Catholic archbishop and occasional drunk driver Salvatore Cordileone has written an open letter in response to the open letter sent to him last week by Mayor Lee, Gavin Newsom and dozens of others encouraging him not to attend a June 19 rally in Washington organized by hate group National Organization For Marriage. Despite being deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and despite their work to turn back the clock on transgender rights and their documented strategy to use gay marriage as a wedge issue to divide LGBT people and African Americans, Cordileone smarmily insists that the group is just a bunch of good people like him who believe that marriage should only exist for heterosexual couples possessing exactly one penis and one vagina, no more, no less.
He would also like us all to understand that this fight over gay marriage really isn't a losing one, and it's one the Pope still supports, and really it's more often people like him, and supporters of traditional marriage, who are the victims of "offensive rhetoric," "physical violence," and retribution from the left these days when they decide to express their views. They're the victims now, you see.
Also, he employs NOM's clever rhetorical tactic of insisting they don't hate anyone, and they're not anti-anything. They're just pro-straight people. And straight people marriage. And heterosexuality. In fact, NOM likely coached him on these talking points you can read all their talking points right here.
Here's an excerpt from Cordileone:
1. The March for Marriage is not “anti-LGBT” (as some have described it); it is not anti-anyone or anti-anything. Rather, it is a pro-marriage March. The latter does not imply the former. Rather, it affirms the great good of bringing the two halves of humanity together so that a man and a woman may bond with each other and with any children who come from their union. ... Rest assured that if the point of this event were to single out a group of individuals and target them for hatred, I most certainly would not be there.2. While I cannot go into all of the details here of your allegations against the sponsors of this event and scheduled speakers, I do know that at least some of what you say is based on misinterpretation or is simply factually incorrect...
3. It gives me assurance that we share a common disdain for harsh and hateful rhetoric. It must be pointed out, though, that there is plenty of offensive rhetoric which flows in the opposite direction. In fact, for those who support the conjugal understanding of marriage, the attacks have not stopped at rhetoric. Simply for taking a stand for marriage as it has been understood in every human society for millennia, people have lost their jobs, lost their livelihoods, and have suffered other types of retribution, including physical violence. It is true that historically in our society violence has been perpetrated against persons who experience attraction to members of the same sex, and this is to be deplored and eradicated. Sadly, though, we are now beginning to see examples, although thankfully not widespread, of even physical violence against those who hold to the conjugal view of marriage (such as, most notably, the attempted gunning down of those who work in the offices of the Family Research Council).
Have fun in D.C. being pro-marriage with all those totally non-hateful people, Sal!
Enjoy listening to all that love-filled rhetoric about how gay marriage and gay sex are an abomination, too.
Previously: Mayor Lee and Lt. Gov. Newsom blast Archbishop for event promoting ‘hatred’ to gays [SFGate]
