So Orson Scott Card says that gays are simply confused, and that legalized gay marriage, such as now exists in California and Massachusetts, represents “the end of democracy in America.” Never mind, of course, that gay marriage has been legal up here in Canada for years—as well as a whole bunch of other places round the globe—and democracy hasn’t suddenly stopped there. But let’s let the man speak for himself. Here is a link to the original article in the Mormon Times, from which I will quote:

We already know where these decisions lead. We have seen it with the court decisions legalizing abortion. At first, it was only early abortions; within a few years, though, any abortion up to the killing of a viable baby in mid-birth was made legal.

The good old “slippery slope” argument: legalizing gay marriage leads to legalization of polygamy, bestiality, marijuana, hooliganism, murder, and Project Runway. Because in British Columbia, where gay marriage was legal before it became legal in the whole country by fiat, we certainly go out of our way to coddle polygamists.

You know, I can’t even really go any further with this. It’s simply a boring old rehash of the same tired arguments by yet another asshole homophobe. For good filking and commentary, refer to the Slog post noted above. I will, however, pause to note one last thing about Card’s amazingly quixotic defensiveness:

How dangerous is this, politically? Please remember that for the mildest of comments critical of the political agenda of homosexual activists, I have been called a “homophobe” for years.

“The end of democracy in America” is mild???

This is a term that was invented to describe people with a pathological fear of homosexuals — the kind of people who engage in acts of violence against gays. But the term was immediately extended to apply to anyone who opposed the homosexual activist agenda in any way.

A term that has mental-health implications (homophobe) is now routinely applied to anyone who deviates from the politically correct line. How long before opposing gay marriage, or refusing to recognize it, gets you officially classified as “mentally ill”?

Did you notice that really underhanded bit of legerdemain? Card retroactively redefines “homophobe” to have connotations it does not possess under current usage—if, indeed, it ever possessed them at all. Homophobia extends to cover exactly what Card spends paragraphs upon paragraphs on in his screed—it may not be pathological, but it’s fear and hatred all the same. In fandom, what Card has done here is called a retcon, but in this homophobe’s homophobic mind, this isn’t simply sloppy logic; it’s the End Of Life On Earth As We Know It Zomg.

Let me repeat what Paul Constant says: “In conclusion, Orson Scott Card is a hateful homophobe. Please make a note of it, and tell your friends that Orson Scott Card is a hateful homophobe.” Personally, I would further add that he’s a stupid-ass fucker whose books are overrated anyway. Also, a homophobe. And a moron.

(X-posted to Feministe.)

A 56-year-old man from the Midwestern US state of Wisconsin has been arrested after shooting his lawn mower in his garden because it would not start. …

Police officers said Mr Walendowski had told them: “It’s my lawn mower and my yard, so I can shoot it if I want.”

Apparently the charges are disorderly conduct and possession of a sawn-off shotgun, and (naturally) alcohol appears to have been a factor. And the worst part? Shooting the lawn mower appears to have been a violation of its end-user licence agreement:

A local retailer said that Mr Walendowski might now have difficulty getting his lawn mower repaired.

“Anything not factory recommended would void the warranty,” said Dick Wagner, of Wagner’s Garden Mart in Milwaukee.

You’ve got to admire the crazy libertarianism and independence of thought and action that have so defined Americans since the country’s founding in 1776. Actually, you don’t. Which is (partly) why, after a week back down in Portland at OSCON 2008, I will be returning to Canada tomorrow, where all we have to worry about is overzealous law enforcement killing Métis kids with Tasers. Full updates, resumption of normal blogging, etc. to happen in short order.

(N.B. I am back from the road trip, the last several days of which were spent without Internet. I’m going through all the photos and will post them, as well as individual entries for each day of the trip, as soon as I’m able. Hopefully later today.)

Only a few pictures of Sault Ste Marie today. Full gallery still available here.

Next stop, hopefully: Thunder Bay, Ontario. Then it’s farewell to Ontario (at long last—the drive across the province is longer than going across Texas was, but it’s a darn sight prettier).

But now I’m back on the road, this time passing through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine to get to Saint John, New Brunswick, where my travelling companion and I celebrated Canada Day. I call it a celebration, but what it really consisted of was hanging out on increasingly foggy docks by the harbour waiting for them not to shoot off fireworks. On the other hand, we met some extremely nice Maritimers with Opinions About Things, who were delightful, it appeared, to finally find a new audience at last. (They also had great accents, but that’s pretty much a given with Maritimers.)

Not too many photos of Saint John; we didn’t get here early enough to get any really good ones. Hopefully we’ll be able to take some more on the drive today while it’s sunny and not too foggy. As always, full gallery available here.

Next stop: camping probably somewhere outside Québec City!

But we got up early this morning and walked around the already astoundingly hot National Mall before I had to say farewell to my travelling companion Alice and see her safely off to the train depot. So I was on my own for the Air and Space Museum, which was every bit as glorious as my pre-teenage mind remembered. Assorted other adventures, including photography of some of the terrific architecture here in D.C., followed; then sushi dinner and Iron Man (for the third time, now, but it hasn’t become any less geigh) with newfound friends; then interesting adventures trying to find where to put the car for the night that wouldn’t necessitate my waking up before 7 am to move it.

Full photo gallery, of course, available here—go look at it; there are 27 new photos today for a total of 80 so far. For now, a smattering:

Next stop: the Philadelphia area up to and including Princeton, New Jersey, and New York City, New York. All right, not really one area, but…deal with it.

Remember, the full photo gallery is here; there are quite a few photos from today’s travels. Here are some of my favourites:

LAUGHINGSTOCKS OF THE WEEK: I’ve heard enough about the Alamo; how about you? Miles and Julian have become jokes; it seems like all they’ve done this season is play Alamo and/or get made fun of for playing Alamo. And I’ve got a bad feeling about the “moat” discussion that they had with Quark, namely that O’Brien will decide, “Quark’s right! We can’t build a moat around the station, but we can use a <tech> <tech> <tech> to create a <tech> <tech> <tech> around the station!”

So yeah, at any rate, there was the Alamo. A big battle was fought there. The white people lost. But then they won in the end because they remembered the Alamo, so I guess it all worked out. Also, there’s totally archaeology going on there! They’re uncovering bits of frescoes in the surviving walls that they didn’t even know were there until a few years ago.

We continued on from San Antonio through Austin, Dallas, and Texarkana. Two thoughts kept occurring to me:

1. Texas is simply too gol-dang big.
2. This part of the world has very questionable policies when it comes to naming towns. Hope? Italy? Texarkana? Arkadelphia??

Anyway, here are a few of today’s photos—as always, the full gallery is awaiting your browser.

Next stop: Nashville, Tennessee!

It is hotter than Hades in Texas. Also, Texas is Way. Too. Gosh. Darn. Big. So that’s all from me for now—to bed. More adventures tomorrow!

Please check out what John Scalzi has to say about this issue:

Make no mistake that supporters of the “California Marriage Protection Act” will be voting to destroy existing marriages. Every single person who says they support this initiative should be made to understand that is what they are going to do, and be made to acknowledge that fact. Every person who is on the fence about the initiative should be made to understand that this will be the consequence. Same-sex marriage is not some theoretical construct in California; it exists. And while no marriages will end if the “California Marriage Protection Act” fails, many marriages will end if it passes.

It does not profit anyone to ignore this reality, nor to ignore the shameful irony of claiming this act somehow “protects” marriage. It doesn’t. So don’t.

California didn’t end when gay marriages became legal. The sky didn’t blow up and the earth didn’t split open and devour those whom God found out of His favour. Teh Geighs aren’t destroying the world. Don’t let this proposition destroy their right to love.

Total distance covered so far: about 4000 km (2500 mi).
Total money spent on gasoline: don’t want to think about it.

To sate your insatiable appetite for road trip photography, you’ll just have to wait until more photos can be taken, edited, and uploaded. You can visit the full gallery here; as for right now, please allow me to whet said appetite with a few choice tidbits:

Tomorrow: Ciudad Juárez and then San Antonio!

They eat people! For the love of Pete, they’re big, angry bears. They eat people. Not that I say we go out and kill all of them, but I mean, it doesn’t seem to be a problem here. Senator, I can’t take the—I can’t take the lies anymore.

So, let’s recap: Polar bears (a) are not endangered, (b) are “big” and “angry”, and (c) “eat people”.

For the love of Pete, whose idea was it to give this nutjob a television show?

(Video and a complete transcript can be found on AlterNet.)

Senator Lieberman stated his belief, in a letter sent today, that all videos mentioning or featuring these groups should be removed from YouTube — even legal nonviolent or non-hate speech videos. While we respect and understand his views, YouTube encourages free speech and defends everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view. We believe that YouTube is a richer and more relevant platform for users precisely because it hosts a diverse range of views, and rather than stifle debate we allow our users to view all acceptable content and make up their own minds. Of course, users are always free to express their disagreement with a particular video on the site, by leaving comments or their own response video. That debate is healthy.

Good on Google for not letting themselves get bullied by Joe Lieberman, and for striking a blow for free speech and open debate. How did Lieberman turn into a despicable douchebag?

Hat-tip: Think Progress

So. When will Bush and McCain denounce Israel, just like Bush denounced Barack Obama—on the floor of the Knesset, no less—as an “appeaser” for declaring his intention to talk to America’s enemies? Israel is actually doing it. Where’s the condemnation?

Oh, right. Talking to and “appeasing” terrorists is okay when the American government or its allies does it, but when their political opponents even suggest it, they’re morally equivalent to Hitler.

That these outrageous comments and beliefs are still confined to a small corner of the online world and haven’t been getting the kind of press that Barack Obama’s pastor Jeremiah Wright has been enjoying, I can only attribute to (a) the so-called liberal media’s ongoing love affair with McCain and (b) the incredible wealth and power of Hagee’s ministry and media empire.

Money quote: “How did [the Holocaust] happen? Because God allowed it to happen. Why did it happen? Because God said, ‘My top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel.’ Today Israel is back in the land … They are physically alive but they’re not spiritually alive.”

Full transcript and video (YouTube video of audio recording of sermon) after the jump.

Again he said unto me, “Prophesy unto these bones, and say unto them: O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!” And he spoke to them and they stood and they became an exceeding great army—meaning they physically came to life.

Now how is God going to bring them back to the land? The answer is fishers and hunters.

The answer is given in Jeremiah 16, verse 15 and following. God says in Jeremiah 16: “Behold I will bring them (the Jewish people) again unto their land that I gave unto their fathers”—that would be Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—”Behold I will send for many fishers and after will I send for many hunters. And they the hunters shall hunt them”—that will be the Jews—”from every mountain and from every hill and from out of the holes of the rocks.”

If that doesn’t describe what Hitler did in the Holocaust… you can’t see that.

So think about this—I will send fishers and I will send hunters. A fisher is someone who entices you with a bait. How many of you know who Theodore Herzl was? How many of you don’t have a clue who he was? Woo! Sweet God!

Theodore Herzl is the father of Zionism. He was a Jew that at the turn of the 19th century said, “This land is our land, God wants us to live there.” So he went to the Jews of Europe and said, “I want you to come and join me in the land of Israel.” So few went, Herzl went into depression. Those who came founded Israel; those who did not went through the hell of the Holocaust.

Then God sent a hunter. A hunter is someone who comes with a gun and he forces you. Hitler was a hunter.

And the Bible says—Jeremiah righty?—”They shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill and out of the holes of the rocks.” Meaning: there’s no place to hide.

And that will be offensive to some people. Well, dear heart, be offended: I didn’t write it. Jeremiah wrote it. It was the truth and it is the truth. How did it happen? Because God allowed it to happen. Why did it happen? Because God said, “My top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel.”

Today Israel is back in the land and they are at Ezekiel 37 and 8. They are physically alive but they’re not spiritually alive.

Now how is God going to cause the Jewish people to come spiritually alive and say, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He is God”?

Via Bruce Wilson at The Revealer

Via TPM/Veracifier and Think Progress.

In a 4-3 decision, the justices said the state’s ban on same-sex marriage violates the “fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship.” The ruling is likely to flood county courthouses with applications from couples newly eligible to marry when it takes effect in 30 days.

It’s about damn time. California has had domestic partnerships for a while, but these don’t carry all the benefits of marriage when it comes to taxes, immigration, medical benefits, and so forth. The California state legislature had passed two laws allowing gay marriage, and Schwarzenegger (remember him? the Governator?) vetoed both of them. Yet this is the man who also has said that he’s against a citizen-driven initiative to amend the state constitution to prohibit gay marriage, which looks like it’s going to be on the ballot before voters in November. Hopefully the presidential election in a “blue state” such as California will drive up the number of people who turn up not simply to vote for a president but to vote against this homophobic ballot proposition. A massive, well-funded, and well-organized effort to get voters to do both these things will be necessary starting very soon.

But for now, let’s rejoice in this ruling from a Republican-dominated court. Thank goodness there are still a few people out there who recognize that human rights should not stop with heterosexual couples.

David Froomkin’s special column in the Washington Post is a must-read, full of excellent invective, highlighting the hypocrisy of this generous and selfless act on the part of a president who still bikes, works out, goes on vacation more than any president in history, and has no trouble sleeping nights. And also, Keith Olbermann’s latest Special Comment is absolutely right on the mark. His analysis is thoughtful, provocative, and a must-watch. He doens’t even stoop to the low level—as well he could have done—of playing that idiotic clip of Bush saying “I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.”

Mr. Bush, I hate to break it to you, six-and-a-half years after you yoked this nation and your place in history to the wrong war, in the wrong place, against the wrong people but the war in Iraq is Not. About. You.

Crooks and Liars has a full transcript plus downloadable video, or just watch the YouTube version:

Part 1:

Part 2:

This level of disappointment is perfectly ridiculous. Both Clinton and Obama are strong on choice, strong on women’s issues, and strong Democrats. Yet the race for the Democratic nomination has gone on way too long and is, thank goodness, almost over. The Democratic Party should start to corral its support and start the battle against McCain. Clinton said today that it would be a “terrible mistake” if voters chose McCain over Obama, a muted recognition of the fact that earlier comments she made implying McCain’s preferability over Obama may not have been in the general interests of the party. And that’s what it’s really about at this point: the interests of a party that should be focussed on beating the other party. The Republican Party has been there for a while already; the Democratic Party is lagging far behind.

The astute reader will note that I have not said Clinton should drop out. On the contrary, there are several compelling reasons for Clinton to stay in the race, at least until the primary elections are over, the most convincing of which is that it would look extremely bad for Clinton to drop out and then win several of the remaining primaries, especially Kentucky, which she has been predicted to win for a long time now. However, the Democrats as a group need to focus on what is going to bring victory to the party in November, and right now that means starting to coalesce behind one presidential candidate. NARAL’s endorsement is right in line with this, as is John Edwards’s recent endorsement of Obama. And if you’re a Clinton supporter who is too affected by the sour grapes of not being in a winning position, let alone not winning NARAL’s endorsement, chill out. It’s not personal.

Link to download the QuickTime .mov of the amusing incident is here (3 MB).