With every day, the religious right’s hypocrisy and desire to censure becomes clearer:
A mock nativity scene at the Texas Capitol in which Baby Jesus was represented as the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights was removed on Tuesday after Governor Greg Abbott complained that it was “tasteless sarcasm,” Abbott’s office said.
The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation that was responsible for the display accused Abbott, a Republican, of censorship and said the action was illegal.
[...]
“Far from promoting morals and the general welfare, the exhibit deliberately mocks Christians and Christianity,” Abbott wrote in a letter to the board. He called the display a “juvenile parody.”
“Subjecting an image held sacred by millions of Texans to the Foundation’s tasteless sarcasm does nothing to promote morals and the general welfare,” Abbott wrote.
What a total piece of shit this man is, the same man who fought to stop a dying gay couple’s marriage from being recognized. Gov. F*ckwit, whatever you think of the display means jack squat. I don’t even know why the hell you would find support for the founders and the Bill of Rights offensive, but even if you do, you don’t get to have it taken down. It’s called free speech (I won't add the next three words). It matters not in the slight if (you think) it doesn’t promote “morals and the general welfare”. Since when is free speech just about morals you personally approve of?
The Foundation’s response is excellent:
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which said it works to protect the separation of church and state, put up its Bill of Rights scene after receiving complaints last year of a Christian nativity at the Texas Capitol.
“What Governor Abbott has done here is clearly illegal and sends a message to Texans that there is no room at the inn for anyone but Christians,” said Sam Grover, a staff attorney with the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
I don’t want nativity scenes taken down at Christmas. But conservatives repeatedly demonstrate that they don’t care about free speech either. Whenever people on the left act like this, there’s always talk about how intolerant we are. And that criticism has some legitimacy. But whenever the right does it (and they do), there’s not a peep. Of course, we actually hold our side to account for their craziness, and the phrase “regressive left” demonstrates. I’ve seen nothing like it from the right.
The left isn’t perfect. But it’s infinitely more decent than the right.
P.S. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy Festivus. :)