David Menzies, Brian Burke and the Gays
I know I am contributing to the problem by posting and propagating this simple man's vile commentary, but I can not leave this one alone.
Folks, meet Mr. David Menzies.
To any rational mind, it is clear that he is publicly manifesting his little sense of intelligence in the article above. But let me point out a specific section that really didn’t sit well with me:
"It's all so perversely ironic. For decades, the gay community has (rightfully) asked for more understanding and more tolerance. Yet it appears that tolerance is apparently a one-way street. If someone has problems with gay matrimony, that isn't a matter of having a differing viewpoint. Rather, it's apparently just cause for termination. In fact, the whole gay issue seems to be less about equal rights and more about special rights these days.”
What a bunch of BS!
Spewing bigotry from underneath God's skirt doesn't serve as justification for promoting hate or inequality. Ignorance does not count either. And personal opinions are just that, personal and baseless, often grounded on nothing more than a bias and individual experiences. Last time I checked challenging people's personal opinions is (thankfully) still legal and welcomed in Canada. Especially if you are… elected to represent individuals… responsible for making public policy… educating our children… benefit from taxpayer’s dollars… or if you are promoting your views in a public forum.
I urge Mr. Menzies to first fact-check his comments (clue: Brendan, not Patrick died in a car accident). After that, perhaps he can re-examine past civil rights movements, or try to re-read his article, out loud and in the middle of a coffee shop or in any public square in this country. But this time replace the word "gay" with "black" or "Jew" or "women" or dare I say, "Muslim"... let's see how far you get before someone stops you, and calls you out for being a fool.
This may be hard to imagine for some, but one day, asking gay men and women to ‘sit at the back of the bus’ will eventually be deemed, by the collective, as a ridiculous and unacceptable request. For now, constantly challenging those whose sole purpose in life is to divide individuals according to their own utopian visions of how the world should function is a pretty good start.
More "personal opinions" from Menzies, this time on Rob Ford's radio show...