Posted on 01/24/2005 5:53:53 AM PST by aynrandy
"Does anybody here know SpongeBob?"
That's what Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, wanted to know this week.
If they could have heard him, millions of kids would have shouted "Yes!" in glorious unison. None, however, could have guessed why he took the time to inquire.
Dobson believes that the creators of "We Are Family," a music video intended to "promote tolerance and diversity to America's children," have enlisted the famous absorbent yellow square and cast him smack dab in the middle of a "pro-homosexual video."
SpongeBob appeared alongside - and this is important - other radical, pro-homosexual activists such as Barney, Jimmy Neutron and Snufalufagus.
Is "We Are Family" a pro-homosexual video? I'm not sure, although in the slides, there seems to be loads of fancy colors, dancing and singing - it seems very gay, like happy, gay.
Maybe it's over my head, but it may very well be that SpongeBob is, as Focus on the Family claims, "exploited by an organization that's determined to promote the acceptance of homosexuality among our nation's youth."
After all, musician Nile Rodgers and the other makers of the "We Are Family" video planned to mail 61,000 units to schools across the country to promote "tolerance."
The tolerance pledge on the group's website goes like this: "To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own."
Who, exactly, designated Rodgers - the guy who co-wrote the disco song "Le Freak" - the spokesman for America's wellspring of strength?
Some would suggest to Rodgers that limitless tolerance is as dangerous as no tolerance at all. What if your sexual identity is pedophilia or your culture is racist or misogynist? What if - dare I say - you're an evangelical? The tolerance crowd gets intolerant rather quickly when you're not onboard with the Acceptance Agenda.
Through a release, Dobson says he applauds "the ideal of championing to children the value and dignity of every human life as well as respect for our differences." What he says Focus on the Family "vehemently objects to is using these beloved characters to help advance an agenda that's beyond the comprehension of 6- and 7-year-old children, not to mention morally offensive to millions of moms and dads."
Dobson, the "best-known leader among America's 50-million-strong evangelical Christians," according to U.S News and World Report, has a point. He speaks for millions of parents who may see things his way, whether the tolerance vicars like it or not.
Fortunately, one of America's greatest strengths is plenty of room and choices.
Focus on the Family is based in Colorado Springs rather than San Francisco for a sensible reason. If its members don't want to tolerate SpongeBob and his "gay" party friends, so be it. There are plenty of straight children's characters - Ernie and Bert? Fred and Barney? Ren and Stimpy? - for kids to watch.
Then again, enlightened city dwellers aren't exactly tolerant of NASCAR fans, hunters or Toby Keith. Basically, tolerance means you go out of your way to make the Native American Lesbian Croquet Club feel comfortable but maintain a sneering contempt for suburban, SUVdriving, church-going folks.
Maybe one day, people will stop telling us which gay cartoon character not to watch. Or whom we should or shouldn't tolerate.
For now, be thankful that we live in an age where a cartoon character co-opted by gay activists, an aggravated religious leader and a didactic musician who once played guitar with the group Chic can coagulate into a salacious story about the cultural war.
I know I am.
David Harsanyi's column appears Monday and Thursday. He can be reached at 303-820-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com.
Hmmm... they want to push this through the government schools which don't tolerate prayer or Christianity.
I haven't understood this story.(Though I admit, I haven't paid much attention either).
But I did hear on a TV report, that what the hoopla is about, is not a video, but some links and suggested reading material on a website.
Is this another case of the msm misreporting the news?
Among my children's generation "That's so gay!" has become a put-down.
I've always found Sponge Bob to be 'gay' in the sense of the adolecents' sneer, but never in either the original sense of the word or its perfered sense among apologists for homoerotic behavior.
No, I'm sorry to say this is another case where extremist amongst us make us (Conservatives) look like a bunch of idiots similar to Islamic extremists).
I agree.
The tolerance pledge on the group's website goes like this: "To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own."
sexual identity is not even a word elementary children should know the definition of.....I think it is a brainwashing video, and my daughters school better not even think of showing it.
I don't think sponge bob is gay but he is being used to support the pledge statement in this video....did you read it? Is it appropriate for our children.
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