RK ARCHIVE - Keith Olbermann Slams Virginia

Virginia lags behind much of the rest of the country in the protections it offers its gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender residents:
* In 2006 Virginia voters ratified an amendment to the Virginia Constitution banning marriage equality for gay and lesbian Virginians, and denying legal relationship recognition for all unmarried couples.
* Earlier, in 2004, the Virginia General Assembly passed the "Affirmation of Marriage Act" (HB 751) banning civil unions and other contract rights for same-sex couples in the state.
* In Virginia, it is permissible to discriminate against someone in employment, housing, banking or public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
* Virginia does not allow second-parent adoptions for unmarried couples, leaving these families and children without critical protections.
* Sexual orientation and gender identity and expression are not included in the state's hate crimes law.
* Although it is inconsistent with the 2003 Lawrence v. Texas U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Virginia still has not repealed the so-called "crimes against nature" law making sodomy a Class 6 felony.

Every one of the items on this list are items championed as inflictions on his fellow human beings by AG Bob, a pathetic little man who is considered a frontrunner for the GOPper nomination for Governor in 2009. Even that sickening possibility is reason all the more to pick up a Democratic majority in the state Senate, get closer in 2007 to more seats in the House of Delegates, and get us lots of momentum going into 2009.

Comments

Yep. It's pretty embarrassing. (beachmom - 5/24/2007 9:21:06 AM)

Virginia is a weird state -- part modern, part, well, Pat Robertson.

VA is 2 states (Pain - 5/24/2007 10:10:18 AM)

There's NoVA, the part with the brain. Then theres Southern VA, the Banjo playing part with uncomfortably close eye sockets. The term "Uncle Daddy" comes to mind.

Obviously this is gross exagerasion, but you get the point.

wow... (Ghost of A.L. Philpott - 5/24/2007 10:34:30 AM)

That was an incredibly arrogant, rude, senseless, self-righteous, bigoted, egotistic, pompous and overall asshole statement to make. Especially from someone hinting of the liberal persuasion. Wow....

oops (Pain - 5/24/2007 10:47:06 AM)

hehe. Don't take yourself too seriously. It was a joke, and I live here so I can make fun of myself. If I've offended you...Oops.

Then I apologize (Pain - 5/24/2007 11:06:55 AM)

I'll try to sanitize everything from now on to be as monochromatic as possible.

The 'spelling' comment was directed at me for misspelling exaggeration. The other comments were overly exaggerated stereotyping of rural VA intended as a cheeky comment. I've once again forgotten that written text is easily misinterpreted and often offensive where no offense was intended.

Fair enough (brimur - 5/24/2007 11:11:43 AM)

Thanks. As someone who grew up in the rural south, I'm pretty defensive of the poor and maybe "unsophisticated" but honest and good people that are so easily lampooned by those that don't know better. I really appreciate your apology.

It's arrogant dismissive crap like this which (Catzmaw - 5/24/2007 11:05:45 AM)

makes ROVA so suspicious of and hostile toward NOVA. I'm from NOVA but I have great respect and affection for the people from the rest of the state. Your statements show you buy into the idea that being rural or southern makes one stupid and/or inbred. And banjo-playing? You want to tell us what's wrong with that? Does it equate to ignorance and stupidity in your mind? I'm offended.

Okay, apology accepted, but you need (Catzmaw - 5/24/2007 11:15:45 AM)

to read your comments before posting for how they're likely to sound to the wider audience.

If I were writing a thesis or an news article (Pain - 5/24/2007 11:22:54 AM)

I would certainly do just that. This is a blog. I'm not suggesting it's not serious or should be used to intentionally offend people, but I also think people fly off the handle sometimes where there is no reason to do so. Besides, humor is very subjective, and if everyone stops posting what they think is funny in fear of it offending someone, then this place is going to be rather boring.

When humor falls flat you need to reassess (Catzmaw - 5/24/2007 11:29:33 AM)

how exactly you put that humor out there. When it comes to stereotype humor, it never succeeds unless it comes from one of the group being stereotyped and it's usually aimed at members of the same group who "get it". The same comments coming from an outsider will always not only fail, but offend.

That's disrespectful. (Arturo - 5/24/2007 3:32:03 PM)

No wonder people wonder about Democrats sometimes. There is nothing wrong with banjo playing. The best banjo players come from South West Virginia, and we should be proud of them. Ralph Stanley for President!

Or, (Pain - 5/24/2007 3:45:13 PM)

One might also argue that Democrats are too uptight. "New England Ivy League Elite" comes to mind, or as a hand-ringing flatearth right-winger I know calls us, the "self appointed ruling class"

But OK, I get it. It was a crowd-groaning dud. But, it wasn't a Michael Richards moment in my view. ;)

/truck backup sounds: beep...beep...beep

OK, put the dead horse right here.

Let me another thing about AG Bob... (elevandoski - 5/24/2007 7:38:37 PM)

There are two things AG Bob shares with Monica Goodling. He not only like her graduated from Pat Robertson U (aka Regent), but he also has a problem like Monica recalling things. And who would not recall his instance of "not recalling"? Who could forget his infamous statement made in January 2003, when then Delegate Bob McDonnell in a House committee meeting discussing behavior disqualifying judges (the whole Verbana Askew affair) from being appointed was asked whether he himself had ever engaged in sodomy replied "Not that I can recall."

and this... (elevandoski - 5/24/2007 7:42:30 PM)

How would things have changed for Mr. and Mrs. VP had Heather Poe been their daughter? I doubt you'd see this photo... Grandpa Cheney