Comments on: Next step: Hunting Season!

Next step: Hunting Season!

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:06:35 -0800

"We need to keep them out of here," said Commissioner J.C. Fugate, who introduced the motion.

Rhea County, Tennessee commissioners have voted 8-0 to ask state lawmakers to introduce legislation amending Tennessee's criminal code so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature. If Rhea County sounds familiar, it may be because it was the setting for the Scopes Monkey Trial.

By: jon_kill

jon_kill — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:20:43 -0800

I'm confused. Who is going to hell, again?

By: monju_bosatsu

monju_bosatsu — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:22:00 -0800

There was little discussion before the 8-0 vote, and commissioners didn't mention that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas sodomy laws last year and ruled there is a constitutionally protected right to adults' private sexual conduct. Apparently news travels slowly in Rhea County.

By: EmoChild

EmoChild — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:24:16 -0800

Republicans = Weak on terrorism, strong on policing your bedroom.

By: xmutex

xmutex — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:24:39 -0800

They will be setting fire to these homosexuals, yes?

By: greengrl

greengrl — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:27:05 -0800

I can't even believe I just read that article. What year are we living in again?

By: agregoli

agregoli — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:27:44 -0800

Uh, how do they suppose to prove someone is a homosexual in order to charge them?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:30:15 -0800

Next week, they're going to ban those infernal horseless carriages and satanic gramophones.

By: stonerose

stonerose — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:33:15 -0800

We're glad you are here! Unless you're a queer!

By: Stauf

Stauf — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:34:30 -0800

...so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature. Won't someone think of the nature???

By: Joey Michaels

Joey Michaels — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:45:30 -0800

Wait... from stonerose's link: Rhea County Abounds with Attractions & Recreation! *Scopes Trial Play and Festival at the Courthouse * Historical Tour of the Scopes Evolution trial sites * Clearly, they are doing this so that another historic trial can occur in their county. Then, in ten years, they can have another tourist attraction. This might look like hateful, ignorant bigotry, but it is really sound urban planning. I, for one, am going to reserve my tickets for the opening of the *Homosexual Trial Play and Fesitival at the Courthouse* as soon as I can.

By: rocketman

rocketman — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 11:47:19 -0800

Uh, how do they suppose to prove someone is a homosexual in order to charge them? By following the protocols set forth by Lombroso.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 12:00:06 -0800

Um, okay, so I'm starting to see that there are alot of people that are truly threatened by homosexuality. Like its some kind of disease like leprosy where you just need to limit your exposure to not get it. What's next? Deciding that evolutionary theory shouldn't be taught because it hasn't been proven? Or because it contradicts creationism which has to be right because it says so in the Bible and the Bible's right about everything even though its just a bunch of stories and not a manual for living. Why are people so scared of gay people? Is the thought of two men or two women having sex THAT much more repellent than the typical obese couple? Or is it just the fact that they HAVE sex in the first place? Good thing they've got their eyes on the important stuff like gay unions and not on the stupid inconsequential stuff like protecting civil liberties, keeping a watchful eye out for terrorist acts or the migration of US jobs overseas.

By: Foosnark

Foosnark — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:28:43 -0800

Why are people so scared of gay people? Because people are dumb.

By: mcsweetie

mcsweetie — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:32:17 -0800

talk about a slippery slope! I mean, if you ban gay marriage, you're saying it's ok to ban gay voting, gay talking, and finally as we're seeing here in dayton, gay existence!

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:42:32 -0800

what Foosnark said...I feel awful for the gay and lesbian kids stuck there til they graduate high school (if they don't drop out or run away or try to kill themselves first)

By: kaemaril

kaemaril — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:52:54 -0800

Inherit The Wind II, anyone?

By: Secret Life of Gravy

Secret Life of Gravy — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:58:18 -0800

state lawmakers to introduce legislation amending Tennessee's criminal code so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature. There seems to be some confusion over the legality of anti-sodomy laws. Here in North Carolina* we don't stand for none 'o that nasty stuff. *North Carolina: Whipping you with the Bible Belt

By: Dick Paris

Dick Paris — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 16:59:22 -0800

Is the thought of ~~two men or~~ two women having sex ~~THAT much more~~ repellent ~~than the typical obese couple~~? /channeling for the young men of Rhea county: no way!

By: fatbobsmith

fatbobsmith — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:12:52 -0800

Uh, how do they suppose to prove someone is a homosexual in order to charge them? They put them in a weighted cage and drop it into the river. If the individual lives, they're obviously a homosexual and must be burned. Otherwise, the individual is free of any charges.

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:17:54 -0800

Uh, how do they suppose to prove someone is a homosexual in order to charge them? Voight-Kampff test. ("Is this to test whether I'm a replicant, Mr. Deckard, or a homosexual?")

By: inksyndicate

inksyndicate — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:18:28 -0800

Uh, how do they suppose to prove someone is a homosexual in order to charge them? Voight-Kampff test. "Is this to test whether I'm a replicant, Mr. Deckard, or a homosexual?"

By: Dipsomaniac

Dipsomaniac — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:31:46 -0800

Hey, Commissioner Fugate - Salem, Mass. called. They want their firewood back. Yes, I know they didn't actually burn witches.

By: inpHilltr8r

inpHilltr8r — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 17:38:18 -0800

Dire, Rhea County, dire. Wheeeeee!!!!!

By: ruwan

ruwan — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 18:22:18 -0800

Uh, how do they suppose to prove someone is a homosexual in order to charge them? Well you put them in a tub of water, and if they float, they must be a homosexual.

By: skallas

skallas — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 18:34:34 -0800

>Deciding that evolutionary theory shouldn't be taught because it hasn't been proven? Theory is the end of the scientific method, there is nothing left to prove, only to come up with competing theories and if they better fit the facts then they will become the dominant theory. Everything is a theory, even gravity. The whole "theory vs fact" thing is a purposeful misrepresentation creationists use to defend their position. Theories are based on observable facts. Theories don't magically become facts.

By: 11235813

11235813 — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 18:45:25 -0800

Theories don't magically become facts. very true. the whole "it's just a theory" claim is rather weak -- is evident of a complete lack of understanding of scientific terminology, and the nature of a 'theory' and the difference between that and a 'law' there is no mountain of evidence that can make a theory into a law. they are fundamentally different terms. the 'theory' of evolution, of relativity will always be just that -- a theory. no mattre how many times observations may validate it. link: Scientific Laws, Hypotheses, and Theories (http://wilstar.com/theories.htm) In general, both a scientific theory and a scientific law are accepted to be true by the scientific community as a whole. Both are used to make predictions of events. Both are used to advance technology. The biggest difference between a law and a theory is that a theory is much more complex and dynamic. A law governs a single action, whereas a theory explains a whole series of related phenomena.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 19:01:45 -0800

American Taliban.

By: Hildago

Hildago — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 19:32:07 -0800

Somebody come in here and defend these fuckers. I want to slap somebody around before Matt comes back.

By: Danf

Danf — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 20:09:07 -0800

Well I have seen the light . . .. this article has woken me up to the homosexual agenda . . all this time I just assumed that gay people wanted to live and let live, marry, have kids, divorce, be happy or not happy as they wish .. .but no. . it's all about special rights. (now how do I broach this with my gay daughter?)

By: crunchburger

crunchburger — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 20:12:20 -0800

Why are people so scared of gay people? Why must we assume that their dislike of homosexuals is based on fear? Isn't it possible that they are not afraid of gays at all, but just don't like them? I remember an argument in college. This woman was saying that rape is violence, and has nothing to do with sex, and a guy disagreed. So, not even once, no one raped someone because they just wanted sex and took it, even though they didn't really like violence? He had a great point, but everyone denounced him. You would think he had taken a dump in the breakfast nook - it was just beyond the pale to suggest that something was just evil, and didn't need reduction to a psychological frailty. Another example: even the term for anti-gay activity, emotion, and ideation is "homophobia". The idea is that no one would have any bad emotions like hatred and revulsion unless they secretly feared the object. Folks, that's dime-store Freudianism, and it has got to go. They don't hate you because they are afraid of gayness. They hate you because they hate gay sex and gay people. Check it out : the dogma that "violence/hatred/war is really fear" is rampant and unexamined.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 20:15:26 -0800

crunch, you have to ask, "why the hate?" No hatred comes out of the air--there's always a reason.

By: t r a c y

t r a c y — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 20:58:42 -0800

that rape argument is... what... inadvertently circular...? of course some rapists just want sex but the act of taking it from someone who doesn't consent to give it is still rooted in violence and power issues. personally i've never met a homophobe that once you started questioning didn't reveal some really weird and unfounded fears. i see it happen here (mefi) all the time. frankly i don't give a rat's ass where this sort of bullshit is rooted, it's repugnant from any angle. seems lately every single day there's yet another gambit to reduce people's freedom and equality in the usa, it's fucking mind boggling. wtf, people... learn to live and let live before it's too late.

By: crunchburger

crunchburger — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 21:01:23 -0800

(now how do I broach this with my gay daughter?) Tough question. Parental dilemma - you have to tell her that the world is mostly good, with tolerant people, but beware of the other kind. They are real, they have power, they want to hurt her. Advise: live in a decent sized city, people have more things to do than police her private parts.

By: crunchburger

crunchburger — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 21:04:46 -0800

t r a cy, there was an element of sophistry (or sophomoric debate) there, but the point was, his antagonist was very dogmatic. There's a conflict between wanting to make a theory of "rape", overlooking the complexity and variety of actual rapists and the pathology behind their crimes.

By: crunchburger

crunchburger — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 21:20:29 -0800

Also, a simple opposition between sex and violence is not tenable. The most innocent kiss may be taken as penetration, outrage,

By: t r a c y

t r a c y — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 21:36:35 -0800

yah i got that, and i agree to a point. i need to stop paying attention to american news for a week or so, it's driving me crazy.

By: crunchburger

crunchburger — Wed, 17 Mar 2004 21:50:04 -0800

These Rhea County folks are trolling, they are the living up to the "most conservative" county in TN (the Scopes trial festival is another example). Looking over my posts, I'm quasi-trolling too...I don't have the answers, and I'm tossing out some big questions in a glib way. Maybe it is fear, they are afraid of sex and their own bodies, so that gay people attract their ire even more than liberal elites and tax-and-spend Democrats and Jane Fonda and Bill Clinton and Murphy Brown.

By: jpoulos

jpoulos — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 08:47:54 -0800

ROAD TRIP!!!

By: GhostintheMachine

GhostintheMachine — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 08:52:00 -0800

What exactly is a "crime against nature"? I'm picturing some sort of anti-environmental thing. How exactly is nature being harmed by the existence of gay people?

By: Jairus

Jairus — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 08:55:05 -0800

How exactly is nature being harmed by the existence of gay people? Didn't you see the Daily Show segment on the gay penguins?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 09:05:20 -0800

You would think he had taken a dump in the breakfast nook I get that reaction a lot, crunch. From all kinds of people. And when I get that reaction, it usually tells me that I've dared to question some sacred cow belief, which is always a good thing. I consider it my duty to take a dump in everybody's breakfast nook from time to time.

By: Ignatius J. Reilly

Ignatius J. Reilly — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 09:38:48 -0800

So that's not a cruller?

By: fold_and_mutilate

fold_and_mutilate — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 10:12:33 -0800

Ah, compassionate conservatism at work. No doubt these Rhea County folks are the worthwhile voting bloc to which Bush is pandering with his plans to amend the Constitution. ....it was just beyond the pale to suggest that something was just evil That's it? That was "the great point?" That there aren't real, identifiable, fixable reasons for hatred and fear? You wanna talk about "unexamined" dogma in one sentence, and then a few sentences away throw out "evil, pure and simple, from the 10th dimension" as the cause for assault, discrimination, hatred, violence, and war? That's so very...you know....Rhea County. /me searches for my vial of Holy Water to purge the dark hearts of men. Also, a simple opposition between sex and violence is not tenable. The most innocent kiss may be taken as penetration, outrage Nonsense. An unwanted kiss can most definitely be violence, just as rape by its very nature is obviously a violent act against the victim. If one "just wanted sex" there are, um, more than a few other alternatives to the terrible violence that is rape. I get that reaction a lot, crunch. From all kinds of people Heh. Really. Somehow one doubts it. Since the end of this thread became all about you for some reason, you won't mind hearing that the reality is you straddle so many fences so continuously here on MetaFilter, there's a real concern for HTML saddle sores.

By: i_cola

i_cola — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 14:43:48 -0800

I could be passing by this place in a month or so. I'm not sure weather to avoid it 'cos it's full of backward freaks or to go there 'cos it's full of backward freaks...hmmmm

By: jonmc

jonmc — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 17:58:14 -0800

foldy, you must not get out of the political threads much, but trust me I've managed to piss off all kinds of people, here and elsewhere, including you at least a few times, IIRC. But I imagine to you anyone who's not a firebreathing foldy-ite or or cro-magnon conservative is a "fence sitter." Guess all my bluster is for naught and I'm not allowed into the sooper-secret radical Mickey Mouse Club. My heart is breaking.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:06:44 -0800

and I'm not allowed into the sooper-secret radical Mickey Mouse Club. That reminds me--fold, I never got my embroidered "Big Fag" mouse-ears hat. What's up with that?

By: kaemaril

kaemaril — Thu, 18 Mar 2004 18:39:02 -0800

jonmc: Remind me never to invite you around to my house :)

By: jkilg

jkilg — Fri, 19 Mar 2004 15:06:17 -0800

Have the TVA build a huge dam, flood the entire county to a depth of a few dozen meters, and make human habitation impossible. Voila! Gay folks can no longer live in the county. Mind you, all the goofballs who wanted this law passed also can't live there, but I think we can agree that's a small price to pay for county-wide amity.

By: amberglow

amberglow — Fri, 19 Mar 2004 20:33:42 -0800

they backed down