I don’t think we need more laws. I think we need more understanding. We need people to start to understand what respect is all about. And guess what? Every one of us has a point of view. We are supposed to respect each other’s point of view, and we’re not supposed to tell somebody, because they have a different point of view, that they are not entitled to have that. We should all be able to have the point of view and respect each other but we don’t need more laws trying to get in between people.
—Tom Emmer, the Target- and Best Buy-backed Republican candidate for Minnesota governor, explaining at a weekend debate why he will not support anti-bullying measures in schools, despite the recent rash of suicides including four alone in the Anoka-Hennepin School District. THIS IS A MAN WITH CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOL. Democratic opponent Mark Dayton argued the exact opposite.
Stefan
Thank God Emmer is behind in virtually every poll! Dayton will win next month and Minnesota can finally regain its reputation as a progressive state.
UMB
And we thought T-Paw was a terrible governor, I’m pretty sure this guy would burn the state to the ground. I’ll be happy to see Pawlenty go, but am afraid to see him enter national politics.
Eric
Nice try, but the courts have decided again and again that schools can restrict free speech if that speech detracts from the learning environment. Actions that directly result in kids killing themselves would certainly harm that learning environment.
reason
Tom Emmer was bullied, now that he is powerful he wants to gain acceptance with his previous tormentors by adopting and enacting their vile tactics. Bullying someone to death has nothing to do with having the right to have ones own views, actually it is quite the opposite. Bullying someone in this scenario, is inflicting physical or emotional trauma on an individual, degrading their rights to be who they are or hold their own views. Anyone that thinks otherwise doesn’t have the mental capacity to run a state.
Mark Dayton gave a clear and concise argument that obviously came from the heart. It is a reminder to all of those who wish to sit this one out, to punish the president, what is at stake. Are you going to abandon GBLT youth enabling their killers and bully rights supporters, or will you go to the polls in order to put people like Mark Dayton in office. This election will have real consequences, and for many like us will have life or death implications.
Cam
So beating up somebody because you don’t like their race or their sexuality is now just a different point of view that “Needs to be respected”??
So if you extend out his logic, then a rapist could testify that it was just his point of view that his victim should be raped because she was a woman. That is basically where you could go with his thought process.
Isn’t it amazing how far bigots will go to try to justify their hatred of others?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
[img]http://img.youtube.com/vi/_7tgNKxpNrU/0.jpg[/img]
Memo to Tom: As the youngest of four boys, I can pretty much agree with the studies that show that in famlies with three or more boys the incidence of the younger ones being Gay increases dramaticaly with each additional son being born to a family…………
Lets see how you feel about anti-Gay bullying in a few years you hatefull vile pandering scumbag…..
Zach
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS:
Sadly, I wouldn’t bank on one of his son’s being gay as changing his viewpoints.
I’ve read enough stories about homeless LGBT youth and stories of LGBT adults who families have cut all ties with them to know that many homophobic people aren’t going to change regardless if their child comes out to them.
wmcarpenter
Well, my vote doesn’t matter seeing as I’m not a Minnesota voter, but I do hope that Minnesotans can overlook the fact that Dayton has the personality of soggy cereal. He seems like a smart guy, I don’t remember him being so stale.
franko
u can clearly pick which of his kids r smiling nervously because they r gay inside!! And Targets pick? ok big bad republican…. take your target quality comments, and stick em where u know u want it! dont lie, we know what the picture in your head is when r having sex!I cant stand republicans…. Horse face meg whitman, with the wrestler Kanes hair line, and the most annoying c*&t sara palin!!
franko
u can clearly pick which of his kids r smiling nervously because they r gay inside!! And Targets pick? ok big bad republican…. take your target quality comments, and stick em where u know u want it! dont lie, we know what the picture in your head is when r having sex!I cant stand republicans…. Horse face meg whitman, with the wrestler Kane’s hair line, and the most annoying c*&t sara palin!! oops, am i mad??
ewe
He should be begging on a street corner for his next meal.
tallskin2
Another w*anker who needs a runny custard pie in his mush in front of the cameras
Michael
This race is a toss-up. Emmer trails, but only by a few percentage points. Also, it is a 3-way race, which adds a further element of uncertainty into the mix.
Emmer’s statement is vile, but is no different than the various statements from “Christians” over the past 2 weeks. Emmer is a smart man. I don’t think he could possibly believe that this kind of bullying is a matter of opposing views, as though middle school boys surround a gay kid in order to share their perspectives on sexual orientation. He knows what is happening b/c it has been happening for decades. He is knowingly running interference for the bullies who drive people to suicide.
Mark
Mr. Emmer talks out both sides of his mouth. He has had no problem supporting more laws that treat GLBT American’s as second class citizens. His point of view is that Gay Americans aren’t entitled to the same Constitutional rights and protections that he and other Americans enjoy. That’s harmful, unequal and Un-American. I want these laws to protect me from the harm and discrimination the Emmer and others target our community with so freely.
the crustybastard
Wow.
What a stupid, stupid man.
Flatliner
Target?!
Target is backing this candidate?!
WTF?!
Target is like a gay sanctuary. Where else are we to get our “necessary items” – Walmart?! I don’t think so…
No…, I’ll continue shopping at Target, only now, with each visit, I intend to randomly break merchandise – accidentally, of course.
the crustybastard
@Flatliner said “Where else are we to get our “necessary items” – Walmart?! … I’ll continue shopping at Target…to randomly break merchandise…”
It’s not a zero-sum game, ferchrissakes.
The point of boycotting Target is not to benefit Walmart — the point of boycotting Target is to not benefit Target.
I doubt that any of those “necessary items” is so goddam exotic they can’t be had at other stores that also aren’t Walmart. Whatever inconvenience you may suffer by shopping elsewhere will be far less than the inconvenience of being charged with vandalism.
Alex
I really love target and it’s merch. That’s why I’ve been consistently stealing from it since I was 14.
Ran
So, with what he says, he supports gay rights and marriage because laws the prevent those rights get in the middle of people. At least he gave his opponents something more to work with.