Menu
- Move on: Dems should focus on own platform (5/22/19)
- Major investigation seeks origin of collusion charge (5/18/19)
- Golfer teaches a lesson in overcoming adversity (5/15/19)
- Higher ed costs for illegal immigrants shouldn’t fall on the taxpayer (5/11/19)
- Dems ignore how great the economy is doing (5/8/19)
- Indonesian election ballot hand-count turns deadly (5/4/19)
- Survey says: Life moves fast, enjoy every day (5/1/19)
Opinion
Who knows what's best for the rest?
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
The American Family Association is a right-wing, religious-based organization founded by Donald Wildmon. They've been around a few years and manage to get their name in the news from time to time with their ultra-
conservative, pro-family approach to every aspect of American life. They also give conservatives a bad name.
The AFA and a handful of other similar groups now want to boycott Ford Motors because the carmaker is advertising in gay publications. Heck, Ford is just trying to sell cars but the vigilantes at AFA see a more sinister goal. They charge that Ford is trying to get involved in the "cultural wars" by their ad program and thus they urge all pro-family, gay-bashing supporters to quit buying Ford products.
The problem, however, is obvious. Today it might be gay publications but tomorrow it might just be black publications. Or it might be sports magazines that occasionally feature swimsuit editions. Or maybe newspapers that question the motives of the AFA.
The AFA claims to have a monthly news journal that goes to 160,000 homes. It also has two million online members. But surely not all of these individuals support such a boycott. I'm as pro-family as the next guy but using bully tactics over an advertising program is pushing the limits far too much to the right.
The issue is not an advertising program. The issue is some group who proclaim to know what is best for the remainder of us. It's about an organization that is more anti than pro anything. And it's dangerous.
Wildmon may not know it but I'll bet money that some of those homes his right-wing publication goes to each month contain a gay family member. Now the AFA doesn't want to hear that but it's true. And some of those church members who listen to Wildmon each week are also gay. And whether he likes it or not, some of them buy Ford products and they will continue.
Beware of those who want to run our lives in the manner they judge appropriate. Today it may be gay publications but tomorrow it could be you. Judge not, Mr. Wildmon. Judge not.