Lowlights & Highlights: January 12, 2013

Vice President Biden was meeting with some folks about the issue of reasonable gun laws and gun control. CNN was covering the event. In a cruel twist of irony, in the midst of this coverage, there was breaking news of yet another school shooting.

I do not like talking about school shooting in depth because it brings up some very bad memories. What I will say is that until we get some honest brokers on the other side of the gun control debate, we will get nothing but more dead bodies. It would be one thing if I thought groups like the National Rifle Association were bargaining in good faith, but it seems like they are more of a lobbying group for gun manufacturers these days (it was not always so). They say have armed gaurds at schools? They had that at Columbine, to no avail. As I have mentioned before, Virginia Tech had it's own police force, yet 32 innocent people still died there.

Hearing about these shootings makes me truly weep for humanity, and I say that completely seriously. If innocent children getting shot is not enough to reveal the very real gun problem this country has, then there is NOTHING that will.

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When it was announced that Rev. Louie Giglio of Passion City Church would be a part of President Obama's Inauguration ceremony, the LGBT community was up in arms. This is a man that has a history of performing anti-gay sermons. Pretty much what one would expect from an anti-gay preacher in the nineties: quoting Leviticus, advocating reparative therapy (which, as I have said multiple times, is not reparative or therapeutic), fire and brimstone, etc.  It is odd that the first sitting president to endorse marriage equality would have such a person at his inauguration, but I digress. A day after the announcement of his participation, it was announced that Reverend Giglio would not be a part of the ceremony. The official story is that he voluntarily withdrew...that's the official story (not that I am implying anything). 

Regardless of the how he is no longer in the ceremony, what is truly important is the why. This incident underscores that people who preach hatred and intolerance are being held accountable for their actions, their words, and how they negatively impact others. More and more people are speaking out against those who advocate discrimination. I honestly do not need everyone, or anyone for that matter, involved in the inauguration to wave around pride flags and yell "EQUALITY" at the top of their lungs. People being decidedly hateful and homophobic, however, is obviously going to draw an incredible amount of ire, and deservedly so. 

Reverend Giglio said some incredibly cruel and false things. Now, he has to deal with the repercussions of that. Yes we have freedom of speech in this country, but it should not be taken to mean consequence-free speech. This should act as a cautionary tale for people today and forever after. When you go out of your way to be hurtful to others now, karma may be just around the corner.