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.
Advertisement
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.
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.
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
DONE... Paula, worldly "feel good" people like yourself just don't seem to get it. the Bible also says that "those who love me will keep my commandments". one of those "commandments" is that the "sexually immoral" and "homosexuals" will NOT inherit the kingdom of heaven. Paula, until you read the Word of God as a whole and not just pick out scriptures here and there you will not understand. why did God destroy Soddom and Gomorrah? "sexually immoral" and "homosexuals"... they were unable to find 10 God fearing people in those cities. YES the Bible lists MANY MANY exceptions... you just need to read.
No, we do not. Our government is secular. It does not base its laws and regulations on ANY religion. If it were to do so, it would violate the constitution of the United States. Additionally, you must be forgetting that John 3:16 does not exclude anyone. It says "whosoever believes" and does not list any exceptions.
K in chicago... how in the world is it "an abuse of Christianity"? what a load of garbage. NO christian should support this lifestyle or condone their actions. IF they do, the do not know the word of God or his commandments. we NEED more people like Sally Kern in our government to put the gays back in the closet.
Sally Kern's own description of "the gay agenda" is that there are gay people who fund political candidates. So what's wrong with that?!! Doesn't the Christian Right fund political candidates? Doesn't the gun lobby fund political candidates? I don't know of a single political candidate who does not receive funding from some group. Sally Kern ought to concern herself with the REAL issues facing people today and quit condemning people with lies and ignorance in the name of Christianity. Doing so is not only an abuse of her platform, but is also an abuse of Christianity. Come November it'll be "So long, Sally!"
How exactly were her views "misrepresented"? No one said she had changed her mind about anything. In fact, the press release from PFLAG last week said Kern did not apologize nor did she retract any of her comments. Saying that her views were misrepresented is just another way for Ms. Kern to cry foul about how immoral the GLBT community is. She's the one who is twisting words.
Who's trying to force whose agenda on who? The gays I know simply want to be left alone. They are law abiding taxpayers who go about their business and have no agenda. I'm not saying there aren't other gays who see things differently but the folks I know have no agenda except to live their lives in peace. It seems to me it is Rep. Kern who has the agenda.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SALLY KERN! thank you for standing up for what you believe and AGAINST SOMETHING SO VERY WRONG. why is it acceptable for gays to try to force their immoral agenda on us God fearing people, yet we cannot use our agenda or else we are "biggots" or "homophobic". i am neither one, i am a christian. i am FOR what we are taught in the Bible and against many things the WORLD deems acceptable... homosexuality being one of them. i am proud to be a christian and and oklahoman at this time of my life. our country is on the path to Rome if this immoral behavior continues. i urge all christians to go to the capitol today to support ms. kern. thank you again ms. kern... our country needs more people like you leading us.
I would think that the Oklahomans who are paying Sally Kern's salary would INSIST that she do the work they are paying her to do: address REAL issues like rising gas prices, unemployment, crime, the mortgage crisis, ... She accused homosexuals of having an agenda, but it appears that all Ms. Kern wants to do is focus on HER agenda. Stop throwing stones, Sally! You live in a glass house!
It is time for everyone to realize that Sally Kern is "bad for Oklahoma" and her comments put us in the national spotlight in a bad way. Even those who agree with her stance must understand this. Her unwillingness to even have discussions or dialog show that she is not interested in working to resolve this issue but instead has her own agenda which I hope is not reflective of most Oklahomans.
And the point the I find myself agreeing with the Oklahoman is that she is elected by her constituents to do the business of the people. If that's all she's got, she should resign and go stand on a street corner and shout her slogans until she's blue in the face. But while she's on the public payroll, maybe she should think about more important stuff, like improving roads for one.
Of course she has the right to say whatever she believes but that doesn't make it right nor does it mean others don't have the right like the DD to say she ought to move on and shut up. She doesn't have to do that and others can continue to wish she would stop pontificating. This never has been about her first amendment rights. The constitution allows her to say practically any stupid thing she wants and it allows others to tell someone how stupid and hurtful their comments are as well. I mean what does she expect when she calls a group of people terrorists? Does she think they are going to hand her a rose bouquet?
Is the Daily Disappointment saying a person does not have the right to express their religious beliefs? Whether we agree or disagree with her, many of us vets have served so she and even the Daily Disappointment might exercise that right. Perhaps if any of her constituents still subscribe to the DD, they may find out that there are many other avenues of receiving the "real" news!
No byline on this "editorial". How many tricks does this genious have? Sounds like he/she is doing the grandstanding and stoking the fire. Perhaps her constituents will be the ones giving her a lot of love. Typical Opubzero.
38
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?