After causing a stir with her remarks about homosexuality, state Rep. Sally Kern sat down last week with some of her critics and agreed to disagree, and move on. Or so we (and they) thought.
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Turns out Kern won't let the issue go away, and instead she's apparently going to continue preaching instead of legislating.
What started this tempest was a recording of remarks Kern made to a small, private audience in which she said the homosexual agenda "is destroying this nation” and is a greater threat than terrorism. The remarks wound up on the Internet and stirred gay-rights groups to call for her resignation. Last week Kern met with one of the groups, based in Oklahoma City, and afterward its president called it "a very productive conversation” and backed off the call for Kern to step down.
But the next day, Kern said the group had taken her remarks from the meeting "and spun them to make it appear that I am backing off my comments that homosexuality is a sin ... and that I am in favor of sexual orientation laws.” She said neither could be further from the truth, and that the group had shown a "lack of integrity” by twisting her words to fit its purposes. Oh, and she won't meet again with members.
That's disappointing, but hardly surprising. Kern's main focus in the Legislature has been on anti-gay initiatives, such as trying to determine where libraries should place books with homosexual themes. "God's Word does not change. ... Therefore, my opinion also will not change,” she said last week.
Kern will be shown a little love today when the American Family Association holds a rally in her support at the Capitol. Perhaps constituents ought to hold a rally of their own, urging this one-trick pony to put her tiresome personal agenda aside and work to do something constructive.
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The streets here in Bethany are crap, the rates of school dropout rival anywhere else, and there are plenty of other problems that a good state legislator could help remedy a little bit. But the majority of folk here would rather have their representative give moral lessons, and speak against foreign immigrants, which is very strange considering that 90% of Bethany's garbarge men are Mexican. Maybe it's not so strange, after all, because these moral types are nearly always hypocrites who can't keep their self-loathing to themselves.
Legislators are supposed to legislate? Wow, what a concept. I thought, having witnessed Ernest Istook, Bill Graves and Sally Kerns represent us sinful folk of Bethany, that legislators were supposed to be moral straw-bosses and act like Moslem mullahs! Just kidding. Thanks to The Oklahoma for pointing out Sally Kern's clownish demogogery.
Sally Kerns is my elected representative. Democracy ..... a great thing, She doesn't care about legislation that will effect public safety or public welfare, only pontificating about moral issues. I wonder what she thinks J. Edgar Hoover (homoxexual) or Dick Cheney's daughter (homosexual) ..... no, I already know -- they have money, so they're okay, it's only working class people she wants to preach to.
Wow so disappointed. But, not really surprised by the oklahomans editorial. Come to expect that from them. Why print the truth when you can just make stuff up and lie about it. Makes more money that way Right?
If Oklahoma City and the entire State do not address the real issues, like education, health care, and crime, the State will continue to decline. For every step forward (Museum of Art, New Libraries, and professional sports), there is always some uneducated bigot spouting off that gays are terrorists. Within a few days, a million or more people have either read about Kern or watched her on the Internet. Sally, I suggest you focus your energy on preventing child abuse in Oklahoma rather than this imaginative gay agenda. Sorry, you cannot blame us for child abuse problem (or is it really such a problem really, compared to the gay demons?) since it is illegal for gays or lesbians to adopt in the State. Sally, you love all the attention this has brought you but I promise, it will come back to haunt you.
Greg, Panama City, Panama - Apr 3, 2008 at 4:53 pm
The UnOklahoman is terrible.This trashy 'newspaper" is a parrot for the chamber on immigration and even has a pc"diversity' reporter.I can remember when it was called the Oklahoman and it represented majority opinion in this state.Now,it is an odious pc rag.This terrible paper even loves illegal alien invaders.When the chamber calls the parrots at the UnOklahoman chirp.
The days of the Daily Oklahoman as a conservative paper are over. The way the editors have handled this ongoing story is proof enough. When a few hundred of the gay activist crowd (not the quiet person David mentions who just wants to be left alone), it was front page. When almost 2,000 show in support of her statements, they're treated as the extremists. They are in the majority of the people in this state. Immorality and the destruction of the traditional family do more harm to the fabric of this nation than any foreign power is capable of doing.
If "God's Word doesn't change," and Kern's legislative mission is nothing but promotion of those beliefs, will someone please explain to me why a woman is holding public office? I thought the Bible was quite clear about the place of a woman.
No kidding, Sally Kern should be ashamed of wallowing in all of this attention. As an elected public official, Sally needs to do something constructive and meaningful that pertains to actual concerns of Oklahomans... like taking steps to protect innocent children from being beaten to death. The last time I checked, people weren't too worried about gay terrorists, but they are very concerned about child abuse here in OK. So, Sally, how about taking a stand and making a real difference?
Nathan, you want to put the gays back in the closet? Why? So you aren't uncomfortable or have to face the fact that there are people who are different than you?? Give me a break...It's time the religious right got back in their churches and out of the legislature.
exactly Paula... so please read my response below, "DONE". there's no use arguing about someone who does not look at the Word the same way. i pray that someday you will understand... i just hope it won't be too late.
Nathan, I don't need to read anything because I personally do not believe in the same doctrines as you. Regardless, you still fail to get the point that our government is secular.
Your editorial in this mormings paper seemed to scold Sally Kerns over her comments. Yesterday a bill was to be concidered covering confidentuality for police and other chaplins. The last thing I could find out about this bill was thas our Lt. Governor kept the bill from being heard because Sally Kerns was involved in supporting it. Is this good government when a muchly needed bill is killed because you don't agree with it's supporters? I don't think so. George Prollock 3934 S.E. 14th st Del City, Ok 73115 677 2817
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Mike, Portland, OR (retired OPUBCO staffer)
The UnOklahoman is terrible.This trashy 'newspaper" is a parrot for the chamber on immigration and even has a pc"diversity' reporter.I can remember when it was called the Oklahoman and it represented majority opinion in this state.Now,it is an odious pc rag.This terrible paper even loves illegal alien invaders.When the chamber calls the parrots at the UnOklahoman chirp.
No kidding, Sally Kern should be ashamed of wallowing in all of this attention. As an elected public official, Sally needs to do something constructive and meaningful that pertains to actual concerns of Oklahomans... like taking steps to protect innocent children from being beaten to death. The last time I checked, people weren't too worried about gay terrorists, but they are very concerned about child abuse here in OK. So, Sally, how about taking a stand and making a real difference?