to doubt it.
Perry decries “special rights” for gays – special rights such as being treated as human?
Why do Texans vote for the likes of Dumb Dubya and now Wreck Parry? Do all thinking Texans get tied up right before election time so they cannot get to the polls and vote? There HAS to be an explanation for this crap!
Alas…there just AREN’T many thinking Texans, period. We’re way out-numbered by the dumb ones.
Rick Perry has been in bed with Haliburtan and all of the rich in Texas for ever and the people keep following this idiot. Maybe things will start to come to the surface he and his buddy’s can’t pull the wool over everybody’s eyes for ever eventually the roof will cave in.
Perry is an ass of the first order. He has no compassion nor understanding of people who are different from him. Why the American people would even consider him as a candidate for the highest post in the U.S. government has got to be the biggest mistake ever made, and the most laughable debacle of the persuit of equality and peace in the world.