Furor Over Anti-Gay Blog. Gays and their supporters told to piss off.
Done Being Politically Correct
Bert Chapman knows that his reason for opposing what he calls "the
homosexual lifestyle" -- that it differs from his view of Biblical norms -
- won't win many arguments these days in the secular world. So Chapman, a
blogger who is also a librarian at Purdue University, turned to economics.
And at his Conservative Librarian blog, he argues that gay people are an
economic drain.
He cites the billions spent on fighting AIDS "without recognizing the
morally aberrant sexual behavior ... causing its spread" and the "sad
practice" of colleges and other employers offering domestic partner
benefits in a way that "prevents them from providing additional coverage
to those of us adhering to traditional sexual moral standards"; he goes on
to say that gay people are causing economic problems in fields such as
real estate and divorce law.
"Guess who has to pay for these increased costs and potentially lower
investment returns? We do, regardless of whether or not we approve of the
homosexual lifestyle. The next time some one tells you how wonderful is
the 'progress' gays have made in recent decades ask them if they have ever
thought about the multiple economic consequences of this 'progress' as
described in this posting," he wrote.
The blog runs not on a university Web site, but at Townhall.com, a
conservative news site. On the site, Chapman's biography notes his job as
the political science librarian at the university, but also says: "Views
presented on this blog are the author's personal opinions and do not
represent the opinions of my employer."
But as word of the blog spread at Purdue, the campus has seen petitions
and protests, with many calling for Chapman (who has tenure) to be fired.
His critics say that what he writes is so hateful and inaccurate that it
raises questions about his ability to do his job.
One sophomore wrote to The Purdue Exponent, the student newspaper: "That�ｿｽs
right. I�ｿｽll call for his job. As a student, as a lesbian, as a human
being, I believe with every fiber of my being that Purdue University in no
way should affiliate itself with the hateful, bigoted opinions of
Professor Chapman. It would serve Professor Chapman well to know that
there are quite a few 'sexually deviant' students on this campus and they
just happen to pay his salary.... Imagine that Professor Chapman�ｿｽs blog
had been titled, 'An Economic Case Against Interracial Marriage' or 'An
Economic Case Against the Disabled.' How would the Purdue administration
react if they knew a professor was convinced racial segregation should
still be in place or that the disabled should just stay home because
building a ramp to a library would cost too much money?"
Another student wrote: "Bert Chapman surrendered his position at Purdue
the moment he decided to publish such intellectual diarrhea on his blog.
There are those who would defend this atrocious man by claiming that
political correctness has conspired to snatch away his free speech, but
this is not so. Dr. Chapman has the right to believe that homosexuals are
immoral, just as it would be within his rights to believe the same about
any other group of people.
"The issue is not Dr. Chapman�ｿｽs views of homosexuality, bigoted and wrong-
headed though they may be, but that he has abused his authority as a
scholar and an expert to disseminate hate-filled propaganda. Professors
are expected to use their studies to search for the truth, but Dr. Chapman
appears to feel more at home making up his own facts about AIDS, prison
sex and other such matters he falsely connects to what he calls sodomy. He
is using these lies to extinguish the essential rights of a group that
accounts for an estimated 5-10 percent of our nation�ｿｽs total population.
It should not be merely Purdue�ｿｽs LGBT students and faculty that are
offended by this, but every single decent soul on this campus. Dr. Bert
Chapman is not just a homophobe, I think he�ｿｽs a liar, and it�ｿｽs about time
he start looking for a job elsewhere."
Others -- including some who would join in condemning Chapman's views --
have said that they worry about the rush to demand his dismissal. A column
in the Exponent by a self-proclaimed "libertarian-minded liberal" accused
liberals of refusing to recognize Chapman's right to express himself.
"Students�ｿｽ outrage at Chapman�ｿｽs blog is understandable, and, more
importantly, merited. But once Purdue liberals proposed that Chapman be
removed from Purdue for voicing his opinions, a line was crossed from
democracy into fascism," the column says.
Kevin Casimer, a student who has been involved in organizing the protests
against Chapman, said via e-mail that he isn't calling for the librarian's
dismissal, but for a more forceful response by the university. "What I am
primarily calling for is for all members of the Purdue community who think
that Chapman's comments are damaging to say so publicly." He said that all
of the talk about free speech -- while understandable -- is diverting
attention from the need to confront and condemn Chapman's views. (Casimer
details his views on the debates on his blog.)
The university has rejected calls to fire Chapman. "The university asks
its faculty to make it clear that the viewpoints they express do not
necessarily reflect those of the university. Mr. Chapman has gone out of
his way to do this with a very clear disclaimer. He also took an extra
step and posted his blog on a server not owned by the university," said a
spokeswoman. "The university has a policy prohibiting harassment if it
unreasonably affects a person's educational or work opportunities or
affects his or her ability to participate in a university activity. This
does not meet that standard. The First Amendment clearly allows him to
state his opinion. The best response is to speak up, which is exactly what
our students and some faculty are doing."
In a brief interview on Thursday, Chapman said he didn't want to talk
about the situation at length because he wants the controversy to die
down. He did say that the angry responses have been hurtful to him, and to
his wife. He said that his supervisors at the university, consistent with
the institution's statement, have not taken any action against him. But he
said that he contacted the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education,
just in case.
FIRE's Adam Kissel said that the organization is monitoring the situation
and "has been pleased with Purdue's statements in defense of professors'
freedom to publish their personal views on the Internet. This is a great
learning opportunity for those students and faculty members who think
wrongly that Purdue should censor or punish the professor."
�ｿｽ Scott Jaschik
Pat Magroyne
<reclaim.amer...@2010.bootobama.org> wrote:
> In a brief interview on Thursday, Chapman said he didn't want to talk
> about the situation at length because he wants the controversy to die
> down.
IOW, he knew he was out of line and is ashamed.
anonymous
>
> http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/11/13/purdue
>
> Bert Chapman knows that his reason for opposing what he calls "the
> homosexual lifestyle" -- that it differs from his view of Biblical norms -
> - won't win many arguments these days in the secular world. So Chapman, a
> blogger who is also a librarian at Purdue University, turned to economics.
> And at his Conservative Librarian blog, he argues that gay people are an
> economic drain.
>
> He cites the billions spent on fighting AIDS "
Actually aids funding has been cut. How young men get the courage to
bring a boyfriend home to meet the family and join the family setting if
Adam jumps around on stage and is
cusing a stir. No wonder young men go to back rooms, truck stops and
other dangersous palces rather than being fired, disowned or worse.
Homosexuals work and pay taxes like everybody else. They deserve the
same benefits in the same way that when your wife divorces you, she will
get half the assets of the marraige whether she washed your underwear
with skidmarks or not.
without recognizing the
> morally aberrant sexual behavior ... causing its spread" and the "sad
> practice" of colleges and other employers offering domestic partner
> benefits in a way that "prevents them from providing additional coverage
> to those of us adhering to traditional sexual moral standards";
I understand the tradition moral standard is sex only for a procreatio
purpose.
he goes on
> to say that gay people are causing economic problems in fields such as
> real estate and divorce law.
No question. Homosexuals have two incomes and they want to decorate,
dectorate and travel and travel and have fun and they do. Real estate
is important to homosexuals because it is all about location, location,
location.
In Canada all laws apply to homosexuals or heterosexuals, married or
single.
>
> "Guess who has to pay for these increased costs and potentially lower
> investment returns? We do, regardless of whether or not we approve of the
> homosexual lifestyle. The next time some one tells you how wonderful is
> the 'progress' gays have made in recent decades ask them if they have ever
> thought about the multiple economic consequences of this 'progress' as
> described in this posting," he wrote.
>
Heterosexuals have the same problem they always have. The marry women
who earn less or no money at all. They have a wife who has babies.
Babies cost 200,000 each to raise. Most married guys I know make 30 to
50 thousand. Good luck on raising 200,000 babies.