Dear Mitt Romney: Prove Us Wrong

Mitt Romney is scheduled to speak at the far-right "Values Voter Summit" on Saturday morning, immediately before the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer, a man with a long and shocking record of bigotry toward gays and lesbians, American Muslims, Native Americans, African-Americans, Mormons and other minorities. Today, I sent Romney this open letter outlining Fischer's record and urging him to publicly distance himself from Fischer's bigotry before sharing a stage with him.

Dear Governor Romney:

As you campaign for the presidency, you will meet many different people and hear many different views. Nobody expects you to agree with all the views you hear -- but we do expect you to stand up and speak out against expressions of hate and intolerance that go against your basic values. At the Values Voter Summit this weekend, you are scheduled to speak immediately before the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer, one of the most prominent purveyors of hate and intolerance in this country and a vocal critic even of your own religion. By sharing a stage with Mr. Fischer at an event sponsored in part by his employer, you help to raise his profile and lend a veneer of credibility to his bigotry. I urge you to either publicly denounce Mr. Fischer's bigotry or reconsider appearing with him at this event.

Bryan Fischer, who is the Director of Issues Analysis at the American Family Association, has a long record of hate speech toward gays and lesbians, American Muslims, Native Americans and other religious and cultural minorities... including Mormons. Just last week, Mr. Fischer argued on his radio program that Mormons do not have the First Amendment right to free exercise of their religion, and falsely claimed that the LDS Church still sanctions polygamy. He has expressed disdain for your own faith, saying that it "ought to be an issue in 2012."

Mormons are only one of the many minority groups at whom Fischer publicly directs his hatred and intolerance. Fischer has:

• held gays responsible for the Holocaust and likened them to domestic terrorists and Nazis who are intent on committing " virtual genocide" against the military, asserts that "homosexuals should be disqualified from public office" and has even called for the re-criminalization of homosexuality;


• said "we have feminized the Medal of Honor" by awarding it to a soldier who saved his fellow combatants rather than killing enemies;


• demanded all immigrants " convert to Christianity" and renounce their religions;


• asserted that Muslims have "no fundamental First Amendment claims" and should be banned from building mosques and deported from the U.S., adding that Muslims are inherently stupid as a result of inbreeding;


• claimed African-American women " rut like rabbits" due to welfare and that Native Americans are " morally disqualified" from living in America because they didn't convert to Christianity and were consequently cursed by God with alcoholism and poverty;


• maintained that "President Barack Obama nurtures this hatred for the United States of America and, I believe, nurtures a hatred for the white man."


• said that the anti-Muslim manifesto of the right-wing Christian terrorist who killed dozens in Norway was "accurate."

I and others have often criticized you for abandoning your principles when it is politically convenient, but I hope in this instance you will prove us wrong. Bryan Fischer deserves to be a marginalized figure, not a celebrity embraced by the mainstream GOP. I hope that you won't silently hand over the microphone at a nationally televised event to a man with such a record of bigotry -- including towards members of your own faith. Will you publicly distance yourself from Fischer and his dangerous rhetoric?

Respectfully,

Michael Keegan
President, People For the American Way

 

Follow Michael B. Keegan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/peoplefor

Comments

[rockysparks]

06:03 AM on 10/07/2011

While I applaud this effort to get Romney to take a stand against one of the nation's most notorious homophobes, Bryan Fischer, I doubt if it will accomplish much. Romney comes across as the equivalent of trying to eat Jell-o with one's fingers: You can pick it up, but it sort of slips around and there's no guarantee you'll get much of it in your mouth ...

[MUDPUPPY]

05:40 AM on 10/07/2011

Dear Mitt Romney, prove you are not a closet Democrat.

[S1m0n]

01:13 AM on 10/07/2011

There's not much evidence that Romney even has a principle to betray.

[Gottlieb]

12:58 AM on 10/07/2011

This is just the usual GOP presidential wannabes pandering to the basest of their party.

[KDRUDD]

02:34 PM on 10/08/2011

guess you were wrong!

[eyecon]

09:53 PM on 10/06/2011

Romney has neither the integrity nor courage to denounce Fischer. Mitt will do the evangelical calculus and figure that it's a net loss. That says something about evangelical Christians as well - or at least Romney's perception of them. I could make a pretty good campaign ad from the cowardice.

[KDRUDD]

02:35 PM on 10/08/2011

I guess you were wrong!

[Wayne Dequer]

08:15 PM on 10/06/2011

I have been hoping for some time that Mitt Romney would pleasantly surprise me and take some stand on principle and/or good sense that might discomfort the extreme right to some extent.

I'm still hoping.

I believe Governor Romney is really somewhat moderate and has wonderful leadership skills. The art of compromise is important, but the President needs to be a moral leader as well as effective campaigner, civil communicator and good diplomat.

[becky bradshaw]

09:25 PM on 10/06/2011

Romney has that rare skill of a chameleon. When in Des Moines, Romney shares all the values of Iowa, and when in Florida, Romney is a "Real Gator".

The problem with this personality is he can never really be trusted. As the Wind Blows, So Goes the Romney of Our Lives.

[luziannagirl]

07:44 PM on 10/06/2011

So, Mitt, when you were CEO of Bain Capital, and you partnered with a certain Texas-based, formerly high-quality name-brand mattress maker, what high moral principles guided you to tell them to cut corners?

What high moral principles guided you to tell them to reap maximum short-term profits by switching to cheap, shoddy, likely foreign materials under the nice fabric coverings?

What high moral principles guided you to advise them to trade on their solid reputation, respected name, and to essentially, take the money and run?

Did you find those high moral principles in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or in "Atlas Shrugged"?

[latterdaywhacko]

06:50 AM on 10/07/2011

it's because he is a "job creator."

NOT

[Rhino40]

06:11 PM on 10/06/2011

With all due respect Mr. Keegan, why should Romney respond to your letter. I have read your posts in the past and you hate the guy. That said, Romney is out to talk about the issues he cares about. He is not there to defend the Mormon Church. As a fellow Mormon I can say that we don't need protecting. We are just fine thank you very much.

I wonder, where are your open letters to Obama when he shares a stage with Jesse Jackson who has also attacked Mormons.

[latterdaywhacko]

06:45 AM on 10/07/2011

you don't need protecting and you also don't need to be president of the united states thank you very much.

[disporting]

05:20 PM on 10/06/2011

That summit sure holds some real good family values.

[Carl Caroli]

04:53 PM on 10/06/2011

Don't hold your breath.

[Luman Walter]

04:05 PM on 10/06/2011

Willard really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, wants to be president.

[EspritDeVoltaire]

04:02 PM on 10/06/2011

Mitt Romney has principles? Who knew?

[Find the Truth]

03:22 PM on 10/06/2011

Why, why would any rational person share the stage with this thing called Fischer?

Romney, must be desperate for approval from the extreme radical right.

By the way, why is the LDS church running all the commercials in support of mormonism?

Are they attempting to legitimize Romney's candidacy?

Is that why every Mormon gives 10% of their income to the Church?

To help a Presidential candidate????

[Luman Walter]

04:49 PM on 10/06/2011

Is all you do is ask questions?

Are you asking rhetorical or hypothetical questions?

Are you trying to make a point?

Is your last question one?

Or two questions??

[Find the Truth]

06:29 PM on 10/06/2011

Why is it that you care?

[Sculptore99]

03:02 PM on 10/06/2011

People are corporations, was for Roe vs Wade then against it, Was for GM bailout, then against it, boast about his private sector experience....how many jobs did he create vs the people who lost jobs during his great wealth building reign? As Gov he did create some jobs, but when he left office, he left with a net loss of jobs! He raised taxes while Gov stating that the rich should pay their equal share, now he says you can't tax the job creators....is Mr. Keegan being sarcastic?

[D-V-H]

02:23 PM on 10/06/2011

Don't worry Mr Keegan, Romney really, truly promises this time... whatever it was that you wanted.

Well, until he changes his mind again.