FRC & The Blame Game

I have been sitting here at my computer reading various articles that have been published in the wake of the shooting in the lobby of the Family Research  Council headquarters in Washington, D C.  While I agree that violence is not ever an appropriate response to anything, I must sharply disagree with FRC and its director, Tony Perkins.  Mr Perkins in a press conference stated that the Southern Poverty Law Center gave the alleged shooter a "license to shoot" and called for the removal of the hate group designation applied to the FRC by the SPLC.  FRC's ally the American Family Association and their spokesperson Brian Fischer stated the SPLC should be "held to account"  for the shooting.  While the response from the FRC, AFA, NOM, AFTAH has been uniformly vitriolic and full of finger pointing at the SPLC and Gay Rights organizations for their "incendiary remarks" that caused the nut job to attack them, I must heartily disagree with that point of view.  Could it be that the FRC's history of hateful, denigrating, derogatory perpetration of lies, distortions, pseudo science, hate and bigotry pointed towards the LCBT community was at least partially responsible for pushing this nut job over the edge?  One thing is sure, the FRC is not about Family or Research but it is merely a platform for Tony Perkins to promote his agenda designed to demean, demoralize and marginalize the LGBT Community.  In response to the blather that the FRC, AFA, NOM and others have spread like manure on a seeded field, the SPLC, HRC, and many others have offered not only condemnation of the act of violence and sympathy for the victim but also have continued to extend the offer of a civil discourse in regards to the obvious differences in our stated positions.  There are a couple of articles that are worthy of a read which offer a more reasoned response to this tragic event.  "Understanding Hate in the Wake of the Family Research Council Shooting" from Think Progress concludes that "any attempt to justify reinforcing the inequality LGBT people experience every day is intolerance at its most basic".  Then over at Canyon Walker Connections, Cathy offers an insightful look at the lies and distortions directed at our community.  In "Family Research Council - The Damage Continues"  Cathy calls for not only civil discourse but building of relationships and Christian compassion as a means for making the world a better place.  The SPLC's response to FRC's remarks is over at "SPLC Calls Out FRC For More Lies" over on Americablog Gay. If you are in any doubt about who is taking the high road in this discussion, just read the latest publication from the FRC, "The Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality" that provides a clear example of why they are labeled a hate group in the first place.  Lies, distortions, pseudo science and vitriolic hyperbole do not equate to truth, compassion (Christian or otherwise) or even civility.  One really has to wonder who is being more 'Christ like' in this discussion.  I know which side I would pick in that contest, and it sure would not be the FRC. 

Now let's turn to the music and the men.  We conclude our exploration of Piano music composed by Ludwig von Beethoven with a concert video from the Klavierfestival Ruhr with a performance once again by Daniel Berenboim, who is joined by Staatskapelle Berlin at the Jarunderthalle in Bochum, Germany with this excellent interpretation of Piano Concerti Numbers 1, 2 and 3 by the esteemed Herr Beethoven.  For your visual appreciation in addition to the aural pleasures of the video, there are a number of decidedly delicious young men who are Naked or Nearly So on display as you scroll down the page.  Thanks for the visit, see you again tomorrow when I will have a very special video and the review of the Best of the Web This Week for your inspiration and titillation.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!