Statewide embarrassment

Maybe you have a friend, family member or a former U.S. president who was “elected” in 2002, who when they speak, you quickly hide your eyes and look downward in embarrassment. You deny you invited them, and quickly sprint to the nearest closet or panic room, not to be seen for minutes, hours or even days if you properly prepared yourself for such a scene, bringing Slim Jims and Yoo-hoos. I know someone who gives not only me the same feeling, but also other Oklahomans and others who live upon the amber waves of grain in these United States. Her name is Sally Kern, the sweetheart who represents the 84th district in the Oklahoman House of Representatives.

You may know Kern as a former teacher in the Oklahoma City area who sits on the Subcommittee on Education on Capitol Hill. Or you may know her for her unapologetic hatred for gays and Islam, which she continually berates, driving our state’s name through the mud.

Where to start? Let’s go with her comments on homosexuality. I’m sure many of you have heard these comments, but there is no way to mention her stance on this issue without reminiscing this infamous rant to a small group of Republicans in March 2008. I wish I could find a clip without animation, but I wasn’t that lucky. You’ll definitely get the point.

Yes, you heard right, the gays have taken over Eureka Springs, Ark. — another disaster President Bush and FEMA forgot about, which now lies in ruin. Yes, it was the gays. How could we of let this happen? Where was NORAD? If we don’t watch out, they are going to go after larger plots of land, like entire counties.
But the most troubling part of her homophobic manifesto is this quote, “I honestly believe it’s (homosexuality) the biggest threat to our country, even more so than terrorism, or Islam, which I think is a big threat.”

Now, do you honestly believe homosexuals are a larger threat than terrorism? I’ll pause and let you contemplate for a moment.

Think of the worst things homosexuals have done to this country. I can’t really come up with much, but for the sake of argument, I’ll say the ’80s band Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I do like the song “Relax,” so it’s not a great example. Yet we know what terrorists have done. Terrorists attacked the World Trade Center twice and we’ve also have witnessed terrorism in our own state. It’s a shame and outrageous to even compare the two.

It was nice of her to throw Islam in at the last second as well. Yes, the extremists who have attacked us and we have fought against say they fight in the name of their religion, but does that make every Muslim a terrorist? Not at all. It would be difficult to find any religion that does not have a minority that sit on the fringe and will not compromise. Yet Kern has publicly announced that she will not apologize for her remarks and continues to wear blinders so she cannot see that most Americans are much more moderate in their ideas about people who live differently.

Let me remind you that Kern supposedly represents the Oklahomans of the 84th district, no matter of race, religion, gender or sexuality. Also, she is paid by our tax dollars. Doesn’t that just make you feel warm on the inside?

I’m not saying you cannot disagree with the homosexual lifestyle or the ideas within other religions, but to publicly demonize homosexuals or Islam due to the few who distort it’s beliefs is not a way to make relations in our country better. We should be proud of our “melting pot,” not pouring it out and turning it to some bland off-brand stew.

Rep. Sally Kern, embarrassment to the state — yet paid by the state.

—Adam Holt

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