Money Makes the World Go Around

A reader wrote to alert me about a new website created by David Parker which asks for money (what else?) In addition, there is a blog on the site, which we are to assume is written by him (does his lawyer know?) One of the funny comments has Parker saying that this whole issue isn't about a book:

To a fellow parent for respect: I don't know how many times I have to repeat that this is not about a cartoon picture book.

to which an astute commenter responds:

You continue to duck and dodge the real issue behind the "cartoon picture book." What do pictures, stories, anecdotes, or any other representation of the makeup of an individual child's family have to do with sex and sexuality? And if two moms and their daughter washing the family dog IS about sex, then why isn't two heterosexual parents and their child sitting down to a meatloaf dinner about sex?

And while we're hanging around the schoolhouse, let's try to play straight on another issue: no one challenges your right to engage in an act of civil disobedience. But it is disingenuous at the least and patently dishonest at the worst to claim that such an act was, in fact, thrust upon you by the malevolent forces of overzealous political correctness. You are not a martyr for "parents rights," political Christianity, or virile, red-blooded, American heterosexuality. You engaged in a meeting that went up to and beyond the school's closing time. When informed that everyone was leaving and the school was to be locked for night, you said, according to the Lexington Police Department, "If I'm not under arrest, I'm not leaving." Then, somehow, you and/or your allies managed to turn out the local Boston media to witness your arrest for trespassing. Then, somehow, your entire e-mail correspondence with the Lexington schools appears on the Article 8 website. Then, given the opportunity to post bail and go home to your family you CHOOSE to spend the night in jail, "to make a point." Then, somehow, almost every right-wing political Christian website and weblog is parroting your obfuscatory version of events (including the history, distribution process, and usage guidelines of the "diversity book bag") and championing you as some kind of hero of heterosexual righteousness.

Again, as someone who lived through the 60s and 70s in this country, I will always defend someone's right to engage in civil disobedience. But to then pretend that in fact you were persecuted for your views, beliefs, or as some of your supporters claim, your religious faith, is the height of hypocrisy and dishonesty.

And don't forget to catch the rally to support David Parker which will be held in Lexington on September 5th. Mass Anti-Family Institute has all the information here. I wonder if Parker's lawyer told him to distance himself from Article 8 because it's not listed on their website? Mass Anti-Family says:

They oppose Lexington school administrators having a father arrested and taking out a restraining order against him, just for disagreeing with the way they run our schools.

Again, and I'll speak s l o w l y. He wasn't arrested because he disagreed with the way the school was run, he was arrested because he refused to leave the school after the school administrators and police told him to leave.