NY's anti-gay would-be Governor

--by Mike Adams

New York's Republican candidate for Governor is hopeful that his message of prejudice and bigotry and will carry him into the State's highest office. This past Sunday, in Brooklyn, Paladino said, "I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option — it isn’t". Paladino referenced his Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo's participation in the Gay Pride Parade by saying, "I didn’t march in the gay parade this year — the gay pride parade this year. My opponent did, and that’s not the example we should be showing our children." For unknown reasons, Paladino left out the portion of his prepared remarks that read, "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual."

An hour later, Cuomo condemned Paladino's statements, "Mr. Paladino’s statement displays a stunning homophobia and a glaring disregard for basic equality. These comments along with other views he has espoused make it clear that he is way out of the mainstream and is unfit to represent New York." This is a good start, however, I'd have to say that while Paladino has the right as a citizen to have and display his bigotry in this fashion, his defiant and proudly stated prejudice shows that he is rather un-American. This country was born on the ideas put down in our Declaration of Independence...that is our source, our inspiration and though we usually fall far short of the ideals articulated in that document, we ought never accept our shortcomings as being ok. By accident Paladino got it right in a way. No one ought march in Gay Pride Parade, there should be no reason that we need to have a Gay Pride Parade, the fact that it is a political necessity is indicative of our own failure to make manifest our own principles.

Paladino is not only unfit to represent New York, he is unfit to serve as a representative in our land. He has failed to embrace the fundamental building block of our greatness, upon which we are keeping a tenuous grip.

Ironically, realizing his gaffe, Paladino later refused to comment on his statement. In fact, his campaign manger denied Paladino's anti-gay status, noting that Paladino actually employs a gay man on his campaign staff.

It is time that we as a nation lay aside our personal prejudices and stand up for what is right. That we stand by the assertion, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men...."

While I'm certain that there are those who will construct logical seeming, yet shallow arguments justifying their desire to institutionalize prejudice against varying classes of people, there is no honest reading of our genesis document which provides for our Government controlling who can marry who. There is no argument in support of practicing bigotry against any of our minority population.