Sen. DeMint: Keep Gays, Unwed Moms Out of Public School

Care2 ^ | 10/3/10 | Jessica Piehole

[pissant]

Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is on a crusade, and it is one that goes well beyond a Republican takeover of Congress come November. Sen. DeMint wants to make sure that gays and unwed pregnant women do not teach in public schools. The crux of DeMint's argument is that there can be no separation of moral issues from economic issues, and to the extent that some in the Republican party try and separate the two they do so at the party's peril.

For those who have paid attention to DeMint's moral posturing in the past, these latest statements really come as no surprise. DeMint has made similar proclamations, like the time in 2004 when he endorsed his state party's platform that said openly gay teachers should be barred from teaching in public school. For DeMint, the issue boils down to a government endorsement of "immorality."

Senator DeMint is free to hold onto antiquated and bigoted beliefs in his personal life, but it is quite another thing for a U.S. Senator to openly advocate those positions as party platforms. What is also very disturbing about these latest ramblings is the fact that the Senator insists on wrapping them in constitutional protections found in the First Amendment. It's not enough to call Sen. DeMint's understanding of the First Amendment exercise and establishment clauses misguided. It's simply wrong and a sitting U.S. Senator should, by virtue of his employment, have a fundamental understanding of the law.

[Huck]

In that article, he does talk about this stuff.

[pissant]

grassy ass

[SuziQ]

Does Ms. Piehole have Senator DeMint actually SAYING what she’s claiming, or is she inferring that he means this when he’s talking about conservative views on social issues?

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

You nailed that and it looks as if Demint has made his stand.I stand with him.

[Outlaw Woman]

Before anyone goes nuts,...

Now there you go, trying to dilute the conversation with context. pfffft

[mmercier]

i am seeing no problem with precluding queers, or anyone else who has the need to openly share their sexual proclivities access to children. any individual who feels the need to share intimate feelings with other than their partner is exhibiting abnormal behavior.

other views vary.

[running_dog_lackey]

How about getting the federal Government out of the public schools?

[CAluvdubya]

DeMint may have mistepped with trying to bar unwed moms from teaching

I don't agree with DeMint in this one. I'd rather see that unwed mother have a decent job than an abortion!

[smokingfrog]

Jessica Pieklo

Hegemommy

Might as well be.

[jessduntno]

In a related story, Jessica is soon to be married to Ralph Fooken. According to San Francisco liberal tradition, she will hyphenate her last name.

She will become Jessica Schutya Fooken-Piehole.

[onyx]

Senator DeMint is enjoying too much success for the enemy’s comfort, so now they come out with this to try to paint him into a ‘far right kook corner.’

Alinsky’s tactics at work. Digging deep - back to October, 2004. DISTRACTION.

CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES *ARE* MAINSTREAM AND THEY’RE ALL GOING TO WIN.

[onyx]

YEP, and Russert is dead.

[upchuck]

Before anyone goes nuts, research had to be done to put this all in the proper context. HIS REMARKS ARE from OCTOBER, 2004 on MEET THE PRESS with TIM RUSSERT!

That may be true (but none of your links prove it). However, from your HuffPo link (emphasis mine):

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) attempted to convince pastors that economic issues are moral issues at the Greater Freedom Rally at a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina yesterday, imploring them to help conservatives retake Congress in November.

In addition to reiterating anti-choice talking points on abortion and backing "traditional marriage," according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, the senator went further and "said if someone is openly homosexual, they shouldn't be teaching in the classroom and he holds the same position on an unmarried woman who's sleeping with her boyfriend -- she shouldn't be in the classroom."

[CAluvdubya]

Senator DeMint is enjoying too much success for the enemy’s comfort, so now they come out with this to try to paint him into a ‘far right kook corner.’

Good to know.

It also appears the sun has been over the yardarm for quite some time for some around here :D

[Gene Eric]

Onyx, I think you might be right.

[Outlaw Woman]

That or if there is nothing, plant a ‘seed’ and watch it grow.

[onyx]

The Huffington-Puffington post article has several links, one of which leads to this one: DeMint apologizes for saying unwed, single mothers shouldn't teach in public schools, again from 2004, so it seems to me the press is digging deep and that Senator DeMint might not recall everything he said in 2004.

The press is playing a game of "gotcha" and it's a distraction.

[GreyMountainReagan]

Some of the best teachers I had over the years were gay — and now I'm a teacher myself.

Just how would you know they were gay?

I say take sexuality out of school, homo and hetero.

[paudio]

Should those questions be in the job interviews? What if they said no in the interview, but they do afterward? Does it mean we need to check where the teachers live, and see whether the ‘singles’ have boyfriend/girlfriend sleep there?

[GreyMountainReagan]

Some of the best teachers I had over the years were gay — and now I'm a teacher myself.

Just how would you know they were gay?

I say take sexuality out of school, homo and hetero.