The Radical Right loves to portray itself as a victim, even when it’s not—especially when its not.
Don Mendell, a conservative high-school guidance counselor in Maine, is the star of a new anti-marriage-equality ad launched today by Protect Marriage Maine.
This new ad suggests that people like Mendell are under attack by vindictive LGBT activists (i.e. the unspecified “they”), and claims viewers can expect “consequences” for supporting traditional marriage—like being ‘‘fired, sued, fined and punished.”
In the clip, a rather crazy-eyed Mendell says,‘”I was a successful school counselor in Maine for over 20 years—once nominated as teacher of the year—yet when I supported traditional marriage, they tried to get me fired.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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Two individual complaints of ethics violations were indeed filed against Mendell after he made numerous public statements attacking gay marriage, in addition to appearing in a “Yes on 1” ad, but those complaints were dismissed for insufficient evidence.
And, so long as he kept his views out of the guidance counselor’s office, that was the right call to make.
But you don’t get a free pass from criticism—or even attack—when you take a stand on a public issue. Had Mendell actually been fired, he’d have a legitimate gripe. (Even though it’d have nothing to do with whether or not gays should be allowed to marry.) We’d be happy to stack Mendell’s non-starter against the thousands of Americans who actually have been fired for being gay in the many states that have no LGBT workplace protections.
A second ad, also launched today, incorrectly asserts that gay and lesbian couples are already protected by the state’s domestic registry. The registry, enacted in 2004, does not confer all the rights and benefits of civil marriage.
According to campaign-disclosure reports, the Protect Marriage Maine PAC has raised $415,000 to date, while the pro-equality Mainers United for Marriage has garnered about $3.4 million. Project Marriage Maine’s coffers would have been even barer, if not for a helping hand (and check) from the carpetbagging National Organization for Marriage.
Dumdum
Sounds like the breeders are fixin to stampede. Thing is scared critters is even more dangerous. They would scream even louder if someone was REALLY violating THEIR civil rights.
BlueNote27
Ugh. I went to that high school, and was in Maine during the 2009 Question 1 debate when this guy was in dueling ads with another teacher (my former English teacher and Maine Teacher of the Year) who supported Marriage Equality. It made the atmosphere of the local community very tense.
Mendell is known for being very outspoken in the community on conservative issues, and a general ruffler of feathers. When Nokomis Regional High got a GSA (chartered by said Teacher of the Year, a wonderful woman), he about exploded and proceeded to lambaste her in public TV ads as “a gay activist, already pushing an agenda in schools,” which I’m sure was news to her husband and kids.
My heart goes out to any closeted high school student who has HIM for a guidance counselor.
Charli Girl
I LOVE LOVE LOVE meeting males like him!! Makes my whole day beautiful!!!
They’re left sucking their thumbs and scratching their heads, bc they assume I’m str8!!!
I lived in Maine for a little while and met some wonderful loving folks, Mainers have one of the best work ethics in the country, and I’m sure they’ll do the right thing.
yaletownman
Perpetrators always see themselves as victims, that is how they justify being perpetrators.
Mullerornis
Christianity is a cancer that has long multiplied without scalpels to remove it.
Charles Etheridge
For this guy to presume to call himself a teacher is an ultimate perversion of the concept. Someone should dig a hole for his head and fill it in with the most viscous mud obtainable, and tie his privqtes to a nearby tree at the same time. He deserves to be loudly derided as a thoroughly uncivilized person.
wiredpup
Someone is coo coo for cocoa puffs…
Guillermo3
@wiredpup: I don’t know what
your comment means,wiredpup,but I like it!
Reminds me that my Younger Brother,God has turned from smiting
with plagues of boils,fire,etc. to smiting with plagues
of breakfast cereals.The hot Cream o’Wheat is the worst!!!
Guillermo3
How many of these fear-mongering fringe groups are there?
It seems endless! Not only do I get frequent e-mails
[with please for contribution$,of course]from Tony Perkins
of the FRC,Brian Brown of DOM,and Michelle Bachmann,the FOC,
but there seems to be an endless supply.Just yesterday,I
was notified of another one: F[aith]F[amily]F[reedom].
Seems that legalizing same-sex marriages would imperil
bigots’ rights to worship as they choose.
Steven S2
lol i love the way everybody else is always the crybaby & the douche bag, no matter what the situation… just making an observation
paulahare2
@Guillermo3: the Faith Family and Freedom is the Tea Party United it is Michelle Bachmann it is Public Advocate of the U.S. is a non-profit, charitable organization that fights the radical agenda of the homosexual Lobby,call the Family in DC. YOUR—MTN.ORG MINNEAPOLIS,MN. RAINBOW FLAG TV. SHOW CH 16 ON MTN Live—ON
WEDNESDAY AT 9;30 PM go to [ http://www.mtn.org/Video/tvguide/index.html ] Land of the free, Home of the Brave!!!! Not land of the some and those who agree with my religion!!!!!
Guillermo3
@paulahare2: Sorry, paulahare2,
but I can’t quite understand your message[haven’t clicked
the links yet__will in a couple of hours]. I’m assuming,HOPING,
that you are simply adding to,or clarifying the list of anti-gay
rightists that I mentioned in my comment[#9]above.
I HOPE! HOWEVER,mentioning in your words,”non-profit,charitable
organization that fights the radical agenda of the homosexual
Lobby” make me uneasy.What IS your position?