North Carolina and Mississippi's music scenes have basically died overnight. Local bands might still be going but the states have become so toxic that nobody from outside Bible Belt land will go anywhere near them. I'm expecting Deftones to cancel their show there soon.

man I can't wait to read the incredibly ignorant comments from the userbase of sputnikmusic

"Spread peace and love...."

hippie confirmed

Yeah fuck whatecer i havw opinions about important shit probably

who cares we got ted nugent

Good fuck the NC state government

IT WON'T BRING JOHN BACK, RINGO

delete north carolina

You know what they say guys... It don't come easy

Just a few moments of some hard pumping.
























The water table is high.

What point do good causes become trends?

Respect to the musicians who protest this bullshit, but I have to ask, honestly.

"What point do good causes become trends?"

intelligent question

This is so dumb, citizens of these states shouldn't have to suffer because of some bill the legislature passes. Only the concertgoers lose this battle, truly a dumb move to cancel.

Well if it can achieve the desired result then who really cares. NC and MS need to fuck off back to the 1800s.

This is so dumb, citizens of these states shouldn't have to suffer because of some bill the legislature passes.

It also hurts the economy of those states because the money spent won't be recuperated, and it has a knock-on effect. Especially with huge names such as Springsteen, Bryan Adams and Ringo Starr who would've likely generated thousands of dollars of income

Oh well, it's not like there's any poor people in North Carolina.

*snickers*

"It also hurts the economy of those states"

that was kind of the point

Without a vibrant music scene in NC and MS with other bands visiting them, the state legislature's gonna have to repeal the act or suffer from an horrific gap in their income where the arts industry previously contributed. Hopefully they learn from their mistake before they have to suffer the consequences - some may say this could be seen as an example of what may happen under a Trump led USA.

Movie studios and other businesses are doing the same thing

"some may say this could be seen as an example of what may happen under a Trump led USA."

lmao get real

fripp: get real too

Mate these governors in NC and MS are nowhere near as extreme as Trump is. Under a Trump Presidency there will be massive problems with overall trade from other countries, let alone European and other non-US bands refusing to visit anymore.

OK TheNewWhack I'll gladly call you an intolerant asshole.

"I'd rather not have my six year old daughter share a bathroom with a random adult male in women's clothing"

you'd rather have ur six year old son share a bathroom with an adult male in women's clothing, right

i always expect solid logic from the us' right

Oh by the way Tennessee is also looking to pass a law that would allow mental health counsellors to deny treatment to LGBT patients.

What the hell is wrong with the southern states and their sudden war on the LGBT community? NC, MS and now TN all jumping in and now everyone in those states will suffer.

I'm already sick of this thread

cheese13

"Sorry, but I'd rather not have my six year old daughter share a bathroom with a random adult male in women's clothing. I'm trying to shelter her from the massive identity crisis this country is going through. People can't decide if they are male, female, black, white, etc. Call me an intolerant asshole, I don't really care."

Identity is a pretty complex thing dude. How is questioning one's identity a bad thing anyway? What reason is there to shelter someone from other people's experiences?

And like fuck, you lucked out and happen to agree with the identity that was forced upon you. But there are a lot of people that don't feel that way, and they should have every right to express that

Isn't either option a little confusing for children, asdf?

~personal identity is fixed and really important state-wise~

"Isn't either option a little confusing for children, asdf?"

confusing? Sure, that's what education is for. Are you seriously saying you want your kid to be stupid and ignorant instead of challenged?

the only gender choices are male polar bear, female polar bear or No

Kids are really smart and generally adapt to progressive social issues much better than older people
Maybe allow your kid access to information and let them decide, it might turn out they aren't as stupid and ignorant as you!

the only gender choices are male polar bear, female polar bear or No [2]

I'd like to correct an earlier statement about a 6 year old son having to share a bathroom with a "man in women's clothing" and change it to "they'd rather have their 6 year old son witness a so-called 'man in women's clothing' being beaten to within an inch of their life inside a men's bathroom". Because that will happen.

the right wing doesn't know what it wants, i thought that was obvious

public life seems a bit bleak

"I'd like to correct an earlier statement about a 6 year old son having to share a bathroom with a "man in women's clothing" and change it to "they'd rather have their 6 year old son witness a so-called 'man in women's clothing' being beaten to within an inch of their life inside a men's bathroom". Because that will happen."

I mean they said the exact same thing about allowing black people into white school dude

But children learn and are more accepting of progress. Forcing a trans woman to use the men's bathroom can (and has already) resulted in attacks. Same with trans men using women's bathrooms.

All this does is give bigots the impression that they're right and should accost a trans person in a bathroom

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/boycott-north-carolinas-lgbt-bathroom-law-gaining-traction/story?id=38367656

Yup the economy is already suffering.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/12/north-carolina-may-never-see-a-celebrity-again.html

they're blocking porn too lmao

let's see how long dat right wing lifestyle holds up w/o porn

And I bet anything you like that most of them loved their lesbian porn

Not even lesbians like lesbian porn

~christians don't masturbate to degenerates~

trebor.: straight men do. ur point?

yea ok thespianlesbian

gotta say I'm pretty proud of how this thread is going, comments are (mostly) more positive than I expected. Sput showin its good side.

of course there's always that one asshole that comes along, though. I feel sorry for TheNewWhack's 6-year-old daughter; I know what it's like growing up with an ignorant father with views like his. it's why I tried killing myself four times.

ouch, that's a sad story :[

When I was peak running my thespianlesbian alt Chan straight up messaged me asking me if I was having a gender crisis and needed help

I felt so bad being like "Nah I'm just an idiot"

Oh my dad was a racist too. I suffer from horrific depression and have a whole host of issues that correlate directly to his racism.

Hey TheNewWhack you're looking at your daughter in 15 years' time. Nice parenting there.

treb: lol damn, transgender people aren't rare here tho, maybe that's why

lol trebor oh the lessons you learned along the way

Well I guess this is growing up

"What the hell is wrong with the southern states and their sudden war on the LGBT community? NC, MS and now TN all jumping in and now everyone in those states will suffer."

Pushback due to the rest of society making positive progress. They need to reassert their power by showing--in some way--that they still make the rules. They can't actually do anything bigger, so they settle for "little" things like this in the hopes that it'll grow into a greater institutionalized distaste for the LGBTQ community. I'd like to think it's really just the death throes of religious fundamentalism in the country, but I doubt it.

that's what ur children get when ur life revolves around hatred i guess

"Pushback due to the rest of society making positive progress. They need to reassert their power by showing--in some way--that they still make the rules. They can't actually do anything bigger, so they settle for "little" things like this in the hopes that it'll grow into a greater institutionalized distaste for the LGBTQ community. I'd like to think it's really just the death throes of religious fundamentalism in the country, but I doubt it"

it's like spain quijote-era style lmao

and people say our generation's so bad. Well if our generation was raised properly maybe we wouldn't be put in such a mess by the previous generations who are so great that they were able to give birth to and raise such a "horrible" generation.

I would take any excuse I could get to avoid going to North Carolina.

"lol damn, transgender people aren't rare here tho, maybe that's why"


They aren't? From which part of Santiago are you? I've almost never seen one actually hah

@mrsir: no i mean sputnik lol

"They aren't? From which part of Santiago are you? I've almost never seen one actually hah"

You've likely met several trans people in your life. A lot of people are in the closet or not so open about it because of shit like this.

plus I mean you can't always tell someone is trans by sight even when they're not in the closet

speaking as a north carolinian, please nuke my state

We'll give you 24 hours to say your goodbyes and get the hell out of there

rip north carolina

if no ones gettin dropkicked then i aint interested

"let's see how long dat right wing lifestyle holds up w/o porn"

People literally survived for millions of years without porn... I think they will be alright.

Reading this thread is like reading the thesis of some confused, second year sociology student.

"Pushback due to the rest of society making positive progress."

Well considering this law was created by the politicians that were voted for by the people of that state, they might consider the rest of society to be making negative progress.

"They need to reassert their power by showing--in some way--that they still make the rules."

Who is "they"?

"They can't actually do anything bigger, so they settle for "little" things like this in the hopes that it'll grow into a greater institutionalized distaste for the LGBTQ community."

I don't know why people act like there is some systematic agenda against the LGBTQ community just because a lot of people feel uncomfortable with having a trans man in the men's bathroom. Sure, you can say "who cares if it makes them uncomfortable, they're just intolerant," but that makes you just like them. Either you're uncomfortable as a trans person or they're uncomfortable having these people around them. You can't be sensitive to the feelings of only those that are sympathetic to the LGBTQ community, otherwise you're just hypocrites.

"I'd like to think it's really just the death throes of religious fundamentalism in the country, but I doubt it"

I feel like you and a lot of other people fundamentally misunderstand conservative values and the conservative mindset. You can hold these positions without being a religious fundamentalist. Turn off cnn and close your guardian internet tabs.

well at leat those thousands of nukes the US has have got a target at last

you know there's a significant difference between systematically oppressed as a trans person and being slightly uncomfortable if someone's in the same bathroom as you

also the thing about conservative mindsets is that you cannot stand in the way of progress, progress and societal change will inevitably happen at some point or another and the longer it takes the more harm it does to those suffering without it

Clearly, but in this case it is one person being uncomfortable versus another.

"also the thing about conservative mindsets is that you cannot stand in the way of progress, progress and societal change will inevitably happen at some point or another and the longer it takes the more harm it does to those suffering without it"

Yes, but remember that not all change is progress. Whether we're progressing or not really depends on who you ask.

I bet 30 years ago people thought the war on drugs was progress.

"People literally survived for millions of years without porn... I think they will be alright" -- people survived millions of years without electricity, let's try and take that away tho

"I don't know why people act like there is some systematic agenda against the LGBTQ community just because a lot of people feel uncomfortable with having a trans man in the men's bathroom" -- don't know why you act like there's not an anti-lgtb agenda, considering the public opinions of everyone involved in this law getting approved

etc etc

u bring up a lot of basic points and not really defend ur position in any way at all, yet callin other people "confused, second year sociology student[s]" sm d h

"who cares we got ted nugent"

10/10 comment right there.

"Sure, you can say "who cares if it makes them uncomfortable, they're just intolerant," but that makes you just like them. Either you're uncomfortable as a trans person or they're uncomfortable having these people around them. "

You don't see a difference between being uncomfortable and passing a law acting against a type of person?

I'm uncomfortable having biggots around me, but still think we can share bathrooms - hell I even think we could sit at the same table and discuss pretty much anything.

(and for the matter, I'm actually more uncomfortable when around trans than around biggots - still no reason to pass law against any of those two)

is there anything from stopping me from saying i'm trans and going into the woman's restroom right now?

i mean other than the masculinity exuding off of me but besides that.

Fuck these bigoted bills.
Literally, if I go to NC right now a cop has the right to take me out of the woman's bathroom and/or ask me about my body.
If you think that's viable or not at all dehumanizing then fuck off. I guess I'll stick to never peeing outside my house... Fuck off. .-.

This sort of thing has lead to deaths in the transgender community in the past... to situations of ripping off someone's clothes just to check their parts.... Do you REALLY think that's okay? If so, fuck off really.

as long as everyone has a place to shit and piss who cares which bathroom, since when did a bathroom become a social place and why is this such a big deal, also fuck ringo starr for disrespecting his fans over politics

I identify as a vortigaunt and i am offended by this.

*ignorance

The thing is that I'm a woman and IDK I'd LIKE to pee in a woman's bathroom! Is that so hard to understand? The fact that I'm trans should not be a matter. Fuck

^ worst post of the day goes to...

pretty early in the day where i am Sin i think i can top it if i try hard enough

Ahh sounds good i'll wait and see then

sorry but standing up for yourself just creates problems for waspy white supremacists

Lol at anyone giving a fuck about NC's economy. The state will repeal when they realize how badly they have fucked up. Arizona tried to pull some stunt that was viewed as an Anti-Gay law and musicians and companies canceled their shows/support here and the Super Bowl threatened to not allow AZ to host. Guess what? AZ suddenly changed their minds about that bill. If states want to pass these laws, let them burn from their own wrongdoings.

Looks like he said "no no no no I can't take it no more"...

Though in this circumstance I'm certain he's not tired of waking up on the floor lol

The thread started out nicely (most opinions were pro LGBTQ) and then it went down the slippery slope, with comments like Trve's and Trophycase's pseudointellectual rant.

There is an anti LGBTQ agenda. In my town, the LGBTQ community wants to make an event in the summer and the City Hall unreasonably prohibits it. LGBTQ students and people in general are being attacked or led to suicide (an incident like this occured in Greece a while back).

Of course artists could find another way of expressing their disagreement, because it's really easy that it becomes nothing more than a trend, but at least all the hustle brings the topic to the surface.

Also, a man in woman's clothes is a woman if they identify themselves with women and vice versa. Especially, if they act, think and behave like ones or have undergone surgery. It's a choice of identity, not a disorder. Stop accusing transgenders as disturbed and criminal. For fox's sake, what year is it, you people need to start thinking for once.

yeah if theyve undergone surgery that makes sense but if they have a dick its a matter of hygiene unless they sit down to pee. i mean dudes bathrooms are nasty af bc of that, so logistically maybe the lawmakers just dont want womens bathrooms to get nasty af

"I don't know why people act like there is some systematic agenda against the LGBTQ community "

there fundamentally IS, though, and it IS fundamentally religiously based. These are not atheist politicians doing this out of a secular sense of justice and empathy; these are god-fearing Christians trying to stomp out perversion wherever they see it. There's no logical or statistical basis for laws such as this, and they only seek to address some weird "ick" factor that republicans apparently assert is a real and important thing, and not just something we should grow up and deal with. I'm sure there are people who would appreciate not having to poop in the same room as black people, too... oh wait.

I dont understand why the trans people
can't choose bathroom. I mean, who cares which they pick

because dudes might put on skirts so they can use the ladies room and molest our daughters! even though you're statistically more likely to be sexually harassed by a politician in a public restroom than a trans person or one pretending to be trans let's ignore that and just go with the emotionally reactive argument.

the south will always be the south, if it not the blacks or the gays, they will find somebody else to discriminate against

It was already serious when xhamster got involved

which is why you should never vote for any politician interested in ever cutting education.

I hear you, Wisconsin severely cut education because of the prick Scott Walker, now it is basically mississippi, with cold weather, when we were one of the most progressive states for 100 years

"This is so dumb, citizens of these states shouldn't have to suffer because of some bill the legislature passes. Only the concertgoers lose this battle, truly a dumb move to cancel."

Remove the second sentence, and you have exactly the point everyone boycotting NC is making.

If you're "uncomfortable" with trans or other LGBT folks, maybe you should be asking yourself why instead of trying to legislate against your own unfounded fear.

if you try to rationalize religious superstitions, you're gonna have a bad time

If you pizza when you're supposed to French fry, you're gonna have a bad time.

he should put on a concert ONLY for trans people in NC, easy solution

^can't do that. can't discriminate one way or the other

what's happening in America right now is pretty easy to understand. The whole sense of change and the country - heck, the whole world - walking on the razor's edge makes people worried about their fundamental fear, death. Thus, when in extreme anxiety, groups turn to the extreme of their roots, beliefs and mindsets. These actions fall perfectly to that category of behaviour.

while that sounded pretty, that's complete bullshit. since the dawn of civilization there has been bigotry towards groups of people it's not cuz the world is changing too fast. and the fear of death makes groups turn to extremes? wtf? this just sounds like your projecting 100%.

The world would be a better place if everyone realized that "God told me to" is only as valid as "Allah told me to" is only as valid as "That dog named Sam told me to."

imo

like it Awaste,

if we all just listen to our cool uncle Jerry G, the world would be way more chill

nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

All we need is some ice cream and a hug.

"i guess this is growing up" A+ comment trebor
in regards to wisconsin it's even worse when you think about the fact that they cut education to build a new stadium for the bucks
also obviously there's an anti LGBTQ agenda, whoever doesn't think that is an idiot, and we should def let trans people use whatever restroom they're comfortable with

Mythodea's got a point, though - the vast majority of these bigoted ideas come from reactionary fundamentalist religious ideology, which is tied directly to fear of death - if people lived forever, I highly doubt we'd see nearly as much religious faith. Most of what people do in some way ties in to coping with mortality, and if people wind up with the ass-backwards notion that they're God's flaming sword of justice because they just kicked a woman out of the women's bathroom or vice versa, then they're going to try to score some afterlife points and discriminate the fuck out of the transgender community, or the LGBTQ community at large, or people of different racial backgrounds, etc.

Saying fear of death is the only cause is a bit hyperbolic, because there's a lot of various factors feeding into it (the factors, for instance, that direct fear of death specifically into religious belief, or religious belief into psychotic fundamentalism), but it's still pretty far from bullshit.

"i guess this is growing up" A+ comment trebor
in regards to wisconsin it's even worse when you think about the fact that they cut education to build a new stadium for the bucks
also obviously there's an anti LGBTQ agenda, whoever doesn't think that is an idiot, and we should def let trans people use whatever restroom they're comfortable with

I have to say that I respect what Joel McHale did. He still performed in NC but donated 100% of the proceeds to the LGBT Center of Durham

Thanks for the support Porcupinetheater. The truth is that I'm not projecting at all, I didn't come up with these theories. It's social psychology 101. It's shown that when people are afraid for their well-being and life, they tend to be more conservative in terms of their own beliefs, id est, they tend to be way more strict about their ideologies and thoughts. Experiments have shown that the reminder of one's mortality leads them to be more rough against the things that they believe may hurt their well-being. So, no, it's not bullshit, it's science and get your facts straight.

Just knock down the wall between the woman and men's rooms in all bathrooms and be done with it and tell those cry babies to get real with the issues in their head that make them hate.

Funny, Bruce Springsteen will perform in Communist Cuba, whose government imprisons and beats ideological dissidents, but will not play in a state that doesn't list sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in non-discrimination civil rights legislation and mandates its government and public facilities separate bathrooms by biological sex because men have penises and women have vaginas and thusly have anatomically-based privacy interests.

Likewise, Apply won't do business in such an awful, evil place, yet gay Tim Cook has no moral qualms about partnering in Saudia Arabia (homosexual acts and cross-dressing are legally punishable by death) and Singapore/China (same-sex acts are criminalized).

Yes, these progressives are so much more morally enlightened and superior to social and religious conservatives.

i agree saudi arabia is hell but cuba is so brutally misrepresented that i've lost all faith i know anythin about the country at all

the point of doing a concert in Cuba is to help open up the country to western culture, and make it a more democratic and open society. Not really comparable to dudes politicking with the Saudis.

Yes, Cuba is not as deplorable as the Islamic world, but it's a repressive regime, and if anything, Cimnele, is represented way too generously than accurately. Punishing speech is a gross human rights violation. The unfettered exchange of ideas is what frees and keeps free a society; the censure of such a process endangers overall freedom much more than, if at all, anything Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia or Missouri lawmakers have passed.

Zaruyache, I don't find your distinction relevant at all. The U.S. opening relations with Cuba isn't likely to liberate the country from the Castro family. Rewarding evil people will not all of a sudden make them good. The fact is there is an absurd double standard going on with these non-issues fabricated by the LGBT lobby and its "useful idiots." There is less interest in justice and philosophical consistency than say partisan ideology that masquerades as the former now in the US.

I mean guys, as someone who has a degree from arguably the world's oldest journalism school and has worked as such, I can tell you I wouldn't trust virtually anything the mainstream press reports on these "anti-gay" laws. Unfortunately, journalists neither have the intellectual ability nor ethical integrity to present an accurate portrayal of the content of these laws, over-simplifying them as blanket discrimination and slandering its sponsors as Jim Crow segregationists. Pretty much "social justice" organizations like the LGBT lobby (self-professed elites who presumptuously claim to speak on behalf of all members of respective their minority) can shout "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" and too many people, including the press, will believe them without question. We live in Orwellian times.

''I mean guys, as someone who has a degree from arguably the world's oldest journalism school and has worked as such, I can tell you I wouldn't trust virtually anything the mainstream press reports on these "anti-gay" laws.''

Oh, gosh, are you one of the journalist elite? Such press, much wow. You believe all American / Capitalist propaganda about Cuba. You've been talking shit about Cuba like it's North Corea.

''Unfortunately, journalists neither have the intellectual ability nor ethical integrity to present an accurate portrayal of the content of these laws''

Apparently this happens with other things, too, am I right? I'm saynig no names.

''Pretty much "social justice" organizations like the LGBT lobby (self-professed elites who presumptuously claim to speak on behalf of all members of respective their minority) can shout "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" and too many people, including the press, will believe them without question. We live in Orwellian times.''

When I read this I thought ''this guy should get his head out of his own ass''. Is it too much if I say it? Get your head out of your ass. There. Let's see now how that goes.

''ignorance is strength"

This should work for you.

Mythodea,

Yes, I have a more knowledge of how journalism works and what it does than the average person here. There is a discrepancy between what I was taught and how news is actually practiced that has in large part led me to the conclusion the industry is hopelessly corrupt and thus the American people are screwed. Take it or leave it.

On Cuba, I think you believe the Marxist propaganda. It's well-documented that the Castros have political prisoners and free speech is functionally non-existent there. When was the last time Cuba had free elections, and there was a regime change?

This is Sputnik; this place is full of pretentious people, yourself included. For someone who thinks insulting me serves as a refutation of what I wrote, well, head meet ass.

I've made an argument; all you make is bluster.

Oh, well, I do agree that the media is a corrupt system. Not only in America, all over the world. And of course, corporations and capitalism have played a major role in this. I just wanted to point out that you cancel the whole LGBTQ wave, because, supposedly, the press is ready to accept anything the LGBTQ community says in order to appear politically correct. At the same time, whilst I agree there are some extremes, it's unacceptable to generalize like that and call people who fight against sexism ''self-professed elites who presumptuously claim to speak on behalf of all members of respective their minority''.

Orwellian times, indeed, my friend, and the discussion moves on to Cuba. I accept that I don't know much about the way the country regulates. How well informed could I be if I was never there? For one thing I'm certain, though. I won't accept any word that comes out of Amrican government's mouth, because the fight against Communism, Anarchism or a more mild Socialism is raging on, still. All the negatives you mention in Cuba (lack of freedom of speech, hoax elections or none at all) are but a similarity to what happens in America and Europe. You mean to tell me that arresting 400 protestors in America for fighting against the corporatists who control elections is not bizarre? Have you seen the current situation in Europe? Fascists literally march in the streets and roam in the parliament, but, hey, at least I can buy a new car, unlike Cuba, where they take the money from the people for free healthcare. You should be more aware than me that if Cuba is the incarnation of 1984, then the West is the equivalent of Brave New World.

And way to jump into conclusions that I believe in the Marxist propaganda. I've never stated to be a communist nor I believe that claiming ''Cuba isn't like North Corea'' reflects that. I just happen not to tag myself as anything. I speak according to my values, not my ideology. And if I can make a statement using a bit of humour, I'm glad to do so. So, yeah, that's all from a ''pretentious'' user from Sputnikmusic. Here're my arguments.

Mythodea,

We're good. No hard feelings, ok?

With that said, capitalism works. Of course, it's not perfect and I'm all for forming a more perfect union and all, but in my mind there is a defeasible presumption in favor of what works. Granted, the cronyism influenced by the state intervention into markets isn't good. Politicians should not be bought before they step foot into office.

Did I mention that there I believe the gay rights movement is all-bad? Stonewall was a good thing; sodomy should be decriminalized. People should be free to live and love how they choose. There probably should have been some accommodation like civil unions, but as unpopular as this will sound, same-sex "marriage" was not the way to do this (I can go into more detail if you're curious). The whole forcing religious people to violate their consciences and participate in events that they view as abominations is going way too far. The outcry against bathroom bills and these corporations (cronyism) disrupting democratic processes in states they're not based are not correct or good.

In my mind, civil rights have largely been accomplished. Those battles won. Now, it's just demagoguery and sophistry. No, I don't believe in these narratives about patriarchy, "systemic racism," institutionalized "homophobia," privilege. I believe in the real empirical crises and problems of their communities that defy mainstream media attention (I can go into further details upon request).

As I'm trying to be as brief as possible, it's for that reason I wrote and stand by my claim about "self-professed elites who presumptuously claim to speak on behalf of all members of their respective minority." That, and I've talked and listened to members of those minorities or women who argue that "social justice warriors" don't speak and shouldn't speak on their behalf. For women: Karen Straughan, Christina Hoff Summer or even at times Camille Paglia. For blacks: Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder, Walter Williams. For gays: Chad Felix Greene, Milo Yiannopoulous and Robert Oscar Lopez (who identifies as bi). I'm for justice; "social justice," in my view, is most certainly a lie.

I would be cautious at the least about anything that comes out of not only the government's mouth, but any organization with an agenda wielding power and angling for more.

Could you be more specific about these 400 protesters in America? Occupy Wall Street? I don't know who you're actually talking about as we've had several big ones of late.

Fascists? I've heard about right-wing nationalism and such, but are we talking about skin heads here? The term "fascist" is thrown out too often. It should be reserved for its proper historical context of the regimes of Mussolini, Franco and Hitler. I mean Trump is way too commonly thought and portrayed to be the second-coming of Der Furher -- and he's certainly a sign of the sick times and there's tons of indications he would not make a good president -- but he's not and most of his supporters are not white supremacists, racists nor Nazis. To compare them wantonly as such is to demean the deaths of 60 million under the horror of the Third Reich and World War II.

I know exactly what I'm talking about. As a journalist, you should know both of Golden Dawn in Greece and Marie Le Pen in France. The term fascist is not misused, I know, I've faced them. Also, terms have an origin but also evolve. Prefer neo-fascists? Whatever fits.

''same-sex "marriage" was not the way to do this''

Same-sex marrige is not a mean to make others accept. People shouldn't need others' acceptance. The law allowing same-sex marriege is just to make it easier for gay couples to share their property and regulate their money in a way that is comfortable. Nothing more than what straight marriege is used for. The fact that church has come in the middle and put a cloak of supposed holyness around it is another story.

''The whole forcing religious people to violate their consciences and participate in events that they view as abominations is going way too far.''

No it doesn't.

''In my mind, civil rights have largely been accomplished. Those battles won.''

Freedom is not an object to obtain. It's a state you preserve. Constantly.

''I don't believe in these narratives about patriarchy, "systemic racism," institutionalized "homophobia," privilege.''

Facts don't care whether you believe in them or not. They just are.

I do understand, however, your viewpoint on social justice and, truth be told, I agree that sometimes it goes to the extreme. Especially in America, any movement can be degraded by simple-minded fundamentalists, who lack critical thinking. I agree that many waves have lost their credibility after they gained support by people who believed in them for all the wrong reasons. But that's another topic for another day.

''I would be cautious at the least about anything that comes out of not only the government's mouth, but any organization with an agenda wielding power and angling for more.''

True.

''Could you be more specific about these 400 protesters in America?''


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNyOsGEvydk