Gingrich On Prop 8 Protests: "Gay And Secular Fascism ... Prepared To Use Violence"

Media Matters reports on a Fox News discussion between Bil O'Reilly and Newt Gingrich on protests against the California gay marriage ban:

O'REILLY: OK, now, the culture war. I know you've been flying around the country, and you're doing stuff. In the last three or four days, this is really nasty stuff. I mean, you know, hyper -- we're gonna show you some of the video. A woman getting a cross smashed out of her hand. We had a church in Michigan invaded by gay activists. We're gonna show you the video on Monday of that -- we have exclusively. We had a guy in Sacramento fired from his job. We had boycotts called on restaurants.

I mean, it is getting out of control, very few days after the election. How do you assess that?

GINGRICH: Look, I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion. And I think if you believe in historic Christianity, you have to confront the fact. And, frank -- for that matter, if you believe in the historic version of Islam or the historic version of Judaism, you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that are antithetical, they're the opposite, of what you're taught in Sunday school.

For a dose of reality, here is video of some of the protests:

Comments

[RationalityPlease]

Every time one of these folks spews more virulent lies and hatred, I am heartened. Go Newt! The more ridiculous your claims, the better for the rest of us. Why?

Because, for every fearful ignorant who believes them, ten more wake up and say, "Enough!"

[4akinderworld]

Ask Matthew Shepard's friends and family about who stays prepared to use violence to impose their will.

Observe the behavior of Fred Phelps and his minions. Violence isn't only physical.

If gay rights supporters invaded the personal space of others, they should be called out on that, but the right wing homophobic pot had better be vigilant about what kettle they call black.

[lmnop13]

Keep digging that hole buddy. Pretty soon it will be big enough to hold the entire GOP. How about commenting on some news without the personal attacks and using the church as a weapon? Or, would that hurt O'Reilly's feelings and disappoint his audience?

[Ohg]

http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/11/14/the-right-to-privacy-the-9th-amendment-gay-marriage/

[Downix]

For one of the better reports (I am biased as he used a picture of my son for his lead-in photo, admitedly) I usually point people to Pink Is The New Blog

[obamagal]

'Pot, meet kettle'...

[TLV]

The issue of gay marriage has never forced itself on me or my husband! Now - wacko religion? That is another matter. Everyone in our family belongs to a church that accepts everyone. Everyone. It is The United Church of Christ.

You can believe what you like, but we believe that treating one another with love and acceptance is the way we are intended to act. If not, why does it feel right and hate feels so wrong? We don't need a book or a fascist preacher or a right-wing loud mouth or violent uprising to tell us how people should treat one another.

[spiderbucket]

It seems that it's ok for Fox News to call for boycotts and to accost people at their homes and workplaces when they want but not ok for anyone else.

[BlackJAC]

You forget that gops have an inferiority/persecution complex and essentially live in fear of their own shadows.

[Wiserone]

"for that matter, if you believe in the historic version of Islam or the historic version of Judaism, you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that are antithetical, they're the opposite, of what you're taught in Sunday school."

Notice how Newt cleverly interjected an association between gays = Islam = Judism in trying to make his point. What does Islam and Judism have to do with this particular protest (Prop 8) or gays for that matter?

[Cyano]

Good point. It's so normal for right-wingers to throw everyone/everything they deem "bad" into every verbal blast, one can easily overlook the complete lack of logic. Have spaghetti, will throw it!

[Soulsurfer]

I'm reminded by O'Really's appearance last week on The Daily Show saying he was "terrified" by the federal government, admitting that he's an "anarchist", and believes in the "power of the people". What a bunch of sissies. Especially Gingrich.

[protagonia]

A grand inversion of truth.

He is a pock.

[FR]

Sorry, but Gingrich on the sanctity of marriage ....
WHY is this nasty has-been even around? Is Faux Noise trying to resurrect him?

[Soulsurfer]

Wasn't he drummed out of the Congress once already? What about Ollie North, convicted felon, flying high over there at Fox? What's with the people who support these lawbreakers? Ohhhhh, that's right, they're CONSERVATIVES!

[TLV]

He was certainly in the background all along. I wouldn't be surprised if he got his mitts on The Princess Palin and instructed her on how to lose the election for John McCain whom he hates with a passion.

[Rindy]

We cannot blame this on people of religion or christians. Majority rules in this country. People who went to the polls weren't just christians and religious people but all people of different beliefs. Some people don't believe that their is a God but believe that marriage is between one women and one man. To me it shouldn't have been put on the ballots for people to vote for because majority rules in this country. It should of never been fought to be put on the ballots to vote for in the first place. Now that majority has spoken and voted: YOU ARE MAD OUT OF YOUR MIND. YOU GET WHAT YOU ASK FOR IN LIFE WEATHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. TO ME IT IS A DONE DEAL AND MAJORITY WILL ALWAYS RULE IN THIS COUNTRY. YOU CAN HAVE TANTRUMS, BOYCOTTS/ MARCH, ATTACK PEOPLE, INVADE RESTURANTS AND INVADE CHURCHES ALL IS IN VAIN BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN AND VOTED ON PROP 8. STOP MAKING IT A RELIGION THING AND CHRISTIANS BELIEF.
WE ARE TRYING TO BLAME THIS ON A SECULAR OF PEOPLE AND RELIGION. THIS IS SO FUNNY WE ARE ACTING LIKE CHILDREN WITH TANTRUMS.

[DanFromAkron]

Rindy, majority rule has to be subject to limits. The fact that a majority of Americans at the time thought that slavery was just fine didn't make it right. The fact that Jews were a minority in Nazi Germany didn't make it okay to kill millions of them. We aren't having a tantrum. We are tired of being treated as the last minority that it's acceptable to vilify in public.

[TLV]

You are so right. Since the right to marry is for ALL people, it should never be voted on. I agree! Let anyone marry anyone they choose to love. Amen!

[seereene1]

Civil rights should never be voted upon by the majority. All progress in liberty and civil rights results from the fact that the minority is treated unfairly by the majority. The original 'by the people' were only white, male, landowners. If they alone were allowed to vote, no progress would have been made in the rights for womens suffrage, and African-American civil rights (thus allowing civil rights for all the brown people in America today - colored was a term for ANYONE that wasn't Caucasian). The right to choose your life partner should be a civil right legislated by the court. Whether your church will marry them is the right of the church to recognize or deny. If they will be accorded second-class status maybe they should protest by withholding state and federal taxes! Maybe these religious groups involving themselves in politics should have their state and federal tax exempt status reconsidered!!

[Dynamohum]

You obviously have never had YOUR RIGHTS trampled on!! Stop with the all caps first. It makes you look like a stupid f*ck. Next get a life. The constitution and the three branches of government were set up the way that they were so that the MAJORITY could not LEGISLATE against the minority. The court system is there to protect the minority from the majority!! It is a religious thing when the MORMONS and the CATHOLIC Church got involved and spent millions of dollars on TV and radio ADS. So you get over it you ignorant d*mbf*ck!!. Go to a reich wing blog, it is where you belong!!

[OldSkooler]

I am so NOT threatened in the LEAST by gay anything, let alone marriage.

What is WRONG with these wimpy Republicans???

Physician, heal thyself. Get your OWN "marriage" and "trad family" in order (Newt?) before you go off on some of the most loving, caring, generous - yes, MORAL - people in the world.

Stop the hate. Stop the lies. Stop the fearmongering. In short: GET A LIFE!!!

[johnpherson]

What does someones sexual orientation have to do with a political philosophy that Mussolini himself stated would more appropriately be called "corporatism?" Groups who unfortunately find themselves outside the mainstream are the "victim" of fascism, conformity is paramount to the gears of corporatist state running smoothly. Fascism is a word thrown around improperly, it is "free trade" capitalism allowing no dissent, leaving no rights to organizing that could even lead to the possibility of opposition to the state. Now just how exactly is the "gay and lesbian" capable of imposing "fascism" on the America newt?