An Australian tribunal wasn’t laughing at gun lobbyist Ron Owen’s bumper sticker.
Owen claims the proclamation – which says gays only have the “right” to die – was a joke, but the tribunal disagreed:
The former president of the National Firearm Owners of Australia was taken to the tribunal by several local lesbians, who claimed they had been offended despite only one having seen the bumper sticker.
Two of the women were awarded $5000, with a third awarded $2500 in damages.
Tribunal member Darryl Rangiah handed down a 77-page decision, which also ordered Mr Owen to publish a written apology for inciting hatred and causing offence to the homosexual community of Gympie.
Mr Rangiah acknowledged Mr Owen’s right to free speech, but said he had gone too far with the bumper sticker and in ensuing comments made during a television interview, in a report to a subsequent council meeting and in a letter on his website.
“Ron Owen is entitled to be a homophobe and he is entitled to publicly express his homophobic views,” he said. “That much is required in a society that values freedom of thought and expression. However, there are limits.”
Owen reportedly once justified his car’s adornment by saying, “If a person chooses to follow non-human acts, if they break the law, they lose their human rights.” Sarah Palin, is that you?
Woof
That is just plain disgusting
CitizenGeek
John McCain probably has one of them on each of his 7 cars!
Kid A
Luckily for me, I don’t have to live under god’s law.
Bill Perdue
The only good bigot or racist is a bigot or racist imprisoned for life at hard labor.
Tim
Oh Christianity! The religion of peace.
Brian Miller
Owen is clearly a jackass.
That said, so are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
If you don’t like someone’s bumper sticker, don’t read it. This cult of use of government to censor every viewpoint considered “offensive” or “outside the mainstream” is leading to a culture where free expression — artistic, literary, religious, philosophical or otherwise — is being crushed under the jackboots of “tribunals” who scramble to erase all expression that offends the delicate sensibilities of “offended” busybodies.
Whether those busybodies are trying to silence “Naked Boys Singing,” trying to ban books they don’t like, or trying to sue a jerk with a controversial bumper sticker into insolvency, we’re all poorer for it.
Brian Miller
“Ron Owen is entitled to be a homophobe and he is entitled to publicly express his homophobic views,” he said. “That much is required in a society that values freedom of thought and expression. However, there are limits.”
So in other words, he has his right to free speech, until he doesn’t. Which really means that he (and anybody else in that jurisdiction) have no free speech rights at all.
Rowen
While I understand this happened in Australia, I do know that death threats, in America, are not protected under freedom of speech. Frankly, this bumper sticker is a death threat, advocating murder. So, I’m gonna say that this is where his freedom of speech ends, and my freedom to live begins. To restate one of the most stupidest phrases that gets thrown around on the internet, “If my being alive offends this guy, well, he can just go live his own life.”
Mark Wickens
“Frankly, this bumper sticker is a death threat”
Frankly, you’re out to lunch. I was going to tell you to “drop dead,” but…
David
I think one must take into consideration, that this form of speech promotes hatred and murder . . . other forms of free speech are not sensored . . . I would haste you to remember Mathew Shepard, Brian, when you think all free speech might be being disavowed in Owen’s case. Me thinks you talk too long, and thinks too short.
TJ Karaba
(SSAD) Same Sex Attraction Disorder
narth.com
MPsizzle
America was founded on the idea that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs which is why we have freedom of speech and religion and press and assembly and petition (just to name a few). But homosexuality is not a belief or religion or anything like that. It’s not even an opinion or point of view. It is a LIE. There is no truth in homosexuality. Yes, you can have sex with a member of the same gender. Yes, you can even agree with it, even though it is truly a lie. It’s not a you-believe-in-it-but-I-don’t-so-let’s-argue-about-it sort of thing. The fact of the matter is that everything around us tells us that’s it wrong and not natural. You don’t have to believe in God to see it either. Just take a look at nature and the natural order of things.
Can homosexuals have kids? No.
Maybe this should be our first tip-off that something isn’t right. One of an animal’s primary responsibilities and functions is to reproduce, with out that the human race would die out. If it was meant to work, shouldn’t homosexuals be able to reproduce? Heterosexuals can.
Why don’t you just look at the male and female bodies?
It’s pretty obvious that they were created to fit together in a way that is impossible for, say, a male and a male or a female and a female.
getreal
@MPsizzle: Obviously you have never spent time on a farm or around animals in general or you would see homosexuality is very normal and it occurs in every species even some insects. As a christian I take umbrage with your assertion that it is against God’s law we are all created in God’s image so if he created 10% of the population a certain way he is clearly on board.
It’s pretty obvious that they were created to fit together in a way that is impossible for, say, a male and a male or a female and a female.”
I don’t mean to be crass but sexually people fit together sexually be they straight or gay. Feel free to rent some gay porn if you are unsure of how.
DavidMichael
Getreal, right on. There are actually over 12,000 animal species that engage in homosexual behavior, man being one of them. Yes we are animals.
I think it is important to realize there are many levels of Gods and Godliness, and the biblical sex education is well, shall we say in my opinion, done by a lesser God, most likely a low intellect male human “God”.
That being said, I think your take on sex MPsizzle, about fits in that category. You have about as much education about gays and gay sex as a 5th grader, which is zilch. Your problem is you are backed up with anger around it, so you may want to ditch that so you can think clearly.
When I want to learn about a subject I go to the source. So if you want to learn something about human sexuality, instead of sounding like a proverbial dumdum, grab a few gays or gay, sit down and start asking questions.
I highly recommend you take something to relax you also, because at this rate, you’re just going to give yourself a heart attack. Silly thing.
MPsizzle
Leviticus 20:3 (the verse on the above bumper sticker) says:
[these are the words of the Lord, God]
“‘If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.'”
How can you claim to be Christians if you obviously don’t agree with the Word of God?
DavidMichael
We are all “God” MPsizzle, man-gods if you will as we all have the soul of God within us. And some man “Gods” are dumbfux, like the one that wrote that line. That isn’t a line from anyone of great intelligence, a more intelligent “God”.
To be a true Christian, you must learn to decypher fact from funk, or you will remain uninformed and sound as stupid as the guy who wrote that line in Leviticus.
When you look more at the heart of your neighbor, the Christ or “kingdom” within, you will start to understand. This was the only teaching Jesus ever taught, to look at your neighbors heart, and only that. Until that happens, and it is a hard teaching to teach oneself when so full of fear, you will be blinded by your desire to stay judgemental and confused.
matt
@Brian Miller: i think mr owen has every right to display what he wants where he wants and if al the fags and dykes dont like it..so what? THEY are the ones practicing UNNATURAL acts…not hin
matt
@DavidMichael: so the fact that GOD himself inspired that man to put it in leviticus,i guess that means you think GOD is stupid and uninformed. how sad!….man and man were NOT neant to fit together naturally, but it is done UNNATURALLY. there are certain reasons man and woman were made differently and same sex was not one of them.
Bill Perdue
@matt: I don’t know about sky thunderer but you’re pretty stupid.
http://jesusneverexisted.com/
FaggotHater
Man! Oh wait, FAGS, Stick People, Fudge Packers, Dick Lickers, and Assorted Pedophiles, lend me your .. uh, never-mind. You perverts are decidedly F’d Up. You sick twisted little ape shit-droppings. You poor meat-bags, all you want is acceptance.. boo-hoo.. whaaa… Too bad it’s not going to happen! For that matter, too bad it is not legal to hunt you worthless pricks. No one will ever accept you except the stupid like you. You’re so stupid you don’t even know what to do with your own dirty little pepper!! So you stick it in each other! Talk about morons! Tell me, if your so stupid you don’t even know what sex your supposed to be with, Why on earth should anyone listen to you? You sad, empty, pathetic, lost souls. You will never find peace. You will never find true acceptance. You might as well just off yourself and do everyone a favor! Go on, do it! Ah, what am I saying? You don’t have the stones !! đ LOL..
Speaking of tolerance, I bet most of you faggots reading this hate me right now! đ Ha Ha Ha.. Your the real bigots!! I don’t have anything against you.. I simply believe you are disgusting aberrations of life! Rather much a blight or cancer on society. So you see, I don’t hate you per se’, I hate what you do and the destruction you cause to this once great country. So to that I say, F-OFF! Hide from hell as long as you can… ’cause it IS coming, and it Will consume you… đ
Me
All gay people should die. bunch of fuckin wierdos.
DickieJohnson
Hmmm. WHY are all these “straightâ, gay-hating d1ck-sh1ts reading Queerty??? If they’re actual Christians, they need to be reading the Gospels, where Christ says to accept and love everyone as God’s creations, and never says one single word about same-sex anything. And, by the way, do any of y’all eat shrimp, crab, lobster, or pork? Have you ever divorced, or worked on Saturday, which is the actual Sabbath? You can’t put the hate with Jesus, because He didn’t start it.