Just so we are also all clear it shouldn't be just "the gays" that are angry

[AllentownJake]

Warren believes that people who support abortion rights are the equivalent to the Nazis and people who perform them the equivalent to the prison guards...for the safe legal and rare democrats...life of the mother is not an issue because its God will not medicine whether the mother lives or dies and oh yeah if your wife is on a feeding tube and brain dead its God's will she lives.

Warren believes the earth is 6000 years old. Jesus Horses ride them savior.

Warren believe that women should submit to their husbands...ladies don't make me get the belt.

Warren believes that the Bible is inerrant, however who interprets what the Bible means? Why Rick Warren of course.

This mother fucker is not a moderate and probably has views that offend all of us on here.

BTW I'm pissed off about the gay thing because this insults my gay friends...however his other views are equally either sexist, ignorant, or just plain 7th century.

[grasswire]

1. could you say "ignorant" instead of "retarded"?

Those of us who have family members with mental disabilities hope you will not use "retarded" in this manner.

[AllentownJake]

3. My brother is "mentally disabled"

however my non-offense at the word is not everyones so I will be careful in the future.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

5. Sorry, but retarded is a fine word. ("retard" is not.)

[AllentownJake]

6. I understand people taking offense

my brother has a severe mental disability and some people in the community I grew up with get mad at me outside of the intertubes for using the word retarded.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

15. Off Topic

Why does it seem as if whenever someone makes a comment about a group that another person takes offense to, the first person has a friend or family member of said group?

It is like some kind of get out of jail free card that NEVER works. I think it all started with "some of my best friends are black". Now we have my brother/sister/uncle/father is gay, so i can say it. In your case you are off the hook for using the word retard because of your disabled brother.

Instead of trying to justify shit, I think people should take the Bush/Cheney approach. "So what". This answer neutralizes the predictably sarcastic responses.

[AllentownJake]

18. My brother is actually in a group home in the Poconos right now

He's been there for 5 years. I lived with him for 19. I use the word all the time in my vocabulary however, anyone who has an immediate family member understands that different people take offense to different things. Retarded never bothered me unless you were calling my brother or some other person who was disabled retarded. Other people get upset about the idea of using the "R" word because it makes having a mental disability a bad thing and something to be discriminated against.

In short since the poster who asked me to change it I understand because I've had this conversation one too many times amongst my mother's friends since I was 16 and I turned 30 today.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

19. I feel for you

I am your age, and I have a younger brother with a mental disability as well. He is not in a home and I will probably never let him go to one (he's my best bud). He is brilliant, but he also has depression and severe social phobia. When we are together, he is like every other guy I know. With other people he is a mute. Really sad. Thankfully, his meds keep him sane and relatively content.

I use the retard word a lot with my boys. I don't take offense to it either. Unless someone uses it against my brother (yet to happen in my presence). At that point I become outright barbaric.

[AllentownJake]

20. My brother is actually happier at the home

He has his own room, a flat screen TV, and either my mom or I go up every weekend to visit and take him shopping for a DVD.

He has friends, he works, etc.

He just has too many needs and my mom had to do it than because the older they get the more difficult it is to transition.

My brother is severly disabeled and cannot function on his own though and I would never be able to do what my Mom and Dad used to do. She wouldn't be able to do it anymore either because my Dad passed away two years ago and it took two of them to take care of him.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

34. Oh

Understood. I work for the Social Security Administration, so I am quite familiar with issues facing people with disabilities. Not to toot my own agency, but I think SSA is the best federal agency we have. We are truly all about helping the old and the disabled. Without DIB/Medicare benefits, we would never be able to afford the $800 per month medicine bills that keeps my brother sane.

[AllentownJake]

35. I work for a Medicaid company

They are truly great and efficient organizations. Our administrative expenses are much less expensive than those of private insurers.

[LostinVA]

12. It is against DU rules as per Skinner

[Thickasabrick]

2. Agreed. It comes down to Obama choosing between the people

that supported him or the right wing freaks. I hope he does the right thing.

[blueclown]

4. I'm as pro-choice as can be.

I don't give a shit. Let him do the invocation. BIG FUCKING DEAL.

This is not worth the frustration. There are a lot more important things to worry about then the pastor who is doing the invocation, like gay marriage rights and making sure woman have a right to an abortion whenever they choose.

[EFerrari]

7. Nice post, Forrest. n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

37. Pat ..... I just shot my cocktail out o' my schnozola!

:rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

8. Another man who doesn't 'get' it. Ho hum.....nt

[Lars39]

11. He is against those things....you don't stick up for those things by

giving a national platform to those who fight against those rights.

[TheKentuckian]

26. Just like we should legitimize our "enemies" by having direct diplomatic

relations with them.

I see the same logic.

Warren already has a national platform, he does not need Obama for that. Just say the dude is a bigot fuckbag that you don't want to share this moment with instead of stretching to make it something it is not and considering the political landscape and most people's opinions cannot be the case.

[AllentownJake]

13. Here is why this is relevant

Till the Faith Forum I assumed Warren was an alright guy because he sounded ok on the Today show and Regis and Kelly and he didn't show up in a suit like the rest of the asshats. I actually stood up for the guy on here during the faith forum till other DUers pointed me to what a fucking asshat he is.

Allowing people like Warren to pretend to be moderates lets us to pretend that their views are moderate and acceptable and Kurt Vonnegut said it best when he said be careful who you pretend to be because that is who you are. So by giving this guy a mainstream forum we allow him to become moderate and his views acceptable and worthy of actual substantial debate.

Wars aren't won in the capital they are won everyday little battle by little battle and we just let the Fundies win a little battle.

[Liberal Veteran]

24. This is starting to remind me of the right wingers and their "guilt by osmosis" bullshit.

Guess what? Obama is going to have to work with some real assholes and this is a minor thing to get one's panties in a bunch about.

[AllentownJake]

27. Minor?

So one of the most vocal supporters of Prop 8 has been asked to beseech God for a blessing on this nation on the day of Barack's swearing in.

Now mind you having got my hands dirty this election, I worked with many fine volunteers who happened to be gay. Alot of them have been in committed relationships for years. Some of them are close friends some are people I just know. So when the guy we worked for slaps those people in the face you think its a minor thing?

[Liberal Veteran]

29. Yes. Minor. It's called an olive branch and after Jan. 20th means nothing.

Your day will go on exactly as it did before.

As will mine.

And I happen to BE gay, so don't be offended on my behalf, thank you. I can decide for myself when and if I need to be offended.

[AllentownJake]

30. Well I'm speaking on alot of people's behalfs

however, I'll speak on my own.

The guy offends me on every ground. It is the equivalent of giving a nazi an olive branch to me.

[Liberal Veteran]

32. Lots of people offend me. But do you want Obama to be like Bush...

....and ostracize everyone they happen to disagree with?

We just went through 8 years of a president who led by EXCLUDING some Americans.

It's not like he gave the man a cabinet post.

[AllentownJake]

33. Some people deserve to be not allowed in polite society

Warren is one of those people.

[Liberal Veteran]

36. Choose your battles wisely.

Is this really worth going to the mat for?

[AllentownJake]

38. Right now I'm just expressing outrage

I'm not in the action phase yet.

It was a dumb thing to do but I haven't figured out if there is a political backlash over it whether or not it would now make the situation worse.

[polichick]

9. imo ANY thinking, evolved person should be writing change.gov...

I wonder if Obama even noticed that this freak's name was on the list.

[Shakespeare]

10. I'm disappointed, too. I suspect this wasn't Obama's decision, but...

...I hope he'll pay attention to the outrage and request that somebody else be chosen to lead the invocation.

[LostinVA]

14. As per another thread, it WAS his decision

He consults with teh committee on who he wants. I'm not letting him off the hook for this. I am so fucking mad and upset right now. I wished I had voted Third Party. I feel like a fucking fool.

[Shakespeare]

21. I still STRONGLY doubt it was his idea to have Warren.

I'm guessing he acquiesced to someone else's request, though (*cough* that asshole Hoyer *cough*), and he shouldn't have. And now the HR has put out a formal statement denouncing it, maybe it'll get his attention.

I don't blame you a bit for being upset (I am, too). :hug:

[rug]

23. Warren would not be speaking without Obama's approval.

[Shakespeare]

25. Go back and read my post again.

Because that's not what I said.

[ErinBerin84]

16. the Huffington Post just did an article on this

and I'm surprised and saddened by the yawns that this is getting there by commenters by and large...feel free to add to the chorus of people who are expressing anger, because it's a minority among the comments. There is also a link to an article "in defense of Rick Warren" on Huffington, which I don't find to be much of a worthy defense or excuse for this at all.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/17/rick-warren-obama-invocat_n_151877.html

[qwlauren35]

17. Christian Right = Pro-Life. It's a Given, I Don't Lose Sleep Over It.

If Obama APPOINTED Warren in some capacity that would enable him to make policy on abortion, I'd be freaking out like no tomorrow.

But I've been called worse than a murderess by a man who can't get pregnant, and doesn't know what it's like.

[Liberal Veteran]

22. As a gay man, I've got more important things to worry about than this nonsense.

[mnhtnbb]

28. I hope the people who attend the Inaugural will carry signs of protest against Warren.

[OwnedByFerrets]

31. Its not. Im straight, male, live in the deep south and 52 and I am

HIGHLY PISSED. I have not been happy with the direction of some of these appointments, but have kept my mouth shut for the most part. But this is beyond the pale. Pretty close to UNFORGIVABLE.

[Grateful for Hope]

39. Actually, I hope that Obama changes his mind on this

it could be handled in a way that "saves face" for both Obama and Warren. Obama is not perfect, and, I think this choice was not given the consideration that it should have been given.

Obama is very anxious to bring the country together in the face of extreme economic times. He is very right to want to do this, but, the extreme pressures of the economy may well be taking so much precedence right now, that some decisions are being made without thinking of the ramifications.

I would not want to be in Obama's shoes in these dire times -- that is for sure.