Fear and Loathing in Truro
The Venetian Nationalist demagogue in Michael Dibdin’s Dead Lagoon: ”There can be no true friends without true enemies; unless we hate what we are not, than we cannot love what we are.”
Truro Nova Scotia Mayor Bill Mills may not use the word “hate” — that would get him into trouble — but certainly exclusion is a term that he would embrace. In Truro, you see, you are not welcome if you are gay — goes against scripture according to Mills.
The gay community asked to have their rainbow flag raised on municipal property, and around town, as part of their summer festivities. No dice, according to the city fathers.
Mills was quoted as saying, “If I have a group of people that say that pedophiles have rights, do we raise their flag too?” Then he backs away from such hate-mongering invidiousness and says, disingenuously, “I don’t want to lump homosexuals in with pedophiles (even though he did), but that’s the point, the issues, that’s my feeling”.
That’s like me saying that I would never call Bill Mills a rural religious red neck.
Even on religious grounds, there are powerful counter-arguments in favor of New Testament forgiveness and understanding.
Here is the crux of the matter: gays are born that way. Studies regarding fetal hormonal exposure and genetic pre-determinants pretty much guarantee it is science over socializing. Who, may I ask, would choose to be gay? Who would want the hassle, the lack of putative social support, and then have to deal with a clown like Bill Mills anyway?
If my brother had his choice, I know that he would have chosen to have had a straight lifestyle and would have wanted more of a family. My brother was married for ten years and is a gay man. He is more productive than millions of “straights.” He also employs lots of people. A real man in other words, unlike a prejudiced small town mayor.
Gays have been their own worst enemies, too, in terms of how they have branded themselves following the advent of protective civil rights laws. As I have mentioned before, hyper-sexual displays of homo-eroticism do not play well — in many places, not just rural Canada.
Statistical facts are, however, that mayor Mills probably has gay people in his family, or one of his ancestors was gay. Who cares?
Truro Mayor Mills exhibits the same kind of thinking, the same sensibility that has, historically, kept Jews and others down, out, and excluded.
When the wind blows off of the pastures in Truro it smells an awful lot like Bill Mills and Truro council.
No wonder so many people move from Truro to Halifax.
August 10th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Hey Andrew,
I’ve called and e-mailed several times. I listen to the show regularly and almost always find it interesting. Now that I have your blog link I’ll be here as well!
Congratulations on getting engaged, and keep up the great work.
Neil
August 10th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Hey Andrew, I do agree that when the wind blow that smell is remarkably like Bill Mills.
However, I think Mills could have denied the flag, without giving the religious reason, and it would have been supported. Or at least I believe it would have. Every group that appeals to council to have flags or banners flown here in Antigonish are not supported- all for different reasons, granted, none of them spiritual.
There was a great letter in the Chronicle Herald today that kinda spelled out the same way I feel about this issue. Let’s get this straight (no pun intended), I’m not a gay hater……be however you want, or however you are born as you wrote above.
However, the writer of the letter to the editor says that the will of the amjority is being respected here. Bill Mills and his councillor were, arguable, voted by a MAJORITY of people in the town to represent them and that is what they have done. The Minority (in this case gay people) are exactly that, a minority. All too often these days we see the majorities views ignored so that politicians can cater to a minority. We see it all the time now with the Federal Government. They seem to forget that they only recieved 37 percent of the popular vote, but instead of listening to the over 60 percent of people who didn’t vote for them, they do whatever they want.
In any case, the majority has carried this one and it’s a good bet that Bill Mills won’t cart out the bible again….or at least not anytime soon….I mean, really, this isn’t the United States– where, if you don’t have religious convictions that cloud your judgement, your not in politics.
August 11th, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hey Andy,
Truro - need I say anymore?
Hardly the social, moral or enlightened centre of democracy in our country.
Actually the little bible belt backwater casts a dark shadow over the entire province.
Remember their position on Sunday shopping?
Imagine….
No need to say any more!
Lori
August 14th, 2007 at 7:55 am
I’m a long-time listener to your show, but since I’m stuck at work I never get a chance to call in.
The way I see it, both sides are at fault here. It’s unfortunate that the debate has always been dominated by radicals on both sides of the issue. For the Truro mayor to use his religious convictions to deny the flying of the flag is a problem, but I’m reminded of when the mayor here in Fredericton refused to proclaim Gay Pride Week ~10 years ago. He never stated religion as a reason for not doing so, but was drawn and quartered by the NB human rights commission regardless.
I know many Christians and I know many gays, and very few of them have this activist streak. They all have opinions, but don’t try to flaunt them in front of everyone else. I hope that the next time something like this happens, cooler heads prevail and the moderates work out a solution.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:39 am
Sir this is without doubt one of your best entries. Keep up the good work and slaying the demons.