I got a heartfelt e-mail in response to my Monday post about the reaction of conservatives to the Senate filibuster compromise. The writer objected to my (and others') continued characterization of Focus on the Family's James Dobson as a SpongeBob misanthrope (or is that spongeanthrope... oh, never mind). To put all of the facts on the table, I have written ill of Mr. Dobson's close encounter with the cartoon sea sponge before, though Mr. Dobson and I actually agree that parents should be forewarned if schools decide to add potentially incendiary things like discussions of sex or sexual orientation (or condom-on-a-cucumber demonstrations) to the curriculum.
The e-mailer asked that I read Dobson's response to the Spongeflap, in part to correct the record as previously stated by me and by many others, that Dobson had confused the We are Family Foundation, which produced the video in which SquarePants and the other lovable cartoon characters dance to the disco beat to teach kids about "tolerance", with another organization with a similar name, that counsels gay teens.
Well, why not share the wealth. Here is Dobson's rebuttal to his critics in the media and elsewhere. Read it for yourself and decide. If Dobson has his facts straight, it does appear that the video was in a similar spirit to the Montgomery County, Maryland sex ed curriculum that recently drew so much fire (minus the overt religion bashing). If that's the case, that would be a foul on the liberal side. Touchy issues like these do, in my opinion, deserve a parental filter, and interest groups should not substitute their opinions for the judgment of mom and dad.
The We are Family folks have denied having a "pro-gay" agenda, but I think that Dobson and his allies make a valid argument that the left often mistakes its passion about certain issues for unquestionable fact. Then comes the intolerance of the notion that anyone would dare disagree (and too often, a snidely view of religious people in general -- don't believe me? Listen to a few minutes of "Morning Sedition" on Air America...) Of course, the right does it too, but shouldn't we at some point call a time out on both sides, and let parents be the ones to teach morality and tolerance to their kids? The schools have a hard enough time teaching math and science, as America's dismal scores compared to international students -- particularly those in Asia -- demonstrates.
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done = "No"
%>
Tell a friend
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Else
if request.form("done") = "Yes" then
'sets variables
dim email, sendmail
email = request.form("email")
Set sendmail = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'put the webmaster address here
sendmail.From = "webmaster@aspbasics.com"
'The mail is sent to the address entered in the previous page.
sendmail.To = email
'Enter the subject of your mail here
sendmail.Subject = "Check out this website"
'send a specific page or send a site url
dim url
'url = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
'This is the content of the message.
sendmail.Body = "Site recommendation from a friend!" & _
vbCrlf & vbCrlf & "A friend has sent you this email and thought you would should check out this site." & _
vbCrlf & url & vbCrlf
'this sets mail priority.... 0=low 1=normal 2=high
sendmail.Importance = 1
sendmail.Send 'Send the email!
response.redirect Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
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End if
End if
%>
"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
