Yet More GOProud Controversary at CPAC 2013

I wrote this more than two years ago - it seems we are still having the same conversation.  Sad. This was all over twitter today.  GOProud was once again refused a chance for a sponsorship at the CPAC convention.  This is why the GOP is called intolerant.  Look, I am against gay marriage, but I more than willing to engage in thoughtful debate about the topic.  I don't understand why the organizers of CPAC and social conservative groups are not willing to do the same.  


The Conservative Political Action Conference is having yet another controversy this year.  The Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America have decided to boycott.  The organizers have invited GOProud to participate and the social conservative groups are none too pleased.  

I have my belief systems and I am not ashamed of those beliefs.  I believe that I have come about them honestly and with careful thought.  That being said I realize that my belief systems is not something that everyone else is going to agree with.  One of the things that I really do not have the patience for is people that would rather shut down speech instead of engaging in debate.  When we shut down speech nothing will get solved.  The only way to bring about awareness is to have the difficult and uncomfortable discussions.  

One of the things that I promised myself when I started this blog was that I would stay true to my own voice even when it wasn't popular.  So this post will be no exception.  I fully understand and respect the religious beliefs of the far right.  In fact, I agree with much of it.  But, what I don't agree with is when the far right paints itself into a corner that appears like intolerance.  It happens over and over again. 

The conservative blogosphere has yet to finish its discussion on the end of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  It is not a secret that the right and more specifically the far religious right is appalled that gays will serve in openly in the military.  It is looked upon as a slippery slope that will eventually bring about the ruin of the Republic.  Of course that is somewhat of an oversimplification in many cases, but it certainly is not in all cases.  I have read some things that have blown my mind.  I can only imagine what people who are not inclined to agree with the right are thinking when they read the same things.  

The country is certainly at a crossroads.  We are on the verge of insolvency and in danger of real shift in how we live in this country.  If there ever was a time that we need more discussion, that time is now.  You hear over and over again from the left that the republican party is a small tent.  This is a perfect example of how it simply isn't the case.  Although the new meme of the left and the media is that the republican party is making it clear that it no longer has room for moderates in the party.  It is one of the many inconsistencies that media never fully answers about its discussions of the Republican Party.  But, that is a post for another time.  

There are different types of conservatives.  There are people who are socially conservative yet will still spend money like water.  There are those who are fiscally conservative and more socially liberal.  Then we have those that are conservative on both counts.  So the party is a bigger tent than the media would like to admit to.  But, one of the things that can tear the party apart is this type of stupidity.  

I am not saying that any of these groups should change their strongly held beliefs.  What I am saying is that they need to stop acting like if the rest of us don't agree with them that it is acceptable to pick up their toys and go home.  What we need to do is challenge each other not shut each other out.  By walking away they are becoming exactly what the left accuses of them of; intolerance.  If they truly believe in what they are preaching, then stand up and say it.  Stand up and defend it.  Stand up and show me where I am wrong.  Talk to me, don't shut down discussion.  

I was at CPAC last year and some of this reared its head then as well.  GOProud was there and gave some sort of presentation that I did not attend, so I can't attest to what was said.  CPAC has gone out of its way to be inclusive as possible to college students.  There was an awards program for activists on college campuses across the country. College activists were given a short time to speak about what was happening on their campuses.  One activist choose to use his time to state his displeasure of GOProud and was loudly booed by many of the college kids.  The moderator asked the audience to respect our right to speech and give the young man his time to speak.  Regardless of how I felt about what he saying, I respected his right to say it.  

What these social conservatives are saying is that GOProud has no right to speak.  To me, that is not a conservative value that I can condone.  I don't agree with every speaker at CPAC.  The only way that would happen would be if I chose all the speakers and told them what to discuss.  That doesn't mean that I should not attend and take part of the experience.  Who knows, I may end up learning more from the speaker that I don't agree with than the ones that I do.  

The one thing that I am sure of, if we want to put an end to Obamanation, we have to find a way to make room for all republicans.  If we continue to tear each other down, we will see another four more years of President Obama.  An outcome that is not acceptable.  Hold onto your beliefs and stay true to them, but never forget that the answer to bad speech, is more speech.  

Read more here and here

CPAC - My Experience

CPAC 11 has come to end.  We spent the weekend listening to many so called presidential hopefuls and others within the conservative movement.  We also listened to Donald Trump of all people, who no one there thinks is a conservative.  He said the right things in some cases, but I doubt it fooled many people.  Don't get me wrong, I liked the speech but it wasn't convincing in any way. 

We all know there was controversy surrounding this year's conference.  Mainly due to the inclusion of GOProud as a sponsor.  Many social conservative groups and politicians decided to forgo attending.  As you may know I questioned if it was a good idea for these groups to forgo, the answer to bad speech is more speech.  I firmly believe that. 

Even though I don't like to, I will admit when I am wrong.  This is one of the times.  GOProud shouldn't have been allowed to be a sponsor.  The question of homosexuality aside, the real problem with them being there is identity politics.  Conservatives don't particularly care for putting people into groups.  This is exactly what they were trying to do, and they did it aggressively, too aggressively.  They also went way too far and started a dust up on Friday of the conference.  Did they really expect that there wouldn't be people in attendance that were against them being there?  Did they really expect that those people wouldn't protest it?  Protest is part of our political process and part of the American lexicon.  How they handled this was disgraceful and can't be tolerated.  I have this feeling that controversy won't be an issue next year.  No one is saying that they can't attend the conference, or can't vote republican.  But, stop trying to get the republican party to accept identity politics.  We want no part of that, if we did we may as well be liberals. 

I had the honor of meeting fellow blogger Right Klik and his beautiful family.  His little daughter is just too cute and she was very well behaved during our lunch.  I know of another little girl just about the same age who wouldn't have been too happy to be sitting in a restaurant for that period of time. 

Jill over at Pundit and Pundette came across something that said that the issue of abortion of was being made passe at CPAC.  I and others who attended have assured her that is not the case with the people who were there.  That is still a very important issue among conservatives and regardless if you personally agree with or not, it won't be going away anytime soon.  Virtually every major speaker brought up the issue of life and got huge applause when they did.  Many of the exhibitors and sponsors were solidly pro life. 

I had a funny incident happen after the final speech.  I was having dinner with some fellow Smart Girls and needed to use the ladies room.  I go and the stalls are towards the back of the room and around a corner.  I just went to the closest stall, the door was open and because of the angle I couldn't see anything.  I open the door and to my surprise Bill Schutlz of Red Eye fame was in there doing his business.  I think I am scarred for life.  He was so drunk he didn't even know I was there.  I just turned around and went to the next stall. 

The Straw Poll results came as no shock to me.  I knew before the conference started that Ron Paul would win.  Truly, I have found Ron Paul to be the SEIU of the right.  He buses in his fans and sells tickets at Campaign for Liberty's website at much lower prices than anyone else.  Which I don't think is right, but it is out my control.  Although with the new leadership at CPAC this may very well change.  My understand is that the new president is far less libertarian leaning than the outgoing one.  CPAC is meant to be a conservative gathering and Paulites in many ways are not conservative.  They are almost cult like in some respects.  That is why Ron Paul can't win.  People may agree with many parts of message, but he has many followers who are anti-Semitic and 9/11 truthers.  They didn't do themselves any favors when they couldn't help themselves and called the former Vice President a war criminal.  That smacks of the same vitriol that we hear from the likes of the Code Pink ladies.  You are not going to ingratiate yourselves to the right when you are saying and doing things like that.  If you are one of those people who think that Paulites are somewhat cult like, just wait until you see them travelling in packs like they do at CPAC.  Out of nowhere they just yell "Ron Paul", it is freaky.  Personally, I find them even scarier than the Obamanonts. 

A few people told me that they felt that Allen West giving the Keynote Speaker on Saturday night was anti-climantic since in the past they have had such names as Glenn Beck, Rush, and others.  While Allen West isn't the name that most of the keynote speakers of the past have been, he may very well be in the future.  Allen West is the future of the conservative movement.  So maybe CPAC can one day say, I knew him when.