One of the downsides of writing weekly is that you miss some good media cycles. By the time my column comes out, most of the news and analysis is done. Other than adding my kudos to the courage of Jason Collins, all there is really room for is a good old fashioned rant. Miami Dolphin’s wide-receiver Mike Wallace teed one up for me.
For those who missed The Onion’s marvelous spoof (http://www.theonion.com/articles/dolphins-wr-mike-wallace-comes-out-as-stupid-assho,32252/), Wallace responded to Jason Collins’ courageous self-outing by Tweeting, “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys …” His “apology” was, “I’m not bashing anybody don’t have anything against anyone I just don’t understand it.”
I can accept that. These are hard questions. What I don’t understand is why people think half-baked Tweets are the answer to a lack of insight?
When I don’t understand something, I usually gather more information. I didn’t understand evolutionary biology. So I took a class. “Why would a man be attracted to another man?” is an interesting question. So is “Why would a man be attracted to a woman?” The answer to both may actually be “It’s what nature intended.” If evolution turned primordial soup into human beings, it’s not a bad guess that it left homosexuals around for a reason. One theory is that homosexual relationships are critical to propagating the species when straight men don’t stick around to raise the kids. Not that that ever happens. Certainly not in pro sports.
When research doesn’t work, I suggest trying the activity. I didn’t understand why anyone would hit a little white ball with a piece of metal, chase it down, and hit it again. So I played some golf. It’s still not my thing, but I understand it much better. If the Wallace’s of the world could just be a little more specific, perhaps we could select the appropriate educational activity. What, exactly, about guys messin’ with other guys don’t you understand?
If it’s the mechanics, I suggest putting up a Grindr profile. “Loud cocky receiver, athletic build, under contract,” should generate a number of gentlemen who would show you how it works, particularly if combined with the right pictures. Forgive them if they seem to think you have a certain position in a certain kind of movie.
If it’s the attraction that’s a mystery, go to a gay bar or gala event with an open mind. Look around the room. Unless you’re the rare 10 on the Kinsey scale, you will likely find your eyes lingering on someone. This time, you won’t be able to rapidly look away and prophylactically tell your wing man that you were only admiring his date (unless you also like his friend, which won’t get you out of it). So you’ll have to go talk to him. Maybe you’ll feel a spark. Maybe not. Better yet, do it at a straight bar, where you have no idea how he’ll respond. Welcome to a crush on the guy at work.
If you still don’t understand homosexuality, I can at least respect your effort. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll at least accept us. Frankly, I don’t understand the reflex to respond to a courageous act with Tweets that are, to be generous, misguided. I do accept it, and I support your freedom to be who you are. You can do the same for Jason Collins and whoever has the courage to be #firstgayNFLer.
Homosexuality is not deserving of the approbation of man. We can not overlook condemning those, who, through their own bad use of their faculties, are vicious to the good and perfection of the human system.
All members of society are interested in the due observance of the Laws of Nature, hence they have all a right to praise or condemn another man’s actions according as they are conformable or contrary to these laws. They have even a kind of obligation in this respect, lest men be wanting in their duty to society and to individuals, were they not to testify, at least by their approbation or censure, the esteem they have for probity and virtue, and their aversion, on the contrary, to iniquity and vice.
Many homosexuals and their supporters today are the vicious oppressors of liberty. They are the malevolent bigots driven by their own prideful prejudices into seeking vengeance; whether it be by slandering anyone with whom they disagree by labeling them a “homophobe”, demanding the criminalization of anyone who refuses them service, mandatory indoctrination of our youth by the State, or the destruction of religious charities and institutions; their agenda violates the very maxims of Natural Law leaving them only the tyranny of legislative oppression as their ONLY justification.