We wouldn't accept statements like this about any other group of people

[dsc]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3545027&mesg_id=3545027

Let us be clear just what the President of Iran said and what his country does. The President of Iran says he has no gays in his country. The President of Iran allows gays to be killed in his streets. Some of them are as young as 17. They are publicly beaten, and then hung in front of a jeering crowd. Imagine the horror, pain, fear, and yes, even shame those men must feel as they are dying. Now this man says they don't exist.

Yes, I know he hates Bush. Yes, I know that Bush is evil. But his man is beyond the pale. He kills, or at least causes to be killed, innocent gay men and boys. That should be enough for everyone to say, No you aren't worthy of our admiration. That should be enough for us to say, we won't accept you as a spokesman.

If it isn't, how on earth can we claim that gays are real people? We wouldn't tolerate this about anyone else.

[MissB]

1. Honestly, he sounds like so many Republicans.

Who, by the way, is accepting him as spokesman?

[H2O Man]

2. Thank you.

Nominated.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Remember that rich spoiled boy who was caned in Singapore a few years ago?

His caning was the result of a legitimate sentence given after due process. And yet, the world was in an uproar over corporal punishment. Had he been murdered by a group of religious fanatics because of rumors he was gay, not a single government in the world would have made a peep.

We have no choice but to accept Ahmandinajad as a spokesperson; he is the legitimate (under Iran's constitution) head of state. Unless you agree with the Junta's plans to invade Iran and overthrow its government, there is not much we can do about it. But I agree with you otherwise.

[LakeSamish706]

4. I agree with you, don't have a problem with him hating Bush or even American's..

for that mater, but treating gays with this kind of hatred is absolutely wrong.

[againes654]

5. I agree with you but

what about our chimp in charge that "let" 3 days go by before any aid was sent into New Orleans. Some would argue that he allowed people to die in his streets, and then his own damn mother said that some were better off after Katrina. What about our chimp in charge illegally invading and occupying a sovereign nation? What about all the kids that have died in the streets of Iraq because of chimpys "shock and awe".

I am not making an argument for the Prez of Iran. I think he is an disgusting man, but I also think our own prez is disgusting.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Who "accept[s] him as a spokesman"? Certainly not me.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Par For The Course For A Theocratic Asshat

If you watched the seminar you would have seen where he compared being gay with narco-trafficking because they are both moral hazards...

[FiveGoodMen]

12. Not to dismiss your point in any way, but we have the same attitude in America's favorite religion

People like this guy (below) have admirers in the US:

Quotes by Randall Terry

"I want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you... I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good... Our goal is a Christian nation. We have a biblical duty, we are called by God, to conquer this country. We don't want equal time. We don't want pluralism." August 16, 1993.

"When I, or people like me, are running the country, you’d better flee, because we will find you, we will try you and we will execute you." <"reportedly said of doctors who perform abortions"> 1995.

"The foundation of Operation Rescue is a call to people and the Church to repent. The Church has sinned before God by allowing children to be ripped apart and mothers to be exploited. We have sat idly by and have done virtually nothing." September 1998.

I don't suppose I even need to mention Phelps.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. But We Don't Let Those Asshats Make Policy And We Have A Constitution That Defends Individual Rights

eom

[FiveGoodMen]

17. And I hope it stays that way!

But creeps like Terry and Phelps and many others are actively working to break down the separation of church and state so that they can make policy. And we have government offices of faith-based whatever when in my opinion it should be seen as treason to try that (because it's an attempt to overthrow the most important principle of government the US has).

My point is only this: in the US we've got people just as bad except that so far the constitution has held them back. Those guys are chomping at the bit to do to us what the clerics of Middle Eastern countries have done to their people.

Here, it's the Christian nut-cases that represent the danger and they are at the doors, holding the battering rams right now.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. We don't tolerate or accept him.

Yeesh.

:eyes:

[FiveGoodMen]

9. I've asked in other threads and I will again here: Who admires this guy?

I've read many posts about how it won't do any harm to let him speak (because we can just listen and then say: bullshit!)

But where on DU is anyone saying this is a good guy?

I don't care if he comes into the country because, frankly, I don't think he'll impress anyone.

As far as killing gay people goes, "beyond the pale" is still too mild a way to put it. But we have (sorry to say) Christians in the US advocating the same thing. (And they're beyond "beyond the pale" too!)

Not defending anything here, just asking: Who is saying this is a good guy?

[dsc]

14. The thread I linked was pretty close to admiration

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Save for the "save for the homosexual comment" part.

:eyes:

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. People Are Pretty Careless When Its Not Their Ox Being Gored

eom

[FiveGoodMen]

22. Okay, I do see your point.

I'm still pretty sure that most here wouldn't really back the discriminatory (that's putting it mildly, I know) stuff if their attention was focused on it, but I do see your point.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. "he values science and discussion" (barf) "he makes a lot of sense".

"I have gained a lot of respect for the man".

Barf, Barf, Barf. :puke:

He's a totalitarian theocratic shitbag. Yes, we have people in the US who advocate the kind of evil crap that is going on in Iran right now. If someone posted a thread saying how much they "admired" Fred Phelps, I would barf at that, too.

[eridani]

10. Well, I'm not in favor of putting all our homophobes in concentration camps

--or burning them alive, either. This sounds like that horseshit about Koresh being a bad guy somehow justifying the incineration of all of his followers. Don't you get that if you are trying to prevent a vile and unprovoked attack on Iran, that doesn't mean you think religious fundamentalism is good?

A: We shouldn't jump from the frying pan into the fire.
B: I knew it! A damn librul trying to justify frying people in pans again!

[Lerkfish]

11. define "not accept" or "wouldn't tolerate"

if you're suggesting a preemptive regime change of Iran because the president is a sadistic asshole, then I'm not with you.
We tried that in Iraq, remember? What was really accomplished?

If you're saying we should object in the strongest terms, and work towards civil rights compliance, then I'm with you.

[Tian Zhuangzhuang]

15. We accept shit like this all the time.

Whether in the name of cultural diversity or not.

Iran is hardly the only country where the beating and hanging of gays is allowed and encouraged.

Through a rock in Africa and your are bound to hit a country that supports the beating of gay men. Pop by Jamaica for a spell or some asian countries. Yet when African, Caribbean and Asian leaders speak on an American college campus the gay community is eerily quiet.

Maybe the next time another leader who supports the suppression of gays speaks at a campus we protest with all our might. Not just the ones that are convenient to protest.

[lynnertic]

16. Not a good reason to bomb his country.

[Warren DeMontague]

24. No, but you can call him the asshole he is and still not be in favor of war with Iran.

Really, the people some folks around here choose as their "heroes"... the logic just fucking escapes me.

[Zodiak]

19. Ahmedijiboob is an asshole.

That being said, if he comes to this country and wants to pay respects to the dead Americans and Iranians at ground zero, he should. If he is invited to a talk at Colombia and wishes to speak, he should. It does no good to diplomatically shut this man out considering all that is at stake these days between his country and ours.

That does not make him my spokesperson nor does it imply that I agree with his beliefs. I know what the man represents not only to Americans and Israelis, but to Iranians, as well. He is not a likeable fella, but he has rights as a human being and he has diplomatic rights as a head of state.

[rateyes]

21. Hey, it doesn't matter if it's fundamentalist Islam

or Judaism, or Christianity, the same kind of crap is what is believed.

And, Christians wonder why we get all worked up about keeping church and state separate. Same thing would happen in a Christian theocracy.

Bush & Ahmadinejad are the same people with a different religion.

[in_cog_ni_to]

25. Pay no attention to the psychopath from Iran....he's just a distraction.

:eyes:

IMCPO, This issue and this issue alone should extinguish DU's burning love for this man, finally, but it won't because there are other agendas besides supporting Ahmandinajad and Iran. In this instance, the enemy of our enemy (the psycho) is not our friend. Sorry. The man is a mental case...just like the psycho. What a pair to have in power at the same time. Is there any wonder the world is so screwed up?