That didn’t take long. Who would have ever thought that Mount Dora, the sleepy little community in Lake County, FL, would lead the way in stamping out any negative criticism of so-called gay marriage? No one would have ever envisioned this scenario even 10 years ago, but that just goes to prove how far the radical gay agenda has come in the last decade. I don’t think it will take another five years before all speech critical of gay rights or homosexuality will be effectively prohibited in the United States, notwithstanding the First Amendment.
Jerry Buell, a 22 year veteran teacher in the Lake County (FL) public schools, has been suspended over a post he made on his personal Facebook page. Buell, who has a spotless teaching record, wrote two quick posts on his Facebook page in reaction to the announcement that New York had approved same-gender marriage:
“I’m watching the news, eating dinner when the story about New York okaying same-sex unions came on and I almost threw up, And now they showed two guys kissing after their announcement. If they want to call it a union, go ahead. But don’t insult a man and woman’s marriage by throwing it in the same cesspool of whatever. God will not be mocked. When did this sin become acceptable?”
“By the way, if one doesn’t like the most recently posted opinion based on biblical principles and God’s laws, then go ahead and unfriend me. I’ll miss you like I miss my kidney stone from 1994. And I will never accept it because God will never accept it. Romans chapter one.”
In my June 24 post, “Southern Baptists & the Homosexual Culture,” I wrote:
With some recent polls now showing a majority of Americans favoring gay marriage, homosexuality and the gay lifestyle will be normalized within our culture. To speak negatively against gay rights will be the equivalent of using racist language. Already we are seeing the speech police “re-educating” comedians who would dare to use language in their acts deemed unacceptable by gay rights groups. The irony of a comedian having to apologize for his comedy is priceless. For the record, I think what Tracy Morgan said was crude and offensive. I don’t care for his brand of comedy at all. However, his public apology tour illustrates the slippery slope we are on when it comes to speaking out against gay rights issues. (emphasis added)
Indeed, just voicing one’s personal opinion — outside of class — is now grounds for a “code ethics violation investigation.” I’m sure that all the leftist teachers in Lake County who support the Democrat party and other liberal groups during their “off” time have been similarly investigated for bias. Likewise for the gay teachers who have shown the slightest bias toward conservative Christian students by their personal comments on Facebook or their public political speech. Oh, that’s right. This doesn’t happen in Lake County or anywhere. Only those who dare to utter a negative word against the radical homosexual agenda are caught in this 1984 Orwellian web of investigations.
The reaction of some within this central Florida community illustrates the coming threat to both freedom of speech and freedom of religion (which oftentimes are intertwined):
Brett Winters, a former Mount Dora student, told the Orlando Sentinel he was disappointed about Buell’s comments. “This type of hateful language is dangerous not only to gay students, but also to anti-gay students,” Winters told the newspaper.
Mr. Winters’ response has become, sadly, the typical response from those who say they believe in the First Amendment, but who would place so many caveats on it that the freedoms enshrined within the Amendment would become virtually meaningless. What was hateful about Mr. Buell’s language? Was it the colorful language that he used to describe his reaction to the NY legislature redefining marriage? Or, was it merely voicing his objections to gay marriage? Did the “ethics code” police come down on this stellar teacher because Jerry Buell is an overt Christian who used Scripture to support his opposition to same-gender marriage?
Whether it’s prohibitions against speaking out against radical Islam or a radical homosexual agenda, we have embarked on a slippery slope in this country. The attacks against First Amendment rights will continue to grow. Will you speak up for freedom of speech, even for that which you find offensive? If not, then do not be surprised when no one speaks up for you!